Pets are some of our closest companions, providing us with some of the best entertainment we can get at home, but the allergies that come with them can dissuade guests from enjoying our abodes. Many pet-owners power through their minor pet allergies for the sake of their beloved animals. Whether you’re taking your allergies, your family’s allergies, or your guests’ allergies into consideration, redecorating your home can be a simple fix for the sniffling and sneezing. Our tips for decorating a pet allergy-friendly home will make your house a better place to spend time with your precious pets.
Get Easy-To-Clean Décor
The easiest way to ensure freedom from pet allergies in your home is to keep all furniture and décor clean. Regularly sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, and washing parts of your home will ensure pet dander and dust won’t build up and spread through the air. Whenever you buy a new decoration for the house, ask yourself, “Can I clean this easily?” If the answer is yes, then it’s a pet-friendly accessory. If the answer is no and the material catches dander like a flytrap, it will agitate your allergies more than usual.
Watch Out for Shag Rugs and Carpet
Carpet causes the most allergy disturbances in a house with pets if not properly cleaned and maintained every day. Avoid using carpet for your home’s flooring, especially shag carpet with long, bushy strands. Your feet may be comfortable with a soft shag carpet, but your nose won’t be. The long fibers of a carpet or rug will catch and hold onto pet dander and dust far longer than any other decoration in your home will.
With rugs, the height of the fibers is called pile height—and shag rugs have some of the highest pile heights available. Stick to low-pile height rugs for entryways, playrooms, and living spaces if you own pets. Professional rug-sellers can provide you with more information on different pile heights and their various uses.
Cover Any Fabric Surfaces
Incorporating fabric into your furniture and decorating decisions will do your health a disservice when it comes to pet allergies. As a final tip for decorating a pet allergy-friendly home, remember that materials that are easier to wipe down, such as wood, leather, or faux leather, will keep your living areas free of excess pet dander and hair. Fabric furniture will hang onto pet hair—you may even notice that the spots where your pets lie the most often will have a solid layer of hair. Whenever someone sits on that spot, they send dander and hair into the air, causing allergies to flare up.
If you want to protect your furniture from your pets, you’ll need to either train them to stay off the furniture or cover your furniture with a sheet and change it at least once a week. It’s easier to wash a sheet to prevent pet allergies than to wash an entire couch!
Controlling the amount of allergens in your home will improve everyone’s quality of life—yours, your family members’, and your guests’. An allergy problem at home goes deeper than a shedding cat or dog; dander, litter, and any contaminants tracked in from outdoors can trigger a storm of sneezing and itchy allergies. By making careful decorating decisions in your home, you can prevent discomfort, even in a house full of pets.
