1) Pets must never get in the bedroom (see Dust Free Bedroom)
2) If you touch a pet you must immediately wash your hands thoroughly with water. Never touch a pet and then touch your face.
3) For individuals who have positive skin tests to their pet, the pet must have a thorough rinsing with lukewarm water every three days (every 2 days if the pet is your major allergy). The coat-fur-hair must be thoroughly wet and rinsed with water. Never use soap or shampoo, as this dries the pet's skin out and causes the pet to produce more dander (hence making the animal more allergenic). Once the rinsing is complete, the pet should be thoroughly dried with a towel (to prevent excessive licking of the fur-hair which would reapply saliva). Taking a dog for a three minute swim in your local lake-river-pond accomplishes the required rinsing. Using a laundry tub or portable for smaller animals, or bathtub-shower for larger animals is appropriate. I prefer a hose or portable shower head rather than a fixed shower head to thoroughly rinse the pet. Total emersion of the pet (except face) in lukewarm water is the fastest way to accomplish thorough rinsing (using heavy protective gloves and total emersion (water level above the back) is often the only way you can rinse a cat that hates water). If this rinsing cannot be done regularly as outlined above, the pet cannot stay in the house.
For individuals who have negative skin tests to their pets, I recommend rinsing the pets once weekly. This reduces airborne pet allergen and significantly reduces the chance of an allergic individual becoming clinically allergic to their own pets.
4) A written record of rinsing the pet must be kept. I recommend a calendar where every rinsing can be recorded. This way no errors will occur in the frequency of rinsing.
5) Once the measures above are underway, the entire bedroom must be thoroughly washed with water and a mild detergent. This includes the ceiling, walls, windows, curtains, every article in the bedroom, and the floor. Removing bedroom carpeting is essential as it is a reservoir for pet allergen, dust mites, and molds.
For individuals who rent and the carpeting cannot be removed, the carpet should be wet shampooed as this will remove a significant amount of pet allergen (note this does not reduce dust mites and increases molds in the carpet). The carpet should be vacuumed every one to two days with an appropriate vacuum.
6) The best vacuum is a central vacuum discharged to the outside. The next best alternative is a portable vacuum with a HEPA filter. Standard portable vacuums are useless as the fine pet allergen particles go right through the standard vacuum bag and are blown back into the air. Make sure the vacuum has a true HEPA filter (not HEPA like filter). HEPA filters pick up most pet allergen particles. However, these portable vacuums develop leaks and the HEPA filters can lose efficiency over time. Wet mopping is an effective alternative to vacuuming providing the hard flooring can withstand this type of cleaning (and that this does not cause mold growth). Electrostatically charged dry mops (SwifferTM,etc.) are moderately effective in picking up pet allergen, but must be thoroughly shaken outside after use, and are not as effective as frequent vacuuming or wet mopping. The most effective procedure is frequent vacuuming with occasional wet mopping. Ornaments and surfaces in the bedroom should be cleaned with a damp cloth weekly. A good filter must be used on forced air heating-ventilation systems ("Filtrete" Ultra Allergen by 3M or similar). A portable room HEPA air filter is also useful to remove any residual airborne pet allergen in the bedroom. Keeping the bedroom window open is a good idea provided the pet allergic individual has no outdoor allergies (pollens, molds).
7) As carpeting is a major pet allergen reservoir, all carpeting in the house should be removed as soon as is practical. Bedroom carpeting must be removed immediately. Any type of hard flooring is fine (various types of tile, linoleum, or hardwood) and even base plywood is better than leaving the carpet down. Individuals with significant other allergies must be careful to ensure they are not sensitive to the adhesives, sealants, or the specific new flooring chosen.
8) Any clothing that may be carrying pet fur-hair cannot get in the bedroom. A good habit is to remove all outer clothing prior to going into the bedroom.
9) If a pet has a favourite resting-sleeping area (for example likes to sleep on a specific couch) put a blanket-throw over this object-area and wash this blanket-throw weekly.
10) The more time the pet spends outside the better.
11) Cat litter must be removed daily, preferably by a non allergic individual. Remember the primary source of pet allergen is saliva and dander (the skin products) but that a significant amount of allergen is present in cat urine (males worse than females). The litter should not be disturbed inside (a surprising amount of cat allergen is put into the air) – take the litter box outside before dumping into a garbage can.
Because the majority of allergen from birds is in their droppings, the bottom of bird cages should be cleaned daily, and care should be taken not to disperse the fine particles from dried droppings into the air.
12) The basic details of a Dust-Mold Free Bedroom must be followed. Specifically pillows, mattress, boxspring must have appropriate encasements and all bedding must be washed with hot water and dried on high heat weekly.
ALL OF THESE DETAILS MUST BE COMPLIED WITH OR THE PET(S) CANNOT STAY IN THE HOUSE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM
: RINSING THE PET(S) EVERY 2 or 3 DAYS AND RECORDING THIS
READ THE SECTION ON PET ALLERGEN, TO UNDERSTAND WHY THESE MEASURES ARE REQUIRED
MAINTAINING A BASIC DUST FREE BEDROOM REQUIRES MINIMAL TIME AND EFFORT BUT MAINTAINING ADEQUATE PET CONTROL MEASURES REQUIRES DEDICATION AND CONSIDERABLE TIME-EFFORT-MONEY
reprinted with permission Dr. Bruce
Sweet 2012