How To Allergy Proof Your Home For Pet Owners

Many of us love having pets, even if our allergies don’t agree with us. If you want to allergy proof your home and are a pet owner, I have some tips that have helped me manage my sneezes for a few years now.
If you have the chance, schedule an appointment with a physician to get tested for what allergens give you the most trouble and how to manage them with any coordinating allergy medications. While you’re at home though, there are some universal tips and tricks that will help reduce the amount of allergens in your home, reduce pet dander and keep you and your loved ones sneeze free (or at least less sneezy!)

1. Use Covers On Anything Your Pet Touches & Wash Them Every Week
If you have pets, chances are, they shed..a lot. You will want to have covers for just about everything they touch- and if you have pet beds, make sure they’re easily thrown in the washer to remove pet dander and fur. Invest in a good set of sofa covers, chair covers and mattress covers that are intended to capture and trap allergens like dander, mites, dead skin cells and dust which can contain the allergens and be easily cleaned.
We wash our pet beds every other week and wash the sofa covers every week or so. Washing sheets, linens and pillows can seem like a hassle, but if they reduce allergens, your nose will thank you!

2. Have Someone Else Do The Dirty Work
When it comes to vacuuming, I LOVE it- there is nothing more satisfying than a clean floor and it’s much easier when you can vacuum for instant resultes! A friend of mine that suffers from allergies told me that her doctor told her to let her partner do the dusting and vacuuming when her allergies were acting up, and if possible, to do the cleaning when she’s out of the home. It’s not always easy to schedule a deep clean, but if your partner, children or house mate can do the housework that kicks up the most dust, dander and pollen while you’re out- it should settle within 4 hours as you return home.
Of course, you can help out with other tasks when allergens are at their worst, but ladies, isn’t it sexy to have your fella do the housework? Tasks like vacuuming, dusting, and sweeping can kick up allergens that could make you miserable- so if you’re already suffering, dispatch someone else to do the dirty work and leave the home for a few hours. Kudos to my man for looking so handsome with our new Dyson, rawr!

3. Invest In An Air Purifier That’s Efficient But Doesn’t Scare Your Pets
Max, our little pug is terrifie of appliances. While most dogs are fearful of the vacuum cleaner, this little guy is even scared of oscillating fans, opened drawers and the dishwasher. You can imagine when were shopping around for air purifiers we wanted one that would be effective, on budget, highly rated and of course, not scare our little pug into wetting himself so we could breathe easy.
I’ve used a variety of air purifiers in the past- but you want to look for one that has a high rating. Read reviews of your air purifier to make sure it’s easy to install and clean, energy efficient, is relatively quiet with an unobtrusive design (they don’t have to be ugly), and will either be standing upright in a corner or able to sit somewhere out of the way. We chose this Honeywell QuietClean HFD air purifier because it was quiet, had great reviews for the price on Rakuten, had an oscillating feature and sat upright to be easily moved and tucked into the corner of any room. It wasn’t refurbished, but was on sale- so you can make it fit your budget! As you can see, Max is not terrified of it, so I’d say it’s a win and my breathing has improved!

4. Invest In The Right Vaccuum Cleaner
Having the wrong vacuum cleaner can do more harm than good. When we moved into our condo, all we had was one of those flimsy little rechargeable vacuum cleaners, which usually caused my allergies to worsen every time we used it (which is so not the point of a vacuum cleaner). If you’re using an outdated vacuum cleaner, it could be sucking up the big stuff, but simply kicking up the allergens to resurface the mites, dust and dander to circulate in the air- no good!
This year, we invested in a small but powerful Dyson vacuum cleaner- it is one of the easiest models to use and came highly recommended by friends and pet lovers alike. The canister is easy to change and there’s no guess work as to when it’s full or not working properly (because who likes to vacuum an entire floor only to realize it didn’t suck much up at all!) We got our refurbished Dyson from Rakuten.com and it came with an extra pack of Zorb to freshen carpets and helped us snag a sweet deal. If you want a better vacuum cleaner, buy high end but go for refurbished to save money- you will still get a warranty with the company and pay less!
Special Offer: There’s also a 20% discount on Dyson products right now, using promo code DYSON2020 (ends May 12th) AND on top of the 20% off, you receive 20% back in Super Points from Rakuten.com!
5. Suds Your Buds & Furminate Frequently
I attempted to take a picture of the pugs during their last bath, but as you can imagine, like most dogs, they weren’t feeling particularly camera ready during their last trip to the tub! One of the easiest ways to eliminate dander and collect pug hair is to give your dogs a bath every week or every other week if it’s especially traumatic to them. Bathing your pets at home can reduce grooming costs, and you can wash your furry friends in the backyard, sink or bathtub.
Giving your pets a regular bath reduces dander, skin irritation and also loosens up the thick undercoats of certain breeds so it will be easier to remove with a brush. Most of the shedding that happens on a pet is from their undercoat, so after your loosen it up with a warm bath using pet shampoo, invest in a good fur brush like a Furminator to tackle the undercoat without hurting your pet. You will be amazed at how much fuzz comes off your furry friend!
Do you have any advice for allergy sufferers?
How do you manage both pets & allergies?
I received product to facilitate this review as a brand partner withRakuten.com- celebrate Earth Month with exclusive deals on refurbished, eco friendly and recycled products!. Opinions and content are entirely my own since I love these products and hope you’ll benefit from my review!















Howdy! I'm Shannyn! I believe anyone can afford the beautiful life they want by being savvily frugal. I'm a runDisney addict, Doctor Who fan, stationary nerd & asthmatic runner. I live in Chicago with my pugs.














