Secrets for surviving the pet allergies

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You love your pet, but your nose doesn’t. Every time you walk into your home, the itchy, Sneezy, stuffy misery beings. Here’s Secrets for surviving the pet allergies

Pick flooring carefully. Get rid of all carpets, if possible. They trap up to 100 times more pet allergens than polished floors. If you must have carpets, choose those that:

  • have a low pile density.
  • are low in height (less than one-quarter inch tall).
  • are coated with fluorocarbon (like Teflon).
  • have thick carpet fibers.


These factors affect how easy it is to remove pet dander and hair. To help keep your home allergen-free, vacuum every few days and have your carpets professionally cleaned often. No matter how you cover it, avoid sitting or lying on the floor.

Here are the Secrets for surviving the pet allergies


Get to the bottom of dust: Now that you’ve gotten rid of those carpets, how do you clean your bare floors? Researchers recommend using cleaning systems with disposable cloths that attract and trap dust electrostatically. When compared with cotton cloths, rubber- or nylon-bristled brooms, sponge brooms, oiled-cloth sweepers, dry synthetic mops, and synthetic wool sweepers, these cloths removed more cat and dog allergens.
Don’t worry about your ducts: The advertising is convincing -clean your home ventilation system to reduce pet allergens. But when researchers tested several homes containing dogs or cats, they found the air duct filters did a good job of keeping pet allergens from blowing back through the house. The experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology say don’t spend a lot of time or money on cleaning your air ducts. It won’t really reduce the amount of animal allergens in your home.

Pick a perfect pillow: Choosing a pillow is as personal and as hotly debated as topping the perfect hot dog catsup only or loaded with the works? Synthetic or feather? But now, your pillow purchase should take into account your pets. No, you don’t have to share your pillow with Fluffy, but you don’t want to share pet allergens, either. Researchers at the North West Lung Centre in England found that synthetic pillows collected six to eight times more dog and cat allergens than feather pillows. The difference might be in the feathers, or it could be the tightly woven covers on feather pillows. Whatever the reason, for sweet, sneeze-free dreams, pluck a plumper feather pillow.


Beware of exotic pets: It’s not just cats and dogs that can tickle your nose and bring on the sneezes. Look to other animals, especially exotic pets, for the dander behind your allergies. One man suffered a near-fatal asthma attack while washing his ferret. Minks, gerbils, and Guinea pigs have also brought on allergic reactions.


Let baby make four: Contrary to popular belief, there is new evidence that living with an indoor pet for the first year of a baby’s life will reduce his risk of developing allergies later on. The Medical College of Georgia followed almost 500 children until they were six years old. Only between 6 and 13 percent tested positive for pet allergens. This means many new parents won’t have to choose between Fido and Junior.