Pet fur and dander seems to get everywhere you can think of, and clearing it out can be a hassle since the dog or cat never seems to stop shedding. Taking allergy medication like Dymista can help deal with allergies, but keeping dander out of the way helps too.
Tricks to Clear Your House of Pet Dander for Good
Keep the Pets Off the Upholstery (and the Carpet!)
Upholstery on furniture and the carpet are notorious for catching fur. Keeping pets off of furniture and other fabrics can help to cut down on the amount in your house, and covering furniture up with sheets or blankets that can be thrown into the washer does a lot to keep the dander down too. You can even invest in allergy resistant bedding to help keep fur and fluff out of the bedroom.
Clean as Much as Possible
One of the biggest ways to keep dander down is by keeping your living area clean. Dusting as often as possible, or wiping down surfaces will help to cut down on dander getting into the air. Vacuuming with a vacuum that has double bags or a HEPA filter can gather up dander that collects in the carpet. You may have to dust, wipe, and vacuum at least twice a week to keep it from building up.
Invest in Hard Wood Floors
Hardwood floors are a great investment for happy pet owners. Hardwood make it easier to clean up dander and fur since it can’t get stuck here like it does in carpet. Wall to wall carpet is notorious for catching and trapping dander within its fibers and can make your life miserable. If you can’t afford to invest in hardwood floors, consider upgrading your vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
Clean Cages and Pet Areas
Caged pets like rodents and birds are usually not a problem when it comes to pet dander, but when their cages are left dirty, the small can become problematic for people who have allergies or asthma. Dander and urine can provoke these attacks as well, so cleaning the cages out at least once a week is vital to keeping the dander down. The same goes for other living areas of your pets like litter boxes.
Keeping your home free of dander involves just a little bit of creativity and cleaning. When you clean things out before fur has a chance to build up, you cut down on the allergens in your home which will help to make it an allergy-free environment.
Good tips. We use an air purifier too
Lily & Edward
I have two cats, one with long hair, and a poofy Pomeranian so I’m always keeping up with my cleaning to reduce dander in my home
This is actually the part if animals skin that makes my allergies go crazy
Our dogs have scratched the hard wood floors. I think I’d rather have dander.
Removal of pet dander is a very important ,thing for me I’m deathly allergic
I have hardwood floors in some area and that helps but no luck for me in keeping cats of the furniture or dogs off the carpet.
Thank God my dog doesn’t shed.
Daily grooming and keeping your dogs hair cut short helps with dander, as does regular bathing. Washable furniture covers are great too, or plain old blanets. I am fortunate that dander does not affect anyone in our home.
I have pet covers for both of my couches, there is really very little chance of keeping a chihuahua or a cat off of the couches. The covers lay over the cushions and back of the couch and are easy to wash or take outside for a quick shake. This has made a huge difference in the cleanliness of my couches, I just remove the covers if we have guests and they have a fur free place to sit.
It seems like we are constantly fighting a losing battle with pet hair between our two Golden mixes and two cats! Thanks for the tips!
hardwood floors are nice, but rough on older dogs. i have hardwood floors and my oldest slips and slides, i have put down yoga mats all over my house, i have tried several different types of booties, the paws caused infections b/c her feet sweat in them. the socks dont stay on. so i saw some i really like but they were 80.00 for a pair of thin socks. so back to the drawing board, yes hardwood floors are nice, but they do stain from pee. i just cover my furniture with sheets b/c my girls have the run of the house.
I clean as much as possible but the animals still like to sit on the chair and beds. Vacuum 2 to 3 times per week!