Question:
... I'v heard this works too. Where do you get this stuff and what
sorts of things do you use it on? I've also heard that if you wash your
bed linen in tannic acid it kills dust mites quite effectively. Have
you heard about this and what strength would you recommend?
Answer:
You might try a "Bionaire" electrostatic air purifier.
It removes most dust particles from the air using positive
ions. Most allergy sufferers could benefit from one
of these. Last I checked, they went for about $40 for a unit that will
work in a small or medium size room. The nice thing about them
is they have no fan, and require no installation --
just plug it in and set it on a shelf. Yes, washing the cats in plain water weekly will help. But it takes
several weeks before it takes effect. The electrostatic precipitators
can help, too, but are expensive for one that will handle an entire
house. 1% tannic acid sprays can help by denaturing the proteins
your family is probably allergic to. And, shampooing your family may help, too! It's one of the easy ways
to stop many allergy attacks due to airborne allergens... honest! I'm also from a highly allergic family, and have many friends who are
allergic to cats. My solution is that I entertain people who are
allergic to cats either outdoors (al fresco dining, anyone?) or at
a neutral location like a restaurant. Of course, they're welcome to
come see me, and I'll even offer chlortrimeton and benedryl from my
own stock of OTC antihistamines.... ;-) Another Kay, allergic to just about anything *except* cats, to the
wonderment of her allergist.... According to allergy literature the thing that allergic people react to are
very fine particulates of protein matter (in the case of pets, the protein
source is their dander and saliva particulates). Cats are generally more of
a problem because they clean themselves, thus applying their saliva all
over themselves (and you - if you let them). These particulates are so fine
they float about in the air and infuse themselves on everything. So your
cats could have been gone for months and your family would still probably
react if they walked into your home, unless you're an obsessive-compulsive
cleaner. Getting rid of all that can take some doing. Aside from preventing the
meeting of cats and kin, you'd need to purify the air, all surfaces,
including furniture, carpeting, window coverings, clothing, walls, etc.
High quality air filters and ionizers are known to help quite a bit.
Un-upholstered furniture, blinds instead of drapes, low pile or no carpets,
frequent dusting, cleaning and washings. As far as washing the cats, it may
help a little, but it may or may not be worth it for you. The "official" stuff I've seen is called "Outright allergy relief", and
is terribly expensive for what it is... tannic acid is cheap, cheap, cheap.
I'm allergic to dust mites, and I made up some 1% solution from some ancient
lab chemicals destined to be destroyed... seemed to help when I sponged it
on an old mattress, but the improvement in my symptoms was not as significant
as when I replace my pillows with new ones. Tea has a significant amount of tannic acid and tannins: mopping down
things with strong tea should have a similar effect to tannic acid (though
it will leave a tea stain). Don't use it on the cats, though... cats
don't tolerate thein (the caffeine-like substance in tea) any better
than they tolerate caffeine, theobromine, or any of the other methyl-
xanthines.
