Sneeze: Image by Trumanlo, FlickrDo you love your pet, but fear you might have to get rid of him due to pesky allergies? You might not have to after all. With the right methods, you can keep your home relatively allergy free, and still keep your pet.
Tips to Reduce Pet Allergies
Use these methods to help reduce pet related allergies.
1. Keep Your Pets Off The Furniture
When your pet gets on your couch or bed, chances are some fur or dander is going to collect. To reduce your exposure to it, simply keep your animals off of the furniture. If you happen to have a pet that you can't keep off of the furniture, like a cat, simply remember to vacuum any upholstered surfaces on a frequent basis.
2. Keep Your Home Clean
Keeping your home clean can make a world of a difference when it comes to pet allergens. It's important to dust often to keep any allergens off of surfaces. If you have carpet and upholstered surfaces, be sure to vacuum those often as well. However, vacuuming does have a tendency to bring up the allergens into the air, so try to vacuum when the person with allergies is away from home.
3. Keep Your Pet Clean
Keeping your pet nice and clean can reduce the number of allergens found in his fur. Many of the allergens you're suffering from come home by hiding in your animals fur, and can be reduced by 85% or more by simply bathing your animal at least twice a week. (Source: Bathe Your Pet - How To Reduce Pet Allergens In The Home, Health.com)
4. Designate A "Pet Free" Zone
Areas where people spend most of their time, such as the bedroom, should be kept pet free to ensure an allergy-free zone. This will keep pet dander out of the bed and upholstery to keep allergies at bay, if only in one area of the house.
5. Stick With Hard Floors
Pet dander and allergens will stick right to carpeting, and vacuuming on a constant basis can only do so much. To keep your home relatively allergy free, the best option might be to get rid of all or most of the carpet in the home. At the very least, try not to let you pet into carpeted rooms, or get rid of carpet in the rooms that your pet frequents.
6. Use Humidifiers
Humidity can be surprisingly effective at keeping dust and allergen levels down. This has to do with the fact that some dander is very light and tends to hang in the air for long periods of time. A humidifier can weigh dander down, so it falls to the ground more quickly.
7. Close Vents
Closing air vents around the home can help to prevent the circulation of pet dander and allergens around the home. If closing all the vents isn't an option, try to at least close vents leading to the any bedrooms that belong to persons suffering from allergies.
These methods should help any pet owner that suffers from allergies be able to keep them under control without having to get rid of their pet. Any allergenic person should wash their hands frequently, especially after touching their pet to prevent an allergic reaction. Are there any methods not listed here that you have used to fight pet related allergies? If so, feel free to comment!
