The holiday season can be very stressful. You need to buy gifts, prepare meals, and open your home to guests. If one of your invitees has a pet allergy, you feel responsible for every sneeze and cough. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Prepare your home with these steps before your guests arrive, so your holiday plans go off without a hitch.
Clean Your Carpets
Pet hair loves to stick to things in your home and with your pets rolling around on the floor, your carpets can become packed with hair. Even if you limit your pet to hardwood or tile areas of your home, pet hair will end up on the floor. The solution is pretty simple. Regularly clean your flooring and carpet before you have your holiday guests over. The same thing goes for furniture and curtains.
Declutter
From a Grinch’s perspective, holiday decorations could be seen as clutter. In some ways, that’s not a bad way of looking at it. If you are serious about limiting pet dander, either declutter your space with fewer decorations that can grab up hair from your pet. Alternatively, limit your pet from going near the Christmas tree or garland, so your guests are constantly sneezing when they open up presents.
Regular Bathing
You should be bathing your pet regularly. This clears away a surprising amount of dander and sends it down your drain instead of into your breathing air. Try to make it a fun thing for your pet by encouraging them throughout the process and consider sending them to a professional groomer. Do your research to make sure you are using healthy shampoo products on your pet as well.
Air Filtration
You’ve done your best to limit the visible dander in your home, but when your guests come over they keep sneezing. Where did you go wrong? Unfortunately, some microscopic pet dander can stay permanently aloft in the air. This is where air filtration comes in. Just like you cleaned your flooring and furniture, your air filtration system will clean the air in your home. It has the added benefit of improving the general quality of the air you breath as well.
Duct Cleaning
Lastly, if you’ve done everything else, you may still have pet hair trapped in your ducts. Think about it. Your HVAC system is constantly recycling the air in your home and pet dander is going to get pulled up into the vents. It may be time to schedule a duct cleaning to help clear out your system of air contaminants.
The mere fact that you want to make your home accommodating to your holiday guests with pet allergies shows that you truly believe in the holiday spirit. At the same time, you realize that your pet is just as much a part of your family as anyone else. We at Dodrill Comfort & Energy Solutions hope you and your family have a safe, happy, and hopefully, sneeze-free holiday season.
If you’re in need of HVAC service in the Charleston, WV area, we would love to help. Give Dodrill Comfort & Energy Solutions a call at (304) 212-2004. We’re available 24/7!