Air purifier

[Elialitem]

I need your advice…
We have 2 guinea pigs, my daughter loves them so much (and other family members love them too). But a great misfortune has come to our house… Our daughter was recently diagnosed with a pet allergy. We don’t know what to do. Besides 2 guinea pigs, we have a cat. All of them are our family and we don’t want to lose them, because of the diagnosis.
I’ve done some research and found the information that air purifiers can help to reduce allergy symptoms. Is that true? Did anyone have the same problem? Are there any models with moderate prices? And what is best: activated carbon, ionic and etc.?
I’ll buy it if someone confirms that it can help.
Thanks in advance!

[bpatters]

@spy9doc has some info on air purifiers, I think. You can search for her posts, or send her a PM and ask her to post the link here.

You might try switching to meadow, orchard, or bluegrass hay. All are less allergy-inducing than timothy. The guinea pigs themselves are unlikely to be the problem.

[rosspiggys]

What do you consider moderate price? I posted one awhile back that worked for my wife even with the hay. It was in the 200 - 300 range. But it works. This is a hepa filter and it stopped my wife's reactions. The hepa's are not cheap and the filters are pricey.

[kornales]

like pet allergy to all kinds of pets?u might consider one in which she has no allergic reaction

[spy9doc]

Keep in mind that people are rarely allergic to guinea pigs. However, many people are highly allergic to hay, and in particular, timothy hay. Try orchard grass or bluegrass as an alternative. Wash everything in the cage and bathe your cavies when you are starting with the new hay.

There are many air purifiers on the market and it's difficult to know which one will work for you. This is a situation where you literally "get what you pay for". I can, without hesitation, recommend the HoMedics Hepa Air Cleaner 75 Cadr True Hepa. I own both this and a slightly larger model. This one has literally run 24/7 for nearly nine years without a hiccup. I bought mine from BBB with a 20% off coupon and have been extremely happy with it. The filters are pricey, but I replace it 1-2x a year and just brush it off monthly. I find it to be quiet with just a pleasant white noise effect.

I suggest that you go to the Homedics site and look at their various models, and then shop around to see if you can beat their price. They are mid-range in price, but you want effectiveness and durability and a lesser priced one may not run for 8-9 years like mine has.

https://www.homedics.com/air-quality/air-cleaners.html

The model I listed above is an older model and by now discontinued. BBB no longer carries the HoMedics air purifier to my knowledge. HoMedics makes different models for various size rooms. I checked around yesterday and note that the model I have can be purchased on eBay. With the track record of my unit, I would be tempted to buy a used one at a lesser price.