Re: Air Purifier for Pomeranian Dog Allergy

A Reader writes:

Hi Ed,

I really like your website, very informative and helpful.

I have been searching for a good air purifier for a while.

I am moving to a new place with my GF and her 8 pound Pomeranian.

We live in Orange County / CA.

I have suffered from allergies to dust and pollen since I was a kid. But my main problem now is my GF little dog.

It got to the point I was not able to stay in her current apartment more than 1 hour. Bad cough and problems with breathing.

We are going to live in a 2 bedroom apartment. And here is my dilemma.

Should I purchase the IQAir HealthPro Plus (which I would probably leave in the living room, with my bedroom closed, or maybe move between the rooms)

Or should I opt for 2 purifiers, I am considering the Austin Air Pet Machine and Blueair 450E HEPASilent Digital Air Purifier.

How I mentioned, my big problem is pet dander (odor should not be a problem) and I am not concerned about the other allergens (dust, pollen..) that much, since my symptoms to these irritants have drastically improved after I moved from Europe.

My budget is about US $700.00 - 800.00. But let me know if you think I should be o.k. with spending less then that.

The apartment is 1090 square feet (living room approximately 400 and my bedroom about 250)

Please let me know what you think as soon as you find some time to respond. I would like to make my purchase soon.

If you have any better ideas which would help with the dander problem, please share with me.

Thanks a lot a keep up your great work!

Best regards

Ed's Reply

Allergists generally advise people with dog allergy to get rid of the pet. I say this to remind you of the extreme difficulty of using an air purifier as a remedy for a continuous source emission - dog allergy.

I know your GF is going to keep Pom, they are very cute and lovable.

The principal dog allergen, called Can f 1 (Canis familiaris allergen 1), is primarily found in dog saliva.

Unlike cat allergen, which is more dander-borne, dog's skin is a minor source of Can f 1.

Pomeranians are relatively low-dander dogs anyhow.

Saliva proteins are transferred primarily by licking.

Cats lick their fur. Dogs lick people!

Pomeranians have two layers of fur, an undercoat and a top coat - notorious for shedding. Frequent vacuuming is recommended.

Realize that your GF, after close contact with Pom, has the allergenic proteins on her hands, clothing, and hair.

Pet allergen has been measured in homes where pets never go, carried there by humans.

You should avoid contact with Pom and places it frequents.

I hope Pom likes baths, because weekly bathing is advised. At least the Pom is small enough to bathe easily.

Wash bow-wow's toys & bowls, anything it mouths, frequently, to limit saliva spreading.

Pet Allergy Strategy

Pet allergen accumulates, eventually making the residence itself allergenic.

When the pet is removed, abatement can take months, sometimes years.

Extreme cleaning, steaming carpets and HEPA vacuuming is required.

The (hopefully) uncontaminated new apartment offers an opportunity to act preemptively. At least it's probably not the former home of a Pomeranian, with the specific proteins GF's Pom carries.

Cleaning all your GF's furniture, clothes, and bedding, before moving in, might help.

You need a sanctuary, a cleaner room, which is where your best air purifier should go.

Exclude the dog from your bedroom, a baby gate might help. Keep your bedroom door closed.

HVAC systems will circulate dog allergens, and eventually become totally contaminated.

Upgrade the apartment's HVAC filter and change it frequently yourself, do not rely on landlord-supplied $2 fiberglass furnace filters.

Installing HVAC vent filters in the bedroom might reduce the protein-carrying particles' inflow.

Air Purifier

A premium class air purifier will reduce airborne allergen load, but don't expect miracles from a purifier when Pom is still present.

All air cleaning solutions begin with source removal.

No air purifier will capture allergens stuck to surfaces.

A significant percentage of dog allergen is one tenth micron in size, much smaller than mold spores or pollen, and hard to filter effectively.

These tiny particles carrying pet allergen stay airborne indefinitely, accumulating on higher surfaces.

Drafts will start them floating again.

Weak purifiers tend to clean the area near them much more effectively, allowing corners and crannies to retain airborne sub-micron particles.

Air purifiers chosen to deal with a dog allergy must be powerful enough to clean all the air in the room, with several air changes an hour, while efficiently removing .1 micron sized protein fragments.

Austin Air is a good purifier, but the combined HEPA/carbon/zeolite filters are not the best for your situation. Where a cat litter/urine odor was the issue, the Pet Machine might fit better.

With your budget limits and specific allergy, I think a particulate-only focus is cost effective.

You are correct to choose premium machines like IQAir and Blueair.

I like Blueair 603, about $650, for your extreme situation, due to its high power (450 CADR), particle focus, and air throughput.

IQAir, though very efficient, is less powerful, partly due to restriction from the V5 Odor/Gas filter.

The Blueair automated E-series is very nice, but you need continuous higher speed operation. Also, E-series price premium is inconsistent with your budget.

Absolutely put it your bedroom. The purifier should be run on higher speeds all day, and on the highest speed you can sleep with at night.

An additional fan helps circulate allergens to the air purifier.

Blueair filters will need frequent, and expensive, replacement.

A cheaper true-HEPA machine could go in the living room. About 45% of Can f 1 is attached to larger particles greater than 9 microns. Any HEPA (not HEPA-type) filter will lower these.

You won't need odor/chemical filtration, so many available HEPAs could fit.

Expect to replace filters more often than "normal" users.

Good luck with your new living arrangement,

Ed