OT: Company to clean house of allergens?

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Hello!

I'm sorry this is off topic, but I wasn't quite sure where else to put it.

DH and I returned home for the allergy specialist. Turns out he does have a number of allergies- some we had guessed and others we had an inkling about. I would liked to get a professional cleaning service done on the house to get rid of as many allergens as we can. We're in a rental property at the moment and I am not 100% sure when any of the stuff I would consider routine or annual maintenance has been done (duct cleanings, for example).

Is anyone aware of a cleaning service that specializes in allergen removal- especially pet dander? I'd really like to not have to do the walls and ceilings myself!

We'll be purchasing a HEPA system in the next few days (probably Oreck), replacing pillows, and possibly the mattress. Anything else we should be aware of? Also, does anyone have a HEPA system installed fully in their home? We're looking to custom build and are interested if that is even a reasonable option. I know I have seen it on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, but am unsure of the requirements, restraints, etc.

Thank you so much! We really appreciate any and all help!
xoxo

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Check with Service Master. They do both heavy duty cleaning and disaster recovery (smoke damage) cleaning. I don't think they can work inside the air ducts themselves, but I do know they will remove and clean the grills and replace the filters. They may do a partial duct cleaning. When they have someone come to do an estimate for you the needs can be discussed and you can see if they will work out.

 

[dj2]

I know you said it's a rental, so there's not as much you'll be able to do, but carpets can be a big harborer of allergens and people with environmental allergies often replace carpeting w/hardwood floors. easier to keep allergen-free.

-dj

 

[robinb]

We'll be purchasing a HEPA system in the next few days (probably Oreck), replacing pillows, and possibly the mattress. Anything else we should be aware of? Also, does anyone have a HEPA system installed fully in their home? We're looking to custom build and are interested if that is even a reasonable option.

I have not been following your story, but I am pretty allergic to pets, trees, pollen and dust. Just about everything but molds. I had to have allergy shots (5 shots each week) as an adult. My question: Do you really need to go to such drastic measures? I can see having someone come in to give you a good baseline dust-wise, but a built-in HEPA filter in a rental? That just makes no sense. Has he had shot therapy? It really worked for me.

You also say you are looking to get rid of pet dander. Do you currently have pets? My allergies got 100% better after my beloved Akita died.


Good luck. It's terrible to live in a state of stuffiness, but I think that living in a hermetically sealed house would be even worse for me.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

My question: Do you really need to go to such drastic measures? I can see having someone come in to give you a good baseline dust-wise, but a built-in HEPA filter in a rental? That just makes no sense. .

No, it doesn't for a rental- I think you misread the post. We're getting one of the smaller non-built in HEPA filters through Oreck for the rental property. We're fairly certain insurance will cover it as it is by doctor's orders and the insurance company didn't seem to think it would be a problem. We will be custom building in the next 12-18 months. At that point, it would probably make the most sense to look into have a HEPA filtration system installed.

You also say you are looking to get rid of pet dander. Do you currently have pets?

Yes, that is part of the problem. We have two cats and a dog. None of which we are willing to "get rid of." They are a part of the family and nature will have to run its course with them. The doctor tried pressing us into adopting them out yesterday, and DH just about broke down and cried. It's just a matter of keeping the dander to a minimum as much as possible.

Additionally, with a few of the other allergies, it's structural to the property. We live in a waterfront condo, so the molds/pollens are difficult to control- especially in a propery built during the mid 80s. It looks like we're probably going to have to replace the carpeting in the main living quarters (we've already done so in the bedroom), as well, as they think that is one of the biggest culprits. And yes, they've been deep cleaned, scrubbed, and treated already...

Just a pain in the butt!

 

[robinb]

Yes, that is part of the problem. We have two cats and a dog. None of which we are willing to "get rid of." They are a part of the family and nature will have to run its course with them. The doctor tried pressing us into adopting them out yesterday, and DH just about broke down and cried. It's just a matter of keeping the dander to a minimum as much as possible.

Thanks for the clarification . I don't blame you about the animals. I have 2 cats and I had the dog I was very allergic to. My current cats are Japanese Bobtails which are more hypoallergenic than most cats and I rarely have problems with them. We are also thinking about getting another dog, a Poodle or Portuguese Waterdog this time.

I have heard people rave about their Dyson Animal vacuum cleaners for pet hair and dander. They are expensive, though! You might also want to think of a pet-free room for your DH so he can have some relief.

 

[minnie61650]

Thanks for the clarification . I don't blame you about the animals. I have 2 cats and I had the dog I was very allergic to. My current cats are Japanese Bobtails which are more hypoallergenic than most cats and I rarely have problems with them. We are also thinking about getting another dog, a Poodle or Portuguese Waterdog this time.

I have heard people rave about their Dyson Animal vacuum cleaners for pet hair and dander. They are expensive, though! You might also want to think of a pet-free room for your DH so he can have some relief.

The pet-free room is a very good idea!
Especially since you are building you can dedicate a room or two as pet-free. My cousin put a screen door
divider to keep their cats of her sons room. this was in addition to regular bedroom door. that way the
Bedroom door could be open, but the cats could not get in. Perhaps you could put one in the master and maybe the den or another room. Have them in place before you move the pets in and DH has some pet-free zone.

Good luck and I hope DH allegro's get better.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

The pet-free room is a very good idea!
Especially since you are building you can dedicate a room or two as pet-free. My cousin put a screen door
divider to keep their cats of her sons room. this was in addition to regular bedroom door. that way the
Bedroom door could be open, but the cats could not get in. Perhaps you could put one in the master and maybe the den or another room. Have them in place before you move the pets in and DH has some pet-free zone.

Good luck and I hope DH allegro's get better.

We've done that with the bedroom in the rental right now. Well, we're still working on it! Last night was the first night none of the babies slept with us. We vacuumed extensively, bleached the sheets, etc. This weekend, we're trying to get a dust mite cover for the mattress; we're replacing the pillows tonight; and starting tp scurb the walls to get rid of as much as the pet dander as possible. Unfortunately, the rest of the house is fairly open and runs together, so there's no real way of getting it "pet free" at this point. The biggest issues seem to be at night when he's sleeping, so the bedroom is the top priority. We can't do much about some of the other allergies, but we can do somethign about the animals, so we're attacking that one full force.

The screen idea is excellent! We may definitely have to incorporate this into our building plans in the future. MIL has a screen door that rolls up into the doorframe so that you don't see it or have to double the width of the door. May have to talk to her about that one. Thanks so much!

 

[tw1nsmom]

I agree with the concept of making the bedroom a "cleanroom." I wanted to add...They have dustmite covers for pillows, matresses (also put one on the boxspring), and comforters. All linens (including curtains) need to be washed in HOT water at least once a week. I've found it easier to get a dustmite cover for a down-alternative comforter and put a washable comforter cover on top of it. I can then wash the duvet cover each week with the other linens without having to wash the bulky comforter.

Make sure your closet door stays shut. Actually, it would be best to only put the clothes you wear frequently in your bedroom closet. That way they will be laundered frequently, making it more difficult for dustmites to breed. Also, when it comes to the curtains, if you can't launder them weekly, it would be better to get rid of them and replace them with roll down vinyl shades.

Get rid of all clutter (including throw pillows and stuffed animals...if you collect), making it easier to frequently dust with a damp cloth. If allergies are severe, and you can't get rid of the carpet, you could cover it with that clear plastic runner material. We also run an air purifier in the bedroom and keep the bedroom door closed at all times.

I know how you feel about your pets (we have a wonderful black lab mix that DH could do without when it comes to his allergies...but he's a member of the family), but you absolutely must keep them out of the bedroom if your DH has a significant pet dander allergy. They may not like it, but they'll have to adjust. If you're not going to be extremely vigilant about keeping them out, you shouldn't go to the trouble of doing the rest of the allergy abatement.

Good luck. I know how much work this is.