Until we adopted our Rottie, Lula, I had no idea a dog could produce so much dust. The first time I dusted after her adoption I realized that our DUST issue had sky-rocketed! She's got an embarrassing dandruff problem, and it's not just showing up on her. It's showing on my mantle, my woodwork, my stairs...all around my house. No kidding, the other day I was petting her, and the cloud around her looked like pigpen! I've never known a dog could create so much dust, and oatmeal baths and conditioner aren't enough to do the trick.
So, I went for an impulse buy at Costco, and picked up an air purifier (Honeywell 17000, $130), suited for our large, open first floor. It circulates the air completely about 5 times per hour, and I can say that it was a noticeable difference in how nice the air smelled after the first use. It was like I had all the windows and doors opened, on a sunny spring day. Then, I noticed that even in the sunbeams there was less dust in the air. It's made an amazing difference in the 2 days we've used it so far. I could see this as a lifesaving purchase for anyone struggling with pet allergies.
The filter catches 99.4% of bacteria and germs, and has a reusable Hepa filter that can be vacuumed and re-used. The dog's aren't thrilled with it-it makes a soft humming noise,not unpleasant to people, but perhaps annoying to dogs. But, it's going to make our air smell sweeter and cleaner, which I'm sure even they can appreciate.
