Moving into a home that had dogs, and I'm allergic... what should be on my to-do list?

Question

In about a month, I'm moving into a house that had 1-2 large dogs. I'll allergic to dogs, and I'm curious what steps I should take to prep the house before I move in. There is also a room (living room) that has a pretty strong dog smell (maybe urine?). My hope is that when the sellers remove their furniture and their large area rug, it will help to take care of this odor. The house is mostly hard wood floors except for a section of the basement that is carpeted. I'd really take any and all advice!

Answer 1

If the previous owners are taking their furniture and a large area rug, that removes a large part of the problem. Any other rugs left that you are going to keep should be shampooed/cleaned by a professional service. Hard surfaces like walls and hardwood or tile floors don't hold the oils that affect some and are much easier to deal with.

You also want to have a thorough vacuuming done to remove any pet hairs. We have always had a couple of dogs (no allergies), so I can attest to the fact that their hair can accumulate in the most out of the way places.

Answer 2

You'll need to wash/clean the walls either my doing it yourself or hiring it out. The floors will need to be inspected for damage under the area rug where urine could have seeped into the cracks between the flooring and possibly be steam cleaned. Remove the carpeting and padding in the basement. Don't waste your time trying to clean it. You should also get your heating and AC ductwork cleaned out.

Answer 3

If you are strongly allergic to dogs, it would be in your best interest to hire a professional cleaning service.

Let them know about your allergies and get estimates based on the square footage and number of rooms.

The money spent will be well worth the lack of stuffy/ runny noses itchy eyes, sneezing and general discomfort.