What Doctors Don't Tell You- Treat carpets and upholstery with an anti-allergenic dust spray to neutralise pet dander (J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1994; 94: 19-26).
- Replace carpets with tile or hardwood flooring and opt for leather sofas.
- Restrict pets to infrequently used rooms and keep them out of the bedroom.
- When vacuuming, use a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter (Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2000; 11: 142-8).
- Throw out your woolly jumpers as they attract 10 times as much pet dander as wearing nothing (baseline control). A freshly washed T-shirt harboured the least allergens in one study (J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2000; 106: 874-9).
- Bathe your pet weekly with an allergen-reducing lotion such as Petal Cleanse, which can work within three weeks (see ww.allergic2pets.com/docs/pcefficacy.pdf).
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
