[taylor111947]

Unfortunately, I recently had to put my cat down. Now I'm trying to get ready for company, several of which are highly allergic to pets. They have even opted to not stay with me - although over 2 months will have gone by.

At any rate, I want to make their visit as pleasant as possible. So what do I need to do to rid the house of the residual dander and hair?

My thought was to have carpet, tile and upholstery thoroughly steam cleaned. But, is that enough?

[quirky3]

IT might help to have a HEPA Air filter running in the rooms that the people will use.

[graciegirl]

People allergic to cats are usually VERY allergic to cats. When we moved into our new home we had the bedrooms off limits to the kitties so that one grandson and a son in law would not react. So far it has worked.

Steam cleaning is a good idea for upholstery and covering furniture with sheets is another option after the cleaning.. I agree with quirky that air filters are also great. We have one running in our bedroom because I am allergic to dust etc. You can buy them for a little over a hundred dollars at Walmart. Get the ones that have a removable and washable filter.

Good luck.

[duffysmom]

I'm sorry that you had to say goodbye to your kitty. I had two cats for 18 years and during that time I was treated for asthma. After they were gone I continued to live in my home and the asthma disappeared. It was allergies to the cats. Make sure you change the filter in the air conditioner as well and replace it with the best one you can afford. You're a good friend.

[Geewiz]

The allergic factor in cats is a protein in their saliva. The cat licks itself and the offending protein gets on the cats fur and on its skin...which sheds and we deal with as "dust."

Dust control is the suppression of solid particles with diameters less than 500 micrometers. Dust in the airstream poses a serious health threat to children, older people, and those with respiratory illnesses. House dust can become airborne easily. Care should be exercised when removing dust to avoid causing the dust to become airborne. Some dust removing devices trap some dust. One way to repel dust is with an electrical charge. Certified HEPA (tested to MIL STD 282) can effectively trap 99.97% of dust at 0.3 micrometres. Not all HEPA can effectively stop dust, while vacuums with HEPA filters, water, or cyclones may filter more effectively than without, they may still exhaust millions of particles per cubic foot of air circulated. Laser Particle Counters are an effective way to measure filter effectiveness, medical grade can test for particles as small as 0.3 micrometres. In order to test for dust in the air, there are several options available. Preweighted filter and matched weight filters made from polyvinyl chloride or mixed cellulose ester are suitable for respirable dust (less than 10 micrometres in diameter).

Note-- there are certain breeds of cats that have lower amounts of the offending protein. I have a Siberian kitten and have fairly strong cat allergies. Rada sleeps on my chest most nights. She has long hair...and sheds way too much...but, no problem because of no bad protein.

Good luck!

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by taylor111947

Unfortunately, I recently had to put my cat down. Now I'm trying to get ready for company, several of which are highly allergic to pets. They have even opted to not stay with me - although over 2 months will have gone by.

At any rate, I want to make their visit as pleasant as possible. So what do I need to do to rid the house of the residual dander and hair?

My thought was to have carpet, tile and upholstery thoroughly steam cleaned. But, is that enough?

Vacuuming like crazy every nook and cranny, washing all of the bedding including comforters, having all of the carpets and upholstery cleaned even under the beds where kitties like to hide. We had a similar situation recently and it took a while to stop seeing the kitty hair. It was everywhere even on the lanai furniture.

[GeoGeo]

A air purifier with HEPA filters definitely gets my vote. Smells bother me....perfumes, smoke, cigarette smell on clothing, cooking smells, etc. An air purifier has made all the difference in the world. Hopefully will help with your visitors' allergies. I have to say you are very thoughtful person.

[ilovetv]

Get the heating/air-conditioning ductwork and piping cleaned out by a reputable furnace-A/C company.

Everyone should do that anyway, regardless of having pets or not. What comes out of air ducts/pipes in a "very clean" house is disgusting......hair, textile and rug fibers, construction dust, mold, etc.

Then the house will be truly clean and ready for a whole-house air filter.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

Get the heating/air-conditioning ductwork and piping cleaned out by a reputable furnace-A/C company.

Everyone should do that anyway, regardless of having pets or not. What comes out of air ducts/pipes in a "very clean" house is disgusting......hair, textile and rug fibers, construction dust, mold, etc.

Then the house will be truly clean and ready for a whole-house air filter.

Excellent idea. I would never have thought to do that. If you have someone you like, please P.M. me.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Excellent idea. I would never have thought to do that. If you have someone you like, please P.M. me.

Along with PM'ing Gracie, could you list the company here? Is that "legal"?