<p>S is bringing a friend cross-country to stay for 2 nights and 3 days in our home, which has a big dog. She’s “very allergic” to dog dander. She’ll bring allergy pills. I have a few weeks here to try to improve the house so she can enjoy the visit. </p>
<p>I’m unfamiliar with the problem, but want to do everything possible so she might stay in our home and not have to take a hotel room.</p>
<p>What I know to do:
- kennel the dog
- roll up rugs from common areas and stash them in basement
- w/w carpet cleaning (professional) scheduled 2 weeks before she arrives - we have to do it anyway this month
- don’t let dog sleep in the room she’ll have for several weeks before she arrives</p>
<ul>
<li>the bed: dust down the wood bed frame thoroughly (is there a product?)</li>
<li>fresh linens day of arrival</li>
<li>new pillow?
-serve barbeque meals outside instead of in our carpeted dining area?</li>
</ul>
<p>I have to replace our vacuum clearner anyway. Is it important to buy one iwth a HEPA filter, or maybe I should just rent one for a few weeks rather than invest… In general the house has been dusty, so I might as well use this time to really have at it.</p>
<p>Any other suggestions are welcome, don’t hold back. Tell me anything I wouldn’t already think of. I have no experience with allergies, and just raised my own kids with big hairy dogs.</p>
<p>I want this visitor to be comfortable, if humanly possible.</p>
<p>You’re being terribly gracious about this (the cost of kenneling a big dog alone would give me pause). I’d say an air purifier in the bedroom (turned on a couple of days in advance of the visit) would be a must. But you could do all those things and a “very allergic” guest (hard to guess exactly what that means) might still be miserable from a big dog’s dander hiding in every nook and cranny of your home. It’ll be lurking in the upholstery, throw pillows, even in lampshades. I’d encourage your guest to start the allergy meds before arriving and to have a reservation at a hotel for the second night in case she reacts badly to your home.</p>
<p>I don’t actually know the answer to this but I do think you are being great and would do the same if I thought it would be very important to my D or S.
If it was just going to be a one time guest I would clean it up but look into an inexpensive hotel ( and not object if my kid spent the friendship night).
If this might be a significant other I would do everything and more as you are searching to do.
Hope the visit goes well!</p>
<p>My ex was highly allergic to dogs, and he would get sick after visiting a house where it had been years since the dog died. There isn’t much way to get rid of the dander; it’s not only in the carpeting, but in all the upholstery and the drapes. Vacuuming the upholstered furniture and laundering the drapes would be something to add to the list, and if you have A/C, changing the filter. No matter what you do, though, basically, the less time this young person spends in the house, the better it will be for her.</p>
<p>I hate to say it…but it’s very hard to completely get rid of the dander. Clean very thoroughly…and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Four very helpful and practical suggestions, plus a reality check. Can’t ask for better from the CC care bears.</p>
<p>She’s a steady, so yes I’m trying harder to make it work than for just any old travel buddy. This seems like a variation on “Princess and the Pea” but I’m being tested!</p>
<p>Kennel costs are modest here. </p>
<p>I think the bedroom is worth a try because it’s very spare: all hardwood, no upholstery; basically a bed and desk. I think I can remove the vertical blinds completely and add an air purifier days ahead. That all is doable.</p>
<p>We have a fine new central air conditioning unit, so i’ll check into the filtering situation there.</p>
<p>In general, although it sounds like I can somewhat reduce the dander count throughout the house, it will likely defy my best effort. </p>
<p>I hadn’t thought of suggesting she start her allergy meds before she arrives, but now I will recommend that. If the weather blesses us, we have an outdoor deck. Otherwise, they might take in a lot of movies. Will try hard, then hope for the best here. Plus put a hotel on notice, just in case.</p>
<p>If anyone has more house-scrubbing ideas to add, please do, as I will make all the effort in advance.</p>