Hosting over the holidays?
But your loved one suffers from a pet allergy.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year once more, and so our attention turns to giving and receiving gifts, eating tons of food and generally having a great time with our favorite people. Except, if you’re expecting a visit from a loved one who winds up coughing and sneezing from the moment they walk through the door because they’re allergic to your dog, cat or other furry friend, you might be more nervous than excited about their impending arrival. If that sounds like you, we’ve put together the very best advice on how to keep your visiting friends and family members safe from pet dander allergy reactions.
But first, what are pet dander allergies?
Before we get into the ways in which you can protect your loved ones, let’s look at the main pet allergy symptoms and causes. The most common symptoms include coughing and sneezing, skin rashes, itchy eyes and mouth and a runny nose, as well as wheezing and difficulty breathing in the worst cases. When it comes to how quickly an allergic reaction occurs and how long pet allergy symptoms last, these issues can arise any time between 15 minutes to several days after exposure; and how long they continue will depend on the level of allergy and whether there is still pet dander present in the environment.
That’s because people with a dog or cat allergy are actually reacting to dander, the tiny skin particles that are constantly released into the air from the animal’s skin. This means that the key to preventing your guests from suffering with their cat or dog allergy is to keep this unseen scourge under control – and while some of these tips are more effective than others in this regard, using a combined approach is undoubtedly the best way to go about things. Let’s take a look at how you can create a happy and healthy home for everyone this winter.
1. Give your guests ample warning
This one might seem obvious, but if they don’t already know it’s probably about time that you told any potential visitors that you have a pet so that if they suffer from pet dander allergy they can inform you and prepare appropriately.
You can also do your part by preventing your pet from entering your guests’ sleeping area for a while before their arrival and using hypoallergenic bedsheets, which can eliminate pet dander and other allergen particles and help to prevent them from getting deep into the bedding where they’re harder to get out.
2. Give them Wear A+ as an early present
According to Dr. Andrew S. Kim, Medical Director of the Allergy & Asthma Centers, “it may take as many as six months before allergen levels become low enough so as not to cause a clinical reaction” – and that’s after the pet has been removed from the home environment! So, if you haven’t arranged a temporary home for your beloved floofster for the holiday season (not that you’d want to anyway!), you might well find yourself fighting a losing battle. In that case, even diligently combining all the other tips in this article might still not be quite enough to make your home safe for friends or family members who react badly to pet dander.
And that’s exactly where Respiray Wear A+ comes in – by filtering out a whopping 99.9% of allergen particles and creating a continuous zone of clean air around the wearer’s airways, this innovative wearable air purifier provides instant relief wherever they are, even in an environment where pets are still present. In other words, Wear A+ has the power to singlehandedly do away with the need to make special arrangements when those poor allergic souls come to town!
Wear A+ is a lightweight, battery-operated device with a comfortable neck strap and ergonomic design and a powerful HEPA filter that’s economical to replace. And not only does Wear A+ help with pet allergies, but it also provides proven protection from pathogens, air pollution and other airborne allergens like mold, pollen and dust mites – so you’ll still have plenty of reasons to use it yourself after your guest has departed.
3. Clean and clean, then clean some more
Keeping your home clean is essential to making it a safe place for people with pet allergies to spend time – and once is not enough. In fact, you’ll need to give the place a thorough going over with a duster and a vacuum cleaner before your guests arrive, followed by regular cleaning for the duration of their visit.
Pay special attention to so-called dander traps, including all the little nooks and crannies you often miss and any areas where your pet spends a lot of time like their beds and any other furniture they frequent. Changing the vacuum bag can also help to prevent pet dander from being released back into the air. If it’s a viable option, making sure you have a quality vacuum cleaner with powerful suction and a HEPA filter is ideal.
4. Keep your pet as clean as you can, too
Once you’re done cleaning the house, it’s your furry friend’s turn – so we hope for your sake that your beloved pal is a fan of bath time! Giving them a good wash will reduce the presence of dander in your home, although you’ll need to repeat this process every few days to prevent it returning. If you can, keep your pooch or kitty away from the areas where your allergic visitors will spend the most time, and at the very least try to keep the guest room clear so they have a safe space to escape to if things get really bad.
Another less obvious measure you can consider is investigating whether your pet is getting the best, most nutritionally balanced food for them – improving your pet’s diet can reduce the amount of dander they produce by helping to keep their skin and other organs healthy, and there are even foods out there designed to limit the animal’s ability to produce dander in the first place. You could also try a dander remover spray such as Nature’s Miracle Allergen Blocker, which can help minimize allergic reactions by breaking down pet dander particles using natural enzymes.
5. Replace the rough with the smooth
Minimizing the amount of fabrics in your home can make a big difference as they are more likely to trap pet dander than smoother surfaces, so if it’s practical you may want to consider replacing curtains with blinds and moving any rugs that aren’t strictly necessary into the closet for the duration of the visit.
Keeping on top of your laundry is also worthwhile, as dander trapped in your dirty clothes can find its way into other parts of the house, onto the furniture and ultimately into your guests’ airways. In the long term, you may also consider switching from carpets to wooden or laminate flooring next time you’re doing a home renovation.
6. Keep an eye on the air quality in your home
Do air purifiers help with pet allergies, we hear you ask? The answer is a resounding yes – they can help to alleviate allergy symptoms by filtering harmful particles out of the air and recycling the clean air back into the room. Choose a good model with a HEPA filter and run it for a couple of days in the main room where your guests will spend time. After that, move it to the guest bedroom and keep it running there to create a safe zone – it will need to be on constantly to prevent allergens from building up in the air again.
If you have an air conditioning system keep this switched on too, as it will reduce the humidity levels in your home – this is a worthwhile measure to take because buildings with high humidity levels tend to harbor more airborne allergens.
We hope these tips will help you enjoy the festive period without worrying about your loved ones frequently erupting into sneezing fits. And if you have any great tips of your own to share, let us know what they are!
Give the gift of Respiray Wear A+!
