We have two cats and I love them both, however I am allergic. We never had cats when I was a kid so I didn’t know I was allergic until we had already adopted our cats. I can’t justify getting rid of them since they are a part of the family, but I do have to work harder to keep certain things clean around the house, so I don’t end up sneezing all day. So today I’m sharing my tips for how I clean our home to prevent cat allergies.
#1 Floor Care
If you have carpet in your house it’s important to vacuum it often. Cat hair and dander will get caught in the carpet and cause your allergies to act up, if it’s not vacuumed regularly. To keep allergies at bay vacuum every other day, but if you can’t do that, at the very least vacuum once a week.
Sprinkling Arm & Hammer baking soda over the carpet, before you vacuum, will also help to keep your carpets fresh and get rid of any “pet smell”.
Wood, linoleum, and other types of flooring don’t attract hair and dander, like carpet does, but hair will still gather around the baseboards and corners of the room. It’s just as important to vacuum these surfaces at least once a week too. Vacuuming is better than sweeping, for allergy reduction, because sweeping will just push the allergens back up into the air.
#2 Furniture
Our cats love to lay on the comfy chairs in the living room, and cuddle next to us on the couch while we are watching TV. This results in our furniture being covered in cat hair. For a quick and easy clean up of the hair I use a lint roller to pick it up. However the lint roller doesn’t pick up the dander in the cushions so I also like to vacuum my furniture, yes I said vacuum the furniture. If you have a vacuum with a detachable hose you can buy a mini turbine tool that attaches to the hose and vacuums the furniture just like the floor!
If you don’t have a detachable hose you can also just pick your vacuum up and place it on the furniture to vacuum it. I have done it both ways, and they both work just as well.
#3 Allergen Pillows
I was recently given an allergen pillow and it has really helped reduce allergies! If you have cat allergies I recommend investing in a good, washable allergen pillow and cover. These pillows are made of cotton and polyester and their “allergy proof fabric prevents collection of dust mites, pet dander, pollen and other allergy triggers”. When you wash the pillow it refluffs, so you don’t ever have to worry about it getting ratty from washing it.
If you allow your cats to lay on the bed, make sure you also wash your bedding and vacuum your mattress regularly.
#4 Fresh Air
Fresh air is very important for keeping allergies at bay so when the weather is nice I keep our windows open as much as possible. Allowing the fresh air to flow through the house reduces dander in the air, which drastically reduces allergy symptoms. When it’s too hot, or too cold out, the best way to keep the air clean is with an air purifier. There are a lot of very affordable air purifiers on the market, that will help to cut down allergy symptoms year round.
#5 Cat Care
Properly caring for your cat is another thing that must not be over looked. Grooming them can really to help reduce allergies:
- Brush, or vacuum, them regularly
- Have them shaved in the early summer months to reduce shedding around the house
Good litter is also important because there are so many on the market that are really dusty, and scented, which only makes the air smell worse, and me sneeze more. We use a low-dust, scent-free litter from Arm & Hammer, and it’s amazing. The baking soda in the litter absorbs the smell, and gives it advanced odor control, and it keeps the litter box fresh and clean.
#6 Wash Your Hands
I know this seems like a silly thing to have on this list, but it’s so important. After petting your cat(s) don’t touch anything until you have washed your hands. All too often I forget that I was petting one of the cats and then I’ll touch my face, or worse, my nose or eyes, and then I’ll break out and itch for hours! The oils from your cats skin and hair gets transferred to your hands when you are petting them so it’s important that you get up and wash your hands before doing anything else. Make sure you scrub under your nails too because oil and dander can easily hide under there. This is a very basic rule but for me it’s also one of the hardest ones to remember.
This is how I clean our house to reduce my cat allergies but if you have any other tricks I would love to hear them! I am always on the look out for more, or even better ways, to reduce allergy symptoms!
Your blog title is a bit of a misnomer. No amount of cleaning will PREVENT cat allergies and if you went to someone else’s house with cats, you’d still be allergic. What your cleaning does, in fact, is minimize the impact of your allergic reaction. I know it seems nit-picky, but I have family members with allergies and every little bit of knowledge and education of the general public helps! Thanks!
Bless you, Anna, for being willing to work around your allergies and keep the kitties. So many cats are considered disposable when they require more work than expected. Many do not consider that when you adopt a pet of any kind you are making a commitment. Their are some great products for removing pet hair, etc. One of my favorites, thought it won’t remove the dander, is super easy for getting the cat hair off furniture. It’s Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair. It’s quick and easy plus its great for those quick clean-ups you didn’t see until your guests pull in the driveway.
We have the problem of cleaning for allergic people who come and visit us. We’ve found that it’s best to do the major cleaning a day or two ahead of time to give things a chance to settle, and on the day itself, just do the minimum so as not to stir up the dander, etc.
Great post! I like wood floors (solid surfaces) to be able to clear out any dander from cats (and dogs). Over the years, we changed to hard surfaces throughout the house to make for easy cleaning and to help reduce indoor pollutants. I shared this post with my family and friends. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Ive had two acute care asthma attacks, Im on six persc right now, One of them is predsone, which is very hard on on me. Dr said I had to give kitty away, cant be so sick. Now Im trying to purify my house , to rid all the cat hair and dandriff. My windows are open (at this moment) yes, and in ND in Nov. But Im desperate to get well. Ive a man coming to clean the ducts from the furnace and AC. Another to clean all my carpets and what couches they can clean. then I plan to wash the curtains. How can I wipe ALL the walls off too? Ive had one hospital stay from this , and dont want another one. Is there anything else I can do. Desperate in North Dakota. Joy
Wow, I’m so sorry. 🙁 To wipe down your walls I’d use a damp cloth wetted with water and a mild dish soap. To reach tall/hard to reach areas use an expandable paint roller. I hope you get better soon!
You poor dear! How awful!
I spray my walls with a product such as Nature’s Miracle cleanser, then I just wipe them dry with a towel.
I am allergic to cats and I have a little cat rescue. I did a couple of years of shots with my allergist – now retired darn it – and that really helped with my animal allergies, especially cats. One thing that also helps is to not ever be without a cat for an extended period of time so you don’t lose what the doctor has helped you get. But another is to get rid of the carpets. Also helps get rid of those annoying carpet cleaners calls. “I’m allergic to cats. It was the carpets or the cats, guess what went?”
I want to emphasize Number 6: NEVER, ever, stroke a cat; and then touch your face, esp your nose or eyes! Always remember to wash your hands!
Also, remember to wash your hands, and then your face after leaving a place where there are cats, even if you don’t actually touch the cats.
If your eyes itch, don’t touch them! Wash your eyes with eye wash, or splash them in cold water.
For your litter box, use a very tall box to help keep litter inside; or, use a covered litter box
I have 2 cats, and am not allergic, but I use these tips for allergic friends.
I love the ideas. Baking soda really does a great job at eliminating odors, I never thought to put it in a litter box. Steam cleaning the carpets once a year would also help reduce the dandruff and odors.
I can’t believe you would suggest shaving your cat! That’s just not something that should be done to a cat! They would probably be tramtized as well as over exposed to the elements. I have never heard of anybody ever doing this to a cat! Bad idea!
I’m reading this SUPER late, however, I have been shaving my cat for the past 2 summers and he rather enjoys it.
I too am allergic to cats but love them too much to live without. I have a few hacks of my own: Before vacuuming use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to mist carpets and furniture – it kind of acts like Febreeze in that it kills bacteria and odours, it also keeps your vacuum from kicking up too much dust as it does it’s job. Don’t worry, unless you soak the rug it won’t damage your vacuum or electrocute you, I usually mist the rug, then the couch and chair, then vacuum the rug, etc in order. I avoid rug powders/baking soda, it’s just more dust (I’m also allergic to dust so I like to keep that to a minimum as well.)
Get a good cotton duck couch cover, I got one on eBay for $30 but they’re relatively easy to make if you’re handy with a sewing machine, I find it repels cat hair nicely and can be washed regularly. Speaking of which, wash blankets, bedding, curtains, etc. regularly – I have a rotation of items so I really only add one load a week to my laundry, although it takes 4 weeks to do everything.
Washing your hands is a fantastic point and I’m so glad you mentioned it, people don’t realize how easily you can avoid setting off your allergies, I know when I touch my cat I’d better get all the scratching and snuggles in that I can cause when that cat walks away I have to run right to the sink.
These are all great ideas and I hope it encourages people with allergies to visit their cat loving friends move often, or maybe even take the chance to open their home to one of these sweet little buddies.
cotton duck couch covers, eh, Trich? I’ll have to get some. I have quilted ones picked up at Annas on a black Friday and when I wash them the cat hair just pills up but doesn’t come off. Blessed husband has cat & pollen allergies, so opening windows is iffy. I’ve read that the greatest concentration of allergens is in their saliva & urine. I use the A&H litter but have found their Clump & Seal is even better. Kitty is “lick-y” so I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to hub’s chair. We”ve gotten rid of most of the carpets, drapes & curtains.. I bathe her in the warm months, thank goodness she’s an angel about it. Put a spray nozzle in the utility sink and use baking soda & rinse with a bit of vinegar, just like my own hair. In spite of this, he’s developed asthma & the allergies don’t seem much better-except a slight improvement when I upgraded the litter
Hi all,
I am so happy that this topic is here and covered so thoroughly. Now I am looking for even more specific advice related to this topic. My situation is that I have had minimal contact with cats. Next week I am moving into the basement of a house with a very active 6 month old kitten. She leapt up on me when I went to the house wearing a scarf that had dangling balls along the edge. My concern, aside from the random leaping, is that I may have an allergy to the dander. I thought it was just a dust sensitivity, but I am not sure. The challenge is that my desk with a computer/monitor, filing cabinet, massage table, and shelving unit with many things on it, will all be in the downstairs living room that does not have a door. The owner shuts the cat out of her bedroom at night, because the cat is so active and leaps on people when they are sleeping. She says I can put the cat in her bathroom when I give a few Healing Touch sessions each week. (This is a type of complimentary medicine treatment where people are clothed). So at least the kitten will not be leaping on people during treatment sessions.
The ways I can think of to protect the computer monitor, expensive printer, and many other things, this kitten can still manage to get past/through/in/under. Luckily, the homeowner is fine with my using a spray bottle with water in it. That may help teach the kitten to not jump on the desk when I am working at it. Though when she prowls at night, it is no holds barred.
I am at a loss.
It is especially a bummer to me that my bookcase likely needs to be in my bedroom. I was hoping to have all of that work-related material out of my sleeping space.
Hmmmmm…. Is there a way for me and my things to be minimally impacted?
This kitten gets a lot of love and attention from the homeowner and her elderly mother, so no worries about that.
This is both an indoor and outdoor kitten.
Thanks for any thoughts-
Maria Claire
Hi, Maria Claire. I’m Anna’s assistant, Bethany. One suggestion we have is to use a baby gate and a curtain. You can place a curtain panel on a tension rod in the top of the door frame and then put a baby gate below to block the kitten from getting in. If this doesn’t work, you may want to talk with the homeowner about a more permanent solution to keep the kitten out. Hope this helps!