Air Purifiers - Which are best for Pet Dander

According to the American Lung Association and Clearflite, reducing the amount of exposure a person with allergies has to a pet is the best ways to prevent allergic reactions. However, many pet owners consider their pets to be members of the family, almost like adopted children. Issues such as the presence of clean indoor air just aren't big enough problems for a pet owner to even think about getting rid of a pet. Unfortunately for many pet owners, the quality of their home's indoor air does suffer when a pet is brought into the home. Pets not only shed hair that can cause allergic reactions but can also cause pet dander to become present in the indoor air. Luckily, there are many options and air purifiers that pet owners can use to solve the problem of quality indoor air. By performing certain preventative actions or purchasing effective devices such as air purifiers, many pet owners have already been able to manage the health and security of their home's indoor air even with their pets present in the residence.

Cats are one of the most popular types of pets and cat allergies are one of the most frequent allergic reactions that many people deal with. For cat owners to deal with the cat hair and pet dander that may be released by their pets, there are a few actions that can be taken. For many cat owners, taking the cats of the house is not an option. For these cat lovers, simply being cautious and paying attention to the whereabouts of the cats can be a good preventative measure. For those who suffer from cat allergies, be sure that the cats only share a same room with the person occasionally. A person with pet allergies should always wash his or her hands and face after playing with the cats and should never let the cat get too close to his or her eyes, nose or mouth. A cat should never sleep on the chest or lap of a person who suffers from cat allergies in order to prevent any allergic reactions to the hair and dander.

When it comes to cats and their contributions to indoor air pollution, the problem lies not only with their pet dander but also with their dried saliva. In order to clean their fur and paws, cats lick themselves with their tongues. The saliva from their mouths then becomes stuck to their fur and is released with any loose hair that may shed. The dried saliva can also easily be released on its own as small particles into the air. Some of these particles of dried saliva that are released are so small in size, they can stay suspended in the air of the home and can be breathed in by any resident. If a person avoids breathing in the saliva, it is still possible that the dried particles of saliva could stick to a person's skin and still cause an allergic reaction. Since many owners allow their cats to roam free throughout the home, it is important to address all rooms of the homes when it comes to quality indoor air. The best way to rid the home of the particles of dried saliva, hair and pet dander that is caused from the presence of cats is with air purifiers. By placing effective air purifiers in the main rooms of the home such as the living room and bedroom, a person can easily make the indoor air cleaner and safer to breathe in, especially for a resident suffering from cat allergies.

The best air purifiers for addressing cat allergies are the high end units from IQAir.  We would suggest the IQAir Healthpro compact for small rooms and Healthpro air purifiers for larger rooms.

Although dogs are considered a man's best friend, they also can cause discomfort for their owners or residents in a home. Dog hair and dander, however, is much easier to deal with and eliminate from a home than cats. The issues that a pet owner should be concerned with when owning a dog is the dog's dander, shedding fur and the odor of the animal. A dog's dander is actually the animal's dandruff from its fur. The dander usually comes out in larger particles than a cat's dander and usually does not stay in the air but falls to the ground. In order to ensure the quality of the indoor air, dog owners should purchase air purifiers to eliminate the airborne dander or fur. Dogs usually have one or two certain places in the home that they like to sleep or stay. Therefore, a homeowner should only need to purchase one or two air purifiers to place in these specific areas in order to clean the indoor air. For those dog owners who are concerned with the odor of the animals inside the home, air purifiers with effective HEPA filters as well as activated carbon should be purchased for the residence.

The Austin Air Healthmate Junior for small room and the Healthmate for large rooms are the air purifiers  we recommend for dog dander.  These units contain HEPA filters in addition to pounds of activated carbon. The activated carbon adsorbs smells and the HEPA filter removes the dander.

Since microscopic hooks hold bird feathers together, a fine powder of dander is created as these hooks work together as the bird moves and come off their feathers and into the air. This dusty type of dander is common in most birds, especially Cockatoos and other birds from desert environments. The dander is mostly the same size as cat dander and a cloud of dust can often be seen when a bird flaps its wings. Many people who suffer from allergies find that a home with a bird can easily set them off into an allergic reaction. In order to prevent this reaction and keep the indoor air clean and healthy, bird owners should purchase HEPA air purifiers for their bird room. Since the birds are usually kept in one room, the homeowner should only need to purchase one machine for the room that is effective enough to clean the air. If it is a large room several air purifiers may be needed.

We recommend the Allerair 4000 Exec UV air purifiers for bird rooms. This provides HEPA for particles as well as activated carbon.  There are also some fatal bird respiratory diseases that can rapidly infect an entire flock that the UV light will help prevent.

Small and furry pets such as hamsters, rats, mice and gerbils usually shouldn't be a nuisance to residents with allergies. By keeping the animals' cages clean and purchasing air purifiers with a HEPA filter and an addition of activated carbon, homeowners should not even be able to smell the animals. By keeping an effective air purifier in the room of the animal, the odor can easily be eliminated, leaving only quality and clean indoor air for the home.

The Austin Air Healthmate Junior is what we recommend for small critters.  These units contain HEPA filters in addition to pounds of activated carbon. The activated carbon adsorbs smells and the HEPA filter removes the dander.

Please remember that all the air purifiers in the world can not clean the dander from the air if a cat is sleeping on your chest or a dog is next to you on your pillow.  You must get some distance from your pets so that the air has a chance to go though your air purifiers before it gets to you.