Pet Owners: Keep Your Home Clean and Allergy Free

Owning a pet is one of the most rewarding relationships you can have, but that doesn’t mean things are always easy. On top of training, feeding, and caring for them, things can really be strained if, unfortunately, you suffer from allergies. It has been found that as many as three in 10 people in the USA are allergic to cats or dogs. If you are allergic to a certain animal, vets will sometimes recommend you try and re-home them, though giving up your companion should only be seen as a last resort.

Even if you aren’t suffering, your family or friends may experience an allergic reaction when spending time at your home, which can strain relationships – just being around you could trigger their symptoms if you’ve been handling your pet on a regular basis.

It is impossible to make your home 100% allergy-free, but simply understanding what can cause an allergic reaction and knowing what you can control, can make your life much easier and means your pet can stay at home!

What’s Causing Your Allergies?

First of all, you need to understand what exactly it is about your pet that is triggering your allergic reactions. The culprit is protein. This is produced in the sebaceous gland of your pet’s skin and found in their dander (tiny scales of dead skin) when they shed.

It can also be found in their saliva, meaning if your pet licks their fur, the allergens are transmitted, and flake off once their fur dries. This is how allergens become airborne and why some people can have an allergic reaction before they have even made contact with a pet. People can react differently to the allergens produced, depending on the breed of animal they have or the different types of pets they own.

Allergic reactions can cause asthmatic symptoms and often a rash on the skin may develop. If you have an allergic reaction and think it may be related to your pet, consult your doctor to find the true cause of your symptoms. You may be able to have allergy shots, which will alleviate many of your problems.

Below are five tips you can try right now, along with some advice from pet owners around the world sharing their advice through Reddit, showing you that allergies don’t always mean the end for you and your furry friend.

How Can You Reduce Allergies in your Home?

Clean your carpet and furniture

Carpets and sofa throws are prime targets when it comes to being pulled, scratched, and bitten by your pets, meaning they will be a hotspot for recently shed pet hair. Keep a lint roller handy to quickly pick up any hair or dirt before it accumulates or breaks apart and scatters.

If there have been multiple pets living in a home untreated, a deep carpet cleaning service will get rid of most of the allergy nuisances. To prevent pets from carving out a permanent place on your couch, place a basket or bed nearby, so they can still lie close to you.

Bathe and brush them regularly

It may take some time for your pet to become accustomed to it, but regular bathing can reduce the number of allergens found on their fur by up to 84%. Regular bathing will keep their fur clean, but you should also brush them as often as possible and wash their bedding and toys. Pets such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and birds should have their cages cleaned out at least once a week.

Keep some rooms pet free

Create an allergy-free zone by restricting your pet’s access to one room in the house – your bedroom is usually the best option, but it can be anywhere you want to keep a low level of allergens. This is naturally easier with animals that require cages or hutches, as they can be housed in a garage or shed – though house-bound pets can be territorial.

When it comes to cats and dogs, be sure to create a space in your home in which they can spend the majority of their time (such as a box room). This will give them a comfy place to sleep, keeping the majority of allergens in one place and helping to keep your own bedroom allergy-free.

Keep your home well ventilated

If your home has air conditioning, keeping some of the air vents closed will limit the amount of dander that is picked up and circulated through your house. Buying HEPA purifiers and filters will also go a long way to cutting down on the airborne dander.

These purifiers typically have multiple outer filters that operate like sieves, catching the larger particles of dirt and hair. Inside, there is a concertina of dense glass fibers that catch the smaller particles of dander as they sieve through.

An official HEPA filter catches 99.97% of dust particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter, they are certified by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and are incorporated into some models of vacuum cleaners.

Make improvements when you can

If you’re renovating your home, consider making alterations that will make cleaning your home, especially any rooms your pet spends time in, as easy as possible. This could involve shortening the curtains in your living room or installing wooden floors that would make cleaning up pet hair much easier than on carpets.

For cats, it can also be your chance to add a scratching post to your living room to try and move them away from damaging your new furniture and spreading allergens where you sit.

Keeping allergens down will make owning a pet not just easier for you, but also for those close to you. What tips have you picked up for coping with your allergies?

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