When it comes to pets and allergies, you can have your cake and eat it, too. Enlist these strategies now.
Love your pet but have pretty much the opposite feeling about all that shedding and dander? Try these tips to better tame the annoying, sneeze-inducing side effects of your favorite fuzzy friend.
Ideally, you’d wash your pets once or twice a week. If that’s too frequent, at least wash your own hands and face regularly, especially right after cuddling your pet. And when you do bathe him or her, you may want to try a dander-reducing shampoo, which some people swear by. Ask your vet for recommendations.
Since you spend at least one-third of your life there, if you’re an allergy sufferer, it’s a good idea to try and make this your allergen-free oasis. Clean the room and wash your sheets at least once a week. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recommends adding a HEPA air purifier to the room as well*.
Try to assign this grooming task to someone without a pet allergy. It’s best done outside a few times a week. If that first part isn’t possible, break out the dust mask. Same goes for changing the litter box.
Make both strict habits. The more often you declutter, vacuum, dust and wipe down walls (yes, walls) and other surfaces, the less time sticky dander has to build up. To truly trap allergens, rather than simply agitating them, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or a disposable electrostatic bag. The AAFA also recommends steam-cleaning carpets regularly*.
When changed regularly—every three months, minimum—they’ll capture the visible and invisible dander and other allergens, effectively vacuuming your air that flows through the filter. Our new dual-action air filter, officially known as Filtrete™ Dual-Action Micro Allergen Plus 2X Dust Defense Filter, gives you all the benefits of allergen defense, plus the best dust-holding power of any Filtrete™ Filter. Help improve your indoor air quality by capturing allergens AND holding 2X more dust - because a fresher, cleaner home is a happy home.
If you’re already battling dust mites, cigarette smoke, mold or pollen, your allergies have probably already kicked in, making you extra sensitive if adding a pet to the mix. Do what you can to reduce exposure to all problem allergens to lessen your overall reaction.
Maybe over-the-counter antihistamines will do the trick. Perhaps prescription allergy medication would better treat your symptoms. Or maybe immunotherapy (aka allergy shots), a multi-year process that spurs development of protective antibodies to potentially rid you of your allergies altogether, would be the right course of action. Talk to your doctor.