7 Laundry tips for pet owners with allergies
Love your fuzzy friend but can’t stop sneezing? Manging allergy season can be extra challenging when you have a furry friend. Pet dander is one of the most common indoor allergens and can cause allergic reactions.
Although it may be the most common, there are steps to take to prevent the spread of pet dander and pet hair in your home. We’ve put together a few quick tips to help you manage the spread so you can enjoy cuddles with your furry friend without itching and sneezing.
1.Wash your pets bedding more often
Chances are that your pet definitely has some favourite locations in the house. Pet hair and dander can accumulate quickly on their favourite spots. Wash pet beds, blankets and your own bedding weekly to keep on top of keeping pet hair and dander at bay. You might also want to opt for a hotter wash cycle to ensure you eliminate all the bacteria.
2.Find a hypoallergenic detergent that works for you
If you’re familiar with our products you probably already know that Ecoegg Laundry Detergent Eggs and Ecoegg Dryer Eggs are hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested and rated ‘excellent’ on sensitive skin.
If you’re new to us though, our products are specially created to be suitable for sensitive, allergy prone and young skin, making it the perfect addition for your laundry routine if you’re someone who suffers from allergies and skin conditions.
3.Wash clothes inside out
By washing your clothes inside out, you’ll increase the surface contact with water and detergent. This will help lift embedded pet hair, dander and dead skin cells from your clothes. This can be incredibly helpful for fabrics that trap fur and pet dander like fleeces and knitwear.
4.Run an extra rinse cycle
Even after a hotter and longer wash cycle, pet hair and dander can linger in your machine. Add an extra rinse cycle to your laundry routine to ensure any residual allergens are removed from your machine.
If you’re still noticing some allergens lingering in your machine, consider popping in an Ecoegg Detox Tablet for a deeper clean.
5.Keep pet hair out of your washing machine
Before popping in bedding and blankets for a wash, make sure to remove any pet hair. To keep the sneezing at bay, we’d recommend using a lint roller prior to washing or shake out clothing and bedding outside to limit the spread indoors.
6.Wash your pet items separately
This might be an obvious one, but you should wash all your pet items separately from your usual laundry. Wash your pets bedding, blankets, toys and harnesses all in one wash to limit the spread to your clothes and bedding.
Add a rinse cycle and consider running a short empty rinse cycle after to remove residual allergens before your next load.
7. Use Ecoegg Dryer Eggs to help lift pet hair in your tumble dryer
Our Dryer Eggs are great at removing pet hair in your tumble dryer, the soft nodules that brush against the fabrics stick to and brush off pet hair making it the perfect addition to your drying routine.
They come with a 10-year warranty (register here if you haven’t already), reduce drying times by up to 28% and naturally soften your clothes. Want to learn a bit more about our Dryer Eggs? Read our blog, ‘Ecoegg Dryer Eggs: How do the dryer eggs work?’, to find out more.
