Making Your Home Pet Allergy Free for Holiday Guests 

It won’t be long before families will be gathering together to celebrate the many holidays that fall in the last two months of the year.  Windows will be washed, tablecloths ironed, and cakes and cookies baked in preparation of the arrival of out-of-town guests.  Thoughtful hosts and hostesses plan seating arrangements well in advance to make sure that dining partners get along.  But what do you do if Aunt Sally is allergic to Rover or Uncle Bill can’t be anywhere near Fluffy?  What about the guest that has environmental allergies?  Can you make your home as welcoming to them as your other guests? 

Of course you can!  With a little extra work and advance preparation everyone can enjoy the holidays together without the worry of a trip to the emergency room or a mad scramble for the inhaler. 

If your guest has a pet allergy, they are sensitive to a protein that is found in the saliva and urine of your cat or dog (bunnies, hamsters, gerbils and horses can also cause allergy problems).  This protein gets spread to the skin and fur of the animal when they groom themselves or empty their bladder.  The protein dries to the fur or skin (dander) and is shed when the dander is shed.  In addition, the dried protein-laden saliva or urine can also flake off on its own and will adhere to the first surface it touches.  Because the problem causing agent is a protein, it can be denatured or rendered harmless.  You just have to know what to do and how to do it. 

It is best if you can begin preparations several weeks in advance.  But if not, don’t panic you can still prepare.  As soon as possible, close the door to the bedroom in which your guests will sleep to keep the pets out of the room.   

Two to three weeks before the visit, begin wiping your pet down once a week with one of the Allerpet formulas.  There are special formulations for dogs and cats.  The cat formula can also be used on small mammals such as rabbits and hamsters.  These products are 100% safe for your pet and are made of ingredients that will denature the proteins that are already on the pet.  In addition, the residual action will help denature the additional proteins collected when the pet grooms.  You can read more about Allerpet at http://allergystore.com/petallergen.htm.

 Two to three days before your guests arrive, thoroughly vacuum all fiber surfaces.  This includes carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, curtains and draperies.  Wipe down all hard surfaces such as furniture and damp mop floors.  You don’t want to do this just before your guest arrives, as most of what we call “cleaning” is really taking settled particles and throwing them up in air directly into the breathing space.  After everything is cleaned, go back over the fiber surfaces with a denaturing spray such as the ADS or ADMS sprays made by Alkaline Laboratories.  These sprays use organic and inorganic agents to neutralize the protein from animals, dust mites, mold, and pollens.  It is not necessary to saturate the fiber.  A light misting will suffice.  The surface should dry within 15 minutes.  The ADS is the stronger solution, as it contains tannic acid.  Tannic acid is one of the most effective denaturing agents on the market.  However, you must be careful in its use.  It is not appropriate for water sensitive fabrics such as silks, wools, and Haitian cotton and can discolor white fabrics.  If you have any of these fabrics or are concerned about the tannic acid, then use the ADMS spray.  It does not contain tannic acid.  The Alkaline labs produce a wide range of allergen control denaturing agents and you can read more about ADS, ADMS, and the other products they make at http://allergystore.com/allergencontrol.htm.

 The day before your guests arrive, put clean sheets on the bed, vacuum the room, and close the door again to keep out the pet.  Lightly mist all fabric surfaces once again with the ADS or ADMS spray and wipe the pet down again with Allerpet. 

 When guests arrive, keep the pets and guests separated as much as possible.  After you handle or pet your furred family member, be sure to wash your hands before interacting with the allergic family member.

 Lastly, sit back and relax knowing that you have made your home as safe as possible and enjoy the company of your pet-sensitive guests.