Can Air Purifiers Help With Per Dander? Ask Pet Parents

 What is Pet Dander?

Pet dander consists of pieces of dry, dead skin that fall off while a pet is in the home. The type and amount of allergens pet dander contains depends on the animal's species and breed, and it can cling to anything within a room including carpeting, upholstery, bedding and other porous surfaces.

Pet dander can cause mild symptoms in people who are not allergic, but it is very irritating to those who are allergic. Exposure to pet dander can cause allergic reactions which include mild symptoms like itching and watery eyes, or more severe symptoms like hives (urticaria) and swollen airways.

The severity of an allergic reaction depends on the amount of exposure to animal dander, as well as the age, sex, weight and current health condition of the person.

Does pet dander bother the pet too?

The skin of a healthy animal sheds dander, but this shedding can become excessive when the animal is not well. Pet dander-related allergies are caused by the allergens in the pet's saliva and/or urine which causes an allergic reaction once inhaled or touched by sensitive people. The more severe the pet's allergy, the greater the chance of an allergic reaction.

What are effective ways to keep your home free of pet dander? 

Having a pet in the home is wonderful, but pets de-shedding its coat can be problematic and can pose threats for allergic people. There are several types of pets out there that shed less than others, such as dogs and cats. But, what happens when you want to have a pet but are allergic?

Tweaking the diet of the animal can reduce shedding. For example, it has been observed that people who feed their pets raw food report less dander in their home. A clean home also reduces the amount of pet dander. Pets with long hair shed more than those with short hair, and male pets shed more than their female counterparts. The smaller the pet, the less shedding; but even the gentlest lap dog will produce dander.

What else can be done?

When it comes to reduction of allergens like dander in the home, there are other options that you might want to consider such as air purifiers. We at Allergens Be Gone use HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters in our products to capture the smallest particles like pollen, dust mites and pet dander which can circulate throughout your home's air.

What about allergies?

For people who are allergic to animals, it is best to avoid places where pets are present. If this is not possible, then it is important to use medications like anti-histamines to get rid of symptoms of allergy at exposure time.

How air purifiers help to keep pet dander under control?

Air purifiers are designed to suck tiny particles ranging as low as 0.3 microns, which includes dander, mold spores, pollen and dust mites out of your home's air. They are perfect for this purpose because they are designed to capture particles as small as pet allergens.

If you are allergic to pets but want to have one, make sure that you clean the house frequently by vacuuming or mopping the floors to remove dander. This is important because some studies show that people tend to spend more time indoors than outdoors so it is important to keep the home free of allergens. Make sure you also regularly clean your cat or dog's bedding and toys, which are some places where dander gets trapped despite regular baths scheduled for the pet.

What are qualities of a good air purifier for pet dander?

It is important that you look for an air purifier with a true HEPA filter that has an efficiency rating of 99.97 percent removal of particles as small as 0.3 microns. This efficiency level guarantees trapping of dander, pet allergens and other outdoor contaminants in the purifier's filter. It is also important to have a purifier that has a high CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) to provide enough purified air in the room. For example, if there are three people in a room, you need at least 300 cubic meters of clean air per hour coming out of your purifier.

What else is needed to control pet dander?

Aside from an effective air purifier, you also need to keep your environment free from allergens. This is why it is important that you vacuum and mop regularly in the home to rid surfaces of dust and pet dander so that they do not circulate in the air.

Best Air Purifier for Pet Dander and Hair

The best air purifiers for pet hair and dander allergies. Learn more about how they work and the technology behind them. If you are looking for the best air purifier for pet hair, one of these recommended models may be just right. u