Home Comfort Tips for Pet Owners

Many homes have pets, including cats, dogs, and sometimes one (or several!) of each. Pets bring a lot of pleasure to the people who own and love them, but they also can bring some not so great things, like pet hair, dander, and debris, which can affect your home’s air quality. Fortunately, these types of things can be easily controlled with a little planning and foresight, so you can easily enjoy healthy air quality with the pets you love.

Home Comfort Tips for Pet Owners

Here are just a few tips for animal lovers who want to breathe easy and enjoy healthy indoor air quality:

Keep your pet clean.

First thing is first: tackle the dirt and dander. Basic pet care requires that you bathe, brush, and give your pet access to good food and clean water, but ensuring good air quality can take a bit more effort for optimum results.

Bathe your pet regularly as recommended by your veterinarian to keep your pet’s hair and skin healthy and clean. Bathing can go a long way in ridding your pet of excess hair and dander. Dander—which is simply small flakes of skin shed by your pet—can cause concerns for those with dog and cat allergies, as dander, not pet hair, is the main culprit in pet allergies. Dander is so small that it often gets trapped in places that are difficult to clean, like air ducts. Each time your home’s HVAC system is turned on, the dander gets circulated throughout your ductwork and throughout your home.

Daily gentle brushing will reduce both excess hair as well as dander. When bathing your pets, use high quality moisturizing pet shampoos that will help keep their skin extra healthy, which will reduce your pet’s overall dander production.

Clean your home regularly.

The same advice goes with cleaning your home: go the extra mile when you share your home with pets. Along with regular cleaning such as vacuuming, dusting, and sweeping, be sure to keep your HVAC system clean as well. At the very least, change your filter whenever it gets dirty, checking at least once a month.

If you really want to go the extra mile, special air filters are available that can help control and prevent the distribution of pet dander. These filters are tailor made for homes with pets and can go a long way to keep your home’s air clean.

Regular maintenance is also imperative, so be sure to schedule an appointment (ideally every Spring and Fall) to have a professional perform maintenance your HVAC system. By having regular maintenance performed on your system, you can prevent small issues from turning into costly problems down the road.

Clean your air ducts.

It’s a good idea to start with a clean base when dealing with pet dander and debris, and your home’s ductwork is a great place to start. Duct cleaning can help you rid your home of existing dander, pet hair, and other dirt that may be lurking in your ductwork. Once your ducts are squeaky clean, it will be a breeze to maintain a happier healthier pet-friendly home when you implement the tips above. For a free estimate on ductwork cleaning from our professionals, give us a call: 310-836-0606