The Ultimate Solution to Removing Pet Hair from Air in Home

The work that it takes to be a pet owner can be no easy feat, as these loving animals require a lot of work, attention, and commitment as they look to us for all their basic needs. Let’s be honest though, it’s definitely worth the work! Pets bring an immense amount of joy to a home, with their unconditional love and constant action – whether its playing with a toy, throwing the ball in the yard, or even getting a bath in the bathtub. However, being a pet owner also comes with its downfalls as well, like the persisting need to clean up their unwanted hair from around your home – if you have a pet such as a Golden Retriever or Maine Coon than you are well aware of the increasing need to clean the hair each and every day.

Pet dander allergies are a growing issue for many Americans, as the number of people with pet dander allergies has been increased exponentially. The majority of pets found in homes includes mainly cats and dogs, but how does their dander impact human health, particularly those people with pet dander allergies?

What is Pet Dander?

Pet dander is tiny, microscopic flecks of skin that is shed from animals including cats, dogs, rodents, birds, and other animals with fur or feathers. The fur or feathers of the animal will shed these small pieces of skin into the environment on both surfaces and in the air that will potentially trigger a reaction in people who are specifically allergic to these triggers.

Many people will commonly mistake the actual pet hair of the animal for the allergy culprit, but in reality, it is these small, microscopic pieces of skin that will really flair your allergies. The dander that is produced from a pet will also contain other allergens that are in the form of protein which is secreted from their oil glands that shed off as dander. These proteins that elicit the allergic symptoms is actually what is identified as a pet allergen.

Other allergens can be produced from pet’s as well and can be a major source of allergies in humans exposed. Pet’s produce a protein that is also found in their urine as well as their saliva, which contain allergens that will trigger an allergy flair to those who are susceptible.

What is Dander Allergy & How Does it Affect Human Health

Did you know that as many as 3 in 10 people in the United States with allergies are prone to an allergic reaction to cats and dogs? An allergy to dander from pets is a fairly common allergy, especially among those who already have a predisposition to allergies and/or asthma. Allergies are triggered by the immune system, whose job is to identify foreign substances inside the body, such as viruses and bacteria, and get rid of them before they progress inside the body. A normal response from the immune system will protect us from dangerous diseases that could debilitate an individual, but when an allergen enters the body such as pet dander, the immune system will be over-sensitive and trigger a reaction that we know as an allergic reaction.

Pet dander will collect inside of your home and taint both the surfaces and the air in this living space, which can trigger allergic responses in the human body. These allergens, if not properly removed, will only persist in the environment and can contribute to potentially high levels of allergens inside the area. When this occurs, it will lead to significant symptoms to be triggered in those who are sensitive or allergic to the dander in the air – whether it be dog dander or cat dander.

Dog Dander Allergy

In the United States, close to 37 to 47 percent of households have a dog – a potential pet that can be contributing to your persisting allergy flairs. Dogs are among the list of animals that produce dander allergens into the environment and the air that can elicit the response of allergy symptoms in those who are susceptible to a dog dander allergy.

There are a variety of different dog breeds that are each labeled for allergens such as short haired dogs, long hair dogs, and hypoallergenic dogs that produce no allergens into the air as they do not shed fur. Although a hypoallergenic dog sounds like the perfect fit, you may be surprised to learn that even those dog breeds produce allergens into the air, contrary to many beliefs. The allergens that are produced from dogs is not from the actual hair of the animal, rather it is from the flakes of dead skin that shed off the dog and enter into the air – this is the dander produced from a dog that will trigger allergic responses. Dogs will also produce dander from their saliva and urine that will produce allergens into the air and affect human health for those with allergies.

Cat Dander Allergy

Cat dander allergies is a very commonly experienced allergy for many Americans, with close to a third of people with allergies that are also allergic to cats and the dander they produce from their skin. Cat dander allergies is twice as common, in comparison to dog allergies, as the dander produced from cats can be severe to many with allergies. As we discussed earlier, the most likely culprits of your cat allergies are not from the actual fur of the cat itself, but rather it is from the protein found in their saliva and urine that can produce allergens and trigger an allergic reaction within a prone individual.

Cats are known for self-grooming, and some cats will do this on a regular and constant basis. This grooming will produce a large quantity of allergens within the environment and will elicit allergy symptoms in those exposed to the area. Therefore, if you start to notice a spike in your symptoms when you are near your cat or exposed to their grooming process than you can correlate the cat saliva with the influence of your allergies.

Pet Dander Allergy Symptoms

When it comes to a pet dander allergy you will be immediately alerted by the onset of symptoms that will begin in your body. Your nose may start to run, your eyes could water, and you may even start to experience a wheezing like you never had before.

A pet dander allergy can produce constant symptoms that can be unbearable in many people, these potential allergy symptoms that one may experience will include the following:

• Skin rash or hives
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Nasal congestion
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Irritated, watery eyes

How Long Does Pet Dander Stay in a House?

If you are experiencing high amounts of pet dander in your home, maybe you recently moved into a home that had pets or even if you recently removed a pet from the home, you may be wondering how long exactly does the pet dander stay in the home? The length of time that the pet dander is in the home can vary depending on the cleaning routine and what methods you have implemented in the space to rid the pet dander allergens from the surfaces and the air. However, according to allergy experts, they have found that it takes around 4 months to remove cat dander from a home and less than four months to remove dog dander, since it does not float around as much as cat dander does in an environment. The process of removing the pet dander can be sped up and aided with the use of different methods such as an air purifier for pet dander removal.

How to Get Rid of Cat & Dog Dander in the Air

Okay, so you’ve had enough with your dreaded allergy symptoms and you need relief ASAP. There are many different allergy relief treatments and solutions that can be used to combat the pet dander in the air that is significantly plaguing your allergy symptoms. From medication, to certain dog and cat breeds identified as hypoallergenic, and even devices that can be placed inside the living space to help combat the allergens produced from pet dander that are found in the air. Treating the air in your home has been found to be among the most helpful solutions to kicking the allergens and the pesky allergy symptoms out the door – but what can be used to treat the indoor air of pet dander allergens?

Best Air Purifier for Pet Dander

Pet dander will be shed from your animal and will immediately enter into the air of the environment, leaving the air tainted with allergens that can directly impact the health of those exposed to the air. If you are trying to remove pet dander from the area, the most important space to focus on for removal is the air, as it is constantly making contact with individuals within this space.

Treating the air for pet dander allergens can be easy with the help of an effective air purifier device to help filter the air in the home. An air purifier for pets is designed to filter out the pet dander allergens, the odors created from the pet, and fine particulate matter that can all be found in the air that can impact human health. There are a wide variety of air purifiers available to consumers, each using their own specific technology that is able to filter certain contaminants from the air. However, the bulk of these technologies do not actually eliminate the allergen completely from the air, and rather capture them in the filter and retain them until the filter reaches maximum capacity and begins re-releasing these contaminants back into the air. This is both hazardous and counterproductive.

Instead of using an air purifier that will work insufficiently, try an air purifier that will actually remove and eliminate the unwanted odors and allergens from the air that are created from pets and their dander. The EnviroKlenz Air Purifier is a powerful air purifier with an even more powerful technology. When it comes to air quality, EnviroKlenz is committed to air purification on three fronts – odors, toxins, and particulate removal, and this is all done without allowing harmful compounds and particulate matter to linger in the air. The EnviroKlenz technology uses patented earth minerals that are highly reactive against a broad spectrum of noxious odors and toxins in the air – completely stripping them from the air and eliminating them easily. This technology is combined with the use of a hospital-grade HEPA filter that is able to effectively capture and remove particulate matter including allergens from pet dander.

EnviroKlenz Air Purifier uses a HEPA filter that has more square feet of media when compared to the ones used in the IQAir and the BlueAir.  The MoleKule does not have a HEPA filter, so the square feet of the prefilter was used for this comparison.  The prefilter, in addition to the having fewer square feet of media, is also significantly less efficient at removing particulates when compared to HEPA or better filters of the EnviroKlenz, IQAir and BlueAir systems.

The EnviroKlenz Air Purifier has the highest amount of particulate matter filter media with over 56 square feet, IQ Air has approximately 50 square feet, Blue Air approximately 28 square feet, and the MoleKule particle filter has around 3 square feet of particulate filter media.  The more square feet of particulate matter media results in a filter that can capture more particulate matter before needing to be changed.