11 pet-friendly maintenance and decor tips that can help keep your house a sneeze-free zone.
You love your pet, but you don’t love it when your pet triggers your allergies. If cat fluff and dog dander give you a scratchy throat and watery eyes, you don’t have to live an animal-free life. You can still have a pet, but knowing how to reduce pet dander in your home can go a long way toward keeping the allergens under control.
Nearly three-quarters of home buyers report having at least one pet at home, according to Zillow’s 2021 Consumer Housing Trends Report — and more than 90% of all U.S. residences test positive for animal allergens, even if they don’t have a pet. Surprisingly, pet hair is not what causes most pet allergies. The culprit is a set of proteins in pet saliva, urine and dander (dead skin cells that fall off your pet). Home maintenance and decor choices can go a long way toward helping minimize allergens in the home.
Don’t assume your pet is the cause of your allergies
Before you blame your dog or cat for your allergy symptoms, you might want to check with your doctor. It may be helpful to get allergy testing done to determine exactly what’s triggering your symptoms. You may find you’re allergic to the tree pollen that got on your pet’s fur when he was at the dog park. Or you may find that dust or mold in your house is the problem, not your pet.
If you’ve determined your pet’s dander is the root of your allergies, keep reading for 11 tips on how to reduce pet dander in your living spaces.
1. Dump the drapes
Drapes trap pet allergens. Opt for blinds or shades instead of fabric window treatments. If you cannot live without cloth on your windows, go with fabric that’s machine-washable so you can take down your window treatments and toss them in the washer regularly. Remove dander from blinds or shades by vacuuming them with a cleaning attachment once a week.
2. Reconsider the wall-to-wall carpet
Carpet is a trap for dander, urine and other pet-related allergens. They settle deep into the padding, beyond the reach of a vacuum. Every time you walk across the carpet, you stir up those allergens and get them swirling in the air.
If you are considering a flooring upgrade, go with hardwood or tile floors. If you must have a semisoft surface underfoot, top those impermeable floors with machine-washable area rugs that you can wash frequently.
3. Choose furniture with easy-to-clean upholstery
Say yes to leather, pleather, microfiber, denim, canvas and outdoor or performance fabrics. All resist stains and can be easily cleaned with a steam cleaner or even a microfiber cloth.
Pro Tip: Slipcovers are a great way to allergy-proof your furniture. You can throw them in the washing machine once a week, making it easy to get rid of all the allergens that might make you sneeze while still protecting your furniture from pet damage.
4. Clean, clean, clean
Staying on top of housecleaning goes a long way to keeping pet-related allergens at bay. Dander sticks to furniture, walls, stairs, vents, woodwork, the tops of appliances and accumulates in room corners. Vacuum everything at least once a week with attachments designed for cleaning specific surfaces. Dust your furniture, baseboards, ceilings and walls regularly. There’s dander and other animal allergens in that dust.
5. Upgrade your vacuum cleaner
Get a powerful vacuum with a HEPA filter that’s specially made to trap tiny particles of dander, dust, hair and other allergens. Allergy-proofing a house isn’t a job for a wimpy vacuum, so look for a model that has a filter certified asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
6. Embrace minimalism
Animal allergens are sticky, so the fewer throw pillows, collectibles, books and furniture you have in your home, the fewer surfaces allergens can accumulate on. Fewer items mean less to dust, and less dust means less dander.
7. Use HEPA air cleaners
HEPA air cleaners filter pet allergens from the air. You can buy portable air cleaners that can be moved from room to room, as needed, or models installed alongside your central HVAC system that are big and powerful enough to clean pet allergens from the entire house.
8. Change HVAC filters monthly
Clean or replace the filters in your heating and air conditioning system. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on frequency, but if you’re sensitive to pet dander or have a couple of pets, it’s wise to vacuum or change your filter monthly.
Pro Tip: You may also want to get a HEPA filter for your HVAC unit to help combat allergies. Be sure to look for one with a MERV rating of at least 17 to be the most effective.
9. Bathe and brush your pet regularly
Consider setting up an outdoor bathing station to make cleaning allergens off your pet easier. If your dog spends a lot of time outside, pay attention to the plants in and around your yard. Make sure there’s nothing like ragweed planted nearby that makes you sneeze and wheeze. Keep your pet away from areas where pollen-laden plants may lurk.
10. Make your bedroom a pet-free zone.
Yes, snuggling in bed with your pup is pure unadulterated joy, but if pet dander bugs you, you’re better off letting your pup or kitty sleep elsewhere. Can’t live without a pet in the bed? Choose another room to designate as a no-pet zone, so you have a place to go that’s dander-free.
11. Wash your pet’s beds and toys weekly
Pet-related allergens will get all over your pets’ belongings. Make sure your dog or cat’s bed has a removable cover that can be tossed in a washing machine and easily cleaned. Make sure their toys are washable, too, and run them through a dishwasher if they’re hard plastic or rubber and a washing machine if they’re fabric.