Allergies, vacuum cleaners, pets

July 27, 2007

Several months ago we bought a new upright vacuum that has a HEPA

filter. We have a dog and 3 cats in the house.

Last week my husband hauled out the vac at my request, turned it on,

and the air filled with overwhelming gross dust and animal debris (I

could feel it going right up my head although I couldn't see it). It

triggered a nasty sinus infection in me and I'm not on massive doses

of pseudoephedrine. Of course I can't stop taking my Advair,

either!!! It's warm and extremely wet here (reeks of mold outside)

and that must intensify the problem.

Today I had the bright idea that it was time to vacuum the car too.

We used an old canister vacuum w/no bag (empty the tank) plus my

hubby used carpet cleaner and odor remover. (They did not bothor me

but I wasn't right there when he was spraying, either.) A couple

hours later I picked my car up from the tire store and the inside of

the car reeked of doggie odor even though he's not in there. I

assume it was somehow from the vacuum - that the fumes somehow leak

out even though the small cheap canister also has a HEPA filter.

I feel like I've got my back to the wall! The pets are staying, my

hubby shampooed the carpet last Sat., but somehow this nastiness is

escaping from the vacuum cleaners. Vacuuming is really bad now but

of course NOT vacuuming is ALSO bad.

Is there any inside secret as to how to keep a vacuum from leaking

all this filth into the air? Is there some way I can treat the

vacuum cleaner so it smells better? Something I can put on the floor

to suck up to make the vacuum smell better? I'm spending money on

all these great aids that aren't helping like I expected. Spending

$600 or more on a new vacuum now is out of the question. The doc

tells me the high doses of pseudoephedrine are not good but of course

she understands why I have to use it too. She asked what I was going

to do and I said I was hoping the Xolair will kick in for sinuses -

it's probably helping with asthma or I would have stopped breathing

but hope it will make a greater improvement in the near future.

Thanks!

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