Originaly posted to the Guinea Pigs' Daily Digest, 12/10/1997
seagull@netcom.com

Winning the Battle Against Odors and Allergies

Hi, everyone; it's been such a long time since I have posted, I am surprised that I can remember how. :)

Every now and then, there are posts here about allergy problems and odor control around the piggie cages. I wanted to let everyone know what we have done to cut down on both of these problems dramatically, in case it can help others.

The big issues in our home were dander and hay dust leading to allergies, as well as the odor from the hay that we use for bedding as it starts to mildew (yes, we change it daily, but you can't get _every_ strand out of the cage, and even a couple of pieces of moldy hay can create quite a smell). Also, over time we started seeing mildew and dirt buildup in corners of the room that didn't have circulation, probably due to dirt and mold spores from the cage.

Just recently, we purchased ourselves a portable/room HEPA filter. These are filters that are extremely effective at removing irritants and organisms such as pollen, dirt, spores and bacteria from the air in your room (HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air). HEPA-type filters are usually 99% effective at removing particles down to .3 micron in size (this includes cigarette smoke, too). The unit we bought was designed for a 16'x16' room (or smaller), with a "quiet" operation mode.

Within three hours of placing the filter in the guinea pig room, and turning it on at the "quiet" (lowest) setting, the "caviary" odor was virtually gone. Where as before you could smell the cage just by walking in the room, now you have to get down on your hands and knees, practically on top of the bedding, before you can smell anything. And, I've noticed that my allergies are much less sensitive when cleaning in or around the cage, and there's no "dirty film" buildup on nearby furniture.

Needless to say, I am impressed with the difference. I really recommend this to anyone that has odor or allergy problems, especially if you use hay for bedding. Although it's not cheap (they range everywhere from $70 to $200, depending on how big a room you need to purify and where you buy), the difference is well worth the money if you can swing it. Granted, it won't "cure" allergies, especially for people who can't even touch guinea pigs without having a reaction, but it will certainly reduce allergy attacks from the air in the room, and the odor control is a dream!

Cheers,
-+JLS