Dog Has Allergies All Year Round? Your Upholstery Probably Needs Cleaning
If your dog suffers from skin and respiratory allergies throughout the year, it's probably time to clean your upholstery. The upholstery on your chairs, sofa and favorite love seat can harbor a host of contaminants that affect your pet. Although it doesn't happen to every pet, some dogs can experience extreme reactions to allergens. Here's what lurks in your upholstery and what you can do to get it clean.
How Clean Is Your Furniture?
Dust mites, bacteria and mold don't just hide in the fibers of carpets, coat the surfaces of counters or lurk in the dark corners of your house. The contaminants can also live on and in your furniture's upholstery. You can vacuum your carpets and sanitize your countertops to keep them clean. But cleaning and sanitizing your upholstery may not be so easy to do, especially if it has delicate fabric or material that tears, stains or discolors easily when exposed to chemicals and pressure.
Some contaminants that cause allergies live in your home all year round, including mold. Although mold grows best in humid conditions, it can also survive in cold conditions. Spilling liquids on the upholstery of your furnishings may attract mold spores over time. If your dog lies on contaminated furnishings, they can develop a number of allergy symptoms, including skin infections.
Take steps now to protect your beloved dog from the contaminants in your upholstery now.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Dog?
One of the things you can do to help your dog is have your furnishings professionally cleaned. Professional upholstery cleaners may use a variety of methods to sanitize your furnishings, including steam cleaning. Steam cleaning uses heat to kill pathogens and remove stains from fabrics. Some professionals use nontoxic chemicals that don't discolor or damage material during cleanups. It's a good idea that you discuss your upholstery cleaning options with a contractor before they begin.
After the contractors clean your upholstery, you can do a few things yourself to keep it sanitized and free of germs. Immediately dry or clean up any spills that occur on your furnishings, including water. Even your pet's urine and feces can cause problems if it soaks into or stains your upholstery. It your dog accidentally goes on your furniture, remove it immediately and sanitize the material with a safe disinfectant designed for your upholstery. You may want to ask your upholstery contractor for advice on the best cleaners to use for your furniture.
For more information about keeping your upholstery clean and contaminant-free, contact a cleaning service provider or upholstery contractor today.