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MORE
ON VACUUMING YOUR PETS
An email
from: James Abel <james@ytbuff.com>
Mercia,
I have been subscribing to your newsletter for just a short time,
and have enjoyed each issue - always something of interest.
In the most
recent one you mentioned your attempt to vacuum your cat. We have
two house rabbits. They have two complete shedding cycles per year,
resulting in a tremendous amount of very fine, loose fur on their
bodies, and all over our house as well.
A couple of
years ago, we thought of trying to use our DustBuster on one of
the rabbits. He generally tolerated it, mostly because it involved
a great deal of petting as well! The general process is to either
use a hand or a brush to pet the rabbit, following the motion with
the DustBuster, picking up the fur as it is stirred up from the
rabbit. We also use it directly on them as well, although that is
not tolerated to quite the same degree, so we generally will alternate
the two methods.
Our rabbits
are still quite young (we started vacuuming the first one at about
1-2 years old), and are pretty well adjusted to the DustBuster.
Now, when I am vacuuming their areas with the "real" vacuum,
I will usually give them a few passes with one of the vacuum attachments
- I consider it weekly maintenance. As long as I don't let the attachment
get to close to their skin (just close enough to pick the fur up),
they tolerate it in short doses, although the younger rabbit still
has a habit of attacking the
vacuum cleaner...
Hopefully this
may give you some ideas.
James Abel
An email
from: Carol A. Childress [cchildress@ut.cc.va.us]
Dear Mercia,
The vacuum idea works great on dogs. I have been doing this for
many years. It gets the loose hair and all the pollen and dirt down
inside it. With the right attachment, you can brush and clean your
dog all in one step.
Eureka used
to make a special attachment just for this (sadly it's been discontinued).
It was the round dusting brush with a detachable round comb instead
of the brush. That is the only one that has ever really worked for
me. All the ones you find in the pet supply places don't seem to
seal very well and lose suction.
There is one
listed at the Dirt Devil site which is also discontinued. I tried
to get it last year, and the dummies will still not take it off
their web site. You can get an idea of what mine looks like from
this sketch.
Go to https://secure.wolfgroup.com/dirtdevil/access.cfm
and scroll down to item Pet Groomer Brush 3-050284-701
Mine has somewhat
longer and thinner teeth like a regular comb.
I wonder if
this is something you could get one of your manufacturers to consider
making? They always seem to think none of us with allergies would
ever have a pet. I'm scared to death of losing or breaking this
attachment. It's also really good for upholstery types where the
brush doesn't work well.
I've used this
on 2 dogs over the past 20 years. I'm not allergic to the animals,
just to everything that gets caught in their fur. Both dogs came
to love getting vacuumed, and begged for it. The first one was afraid,
so I used some conditioning techniques.
First I left
the vacuum out for about a week where she had to walk around it
a lot. Then we wrapped it in heavy coats to muffle the sound (keep
the exhaust area clear so not to overheat) and just ran it some
while playing in the same room. Next we moved on to lighter jackets,
etc. until she wasn't afraid of the sound anymore. I made a big
production of vacuuming my hair and clothes over and over until
she finally came close to see what I was up to. You have to just
put the hose down on the floor and let them approach it a few times
at their own pace. Gradually you can start taking a swipe over the
backbone. Work up from there.
It is important
not to get too close to the nose, ears, or below the tail. These
seem to be the spots that scare them. Both of my dogs were able
to work up to extensive 30-minute grooming sessions. If you do it
regularly though, it only takes about 5 minutes a session to do
a good job. Sure is easier to vacuum stuff off the dog rather than
off the whole house later.
I now have to
shut my current dog OUT when I clean the house, because she chases
me and lies down in front of the vacuum with her feet up in the
air wanting her tummy vacuumed. Sure would be nice if the cats felt
that way!
Top
A
COMPARISON BETWEEN EUREKA AND MIELE VACUUM CLEANERS
So many of you
have phoned and asked us about how the two stack up against each
other, I will now compare the Eureka 6999 Oxygen and the new Miele
Silver Moon, the best of each manufacturers' line.
Cost: the
Miele Silver Moon costs $300 more. Eureka Oxygen 6999 is a great
deal for the $699.95 price. The Silver Moon is $998:00
Quality:
of Manufacture. Miele parts seem to fit together, clunk, click all
in the way they are supposed to. Our vote goes to Miele. Miele machines
are just made superbly.
 Ease
of Use: Hands down Miele Silver Moon is the winner. Miele attachments
slide off and on effortlessly. With the Eureka Oxygen we had to
use a bit of Vaseline to ease up the stiffness of the attachments
coming off and on. Nothing is comparable to the adjustable direct
connect wand of the Miele Silver Moon for ease of use in changing
attachments. No more taking the wand, or part of it off and on,
no more fiddling with little plugs to reconnect the power brush.
If you have any arthritis in your hands the Silver Moon is the one
for you.
Filtration
Effectiveness: Nothing we know that tips the scale in one direction
or the other except Miele now offer a "certified hepa filter".
Power:
We think people will prefer the smaller quieter and lighter power
brush out of the two offered on the Silver Moon. The larger Miele
power brush is just too large and heavy for our taste. The Eureka
Power brush is "in between" in size and power. Overall
I think Eureka got it just right.
Cost of Operation:
The Eureka offer a washable hepa filter which can last up to five
years. A big cost savings over the years.
Size of dust
bags: I think that the Miele bags are small but the Eureka Oxygen
bags are miniscule .Buy bags at the same time as you purchase the
vacuum cleaner.
Dirt Alert:
the Eureka Oxygen has one and I really love this feature. It tells
you when you are vacuuming when the area is still dirty and the
vacuum is still pulling dirt , when the dirt is not visible to the
naked eye.
Floor brush
Onboard: The Eureka Oxygen 6999 has a place on the canister
where you can attach the floor brush and take it around with you
as you vacuum.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/canisters.html
Top
LANDSCAPING
TO ELIMINATE ALLERGENIC SPORES
©Thomas
Leo Ogren
 There
are many things we can do in our gardens and landscapes to eliminate
allergy-causing mold spores. All molds produce tiny reproductive
spores and the trick is to find ways to get rid of the molds themselves.
What we plant,
and where, has a large influence. I continually see the flat out
dumb practice of planting tall evergreen trees and shrubs on the
South sides of house. In the winter the sun is low on the horizon
and we get most of our light, and warmth, from the sunlight that
shines from the South. Our warm morning light comes from the East
and it is never a good idea to block that with tall evergreens either.
The best place
for tall evergreens is on the North side of our houses. There they
can act as a windbreak and not rob us of any needed winter sunlight.
A house with
tall evergreen trees on the Southeast side, is one that will always
be cold, and damp, in the winter months. And cold and damp is exactly
what mold thrives on.
Recently I
was at a store, standing outside waiting for a friend of mine to
finish up inside. It was a cool wintry day and I was in the full,
deep cold shade of a very large Canary Island Pine tree. I walked
over about thirty feet and stood in a spot, in between the trees
where the sun was shining through. There it was nice and warm. To
my left was the big pine shading that store, and just to my right
was another huge evergreen tree, a Ficus retusa, the Indian Laurel
Fig.
The big fig
cast a shade even deeper, and colder, than did the pine. I looked
down at the sidewalk to my left and right, and sure enough, you
could see mold growing in the cracks and along the edges. The north
side of the trees, where I was, also had a good deal of mold growing
on the tree leaves themselves.
Deciduous trees
are perfect for these locations. In the hot summer they will be
all leafed out and will cool down the buildings behind them. In
the cold winter months they will be bare of leaves, and the low
sunlight will come through and warm things up. In this day and age
of exploding energy costs, it is just plain ignorant to plant evergreens
where they don't belong. For stopping mold spores, deciduous trees
on the South-Eastern exposures is the only way to go.
Mulches
Many people
seem unclear on just exactly what is a mulch. Very simply, a mulch
is anything that covers the soil. They can be made of old leaves,
straw, rocks, bark, gravel, boards, bricks, even plastic.
Mulches are
almost always a very good idea but when it comes to mulches and
molds, they aren't all created equally. Bark is a very good material
on which to grow mold. Gravel mulches are good because they don't
encourage mold growth. I like smooth gravels, river gravel, and
please! No white gravel.
Flat stones
and pavers work well for this too and in the right spot, they look
good as well. Mulch holds down weeds and cuts down on summer water
loss. Earthworms often thrive under mulch and in general mulches
usually help plants grow better. The one spot where mulches are
less effective is in those cold, always shaded areas. Here mulch
will keep the soil from ever warming up. Every where else though,
mulch is useful.
Newspaper mulches
by the way, not only look trashy, they also grow lots of mold.
Buggy Plants
and Mold
Plants that
are not being grown right will usually get infested with insects.
The insects secrete "honeydew" and on this very nutrient
rich gooey substance molds grow quickly. The molds then start producing
spores and pretty soon there is a serious allergy situation in the
landscape. The insect dander itself is highly allergenic and just
adds to the problem.
Buggy plants
often look dirty and this is because they are covered with honeydew,
mold, and yuck! They are dirty. Clean, healthy plants are what we
want in our yards.
Why Are
the Plants Covered With Insects?
If a tree is
native to the cold, damp forests of Japan or Minnesota, it just
won't thrive in a place like Los Angeles. It certainly might grow
in Los Angles though, and that's the problem. It will grow there
but it won't thrive. Because it doesn't have the conditions it needs
it will always be somewhat weakened, and pests always prey on the
weak. Remember, insect pests equal mold spores.
If an area
is very deficient in fertilizer the plants there won't thrive. As
they grow weaker, the insects start to prey on them.
If plants are
getting far too much fertilizer they will also become weak.
If a tree is
a type that needs regular water in the summer but never gets it,
again it will become weak and soon be a target for the white flies,
aphids, scale, spider mites, and mealybugs.
If shrubs or
trees are native to an area with acid soil and you're growing them
in alkaline dirt, sure enough they'll probably become bug infested.
If a tree is
simply not tolerant of urban smog and it is planted right smack
in the middle of a great metropolis, it will draw the pests.
If a row of
shrubs are all the kind that loves bright sunshine, but someone
has planted a fast-growing tree over them, perhaps a pine, when
the whole row of shrubs is now growing in deep shade, if they live,
they will certainly become an insect magnet. I know of a hedge just
like this near where I live. A large old hedge of lantana, now shaded
by a big pine, it is literally covered top to bottom in white flies
and mold. It is growing right outside the back entrance to a health
clinic!
There are many
other cultural reasons for plants not to thrive and any one of them
can result in weak plants and mold.
A Word to
the Wise on Natives
Judicious use
of natives is often one of the very best ways to avoid many of these
weak plants-mold problems. However, make sure the "natives"
you buy are endemic to your own particular area. Also, make sure
you're not getting a bunch of male ( pollen- producing ) clones.
Many of the native trees, shrubs, and ground covers sold now are
male clones.
Air Flow
In every place
there are prevailing winds. The breeze generally blows mostly from
one direction. Many landscapes are so plugged up, so crowded, that
the breeze simply can't penetrate the mess. A landscape with no
air flow is one where molds will thrive. Molds grow best in conditions
with poor air circulation.
If your own
yards are over-grown and choked for lack of fresh air, then get
out the pruning saw and start thinning them out. Clean, fresh air,
free to move about, equals less mold and fewer mold spores.
Sunlight
and Molds
Bright light
and fresh air are the enemies of mold. Many landscapes have huge
trees overhead that let in little light. Consider hiring a tree
trimmer to thin out some of the branches overhead. Open the trees
up so that the sunlight can come through. Perhaps it would be a
good idea to actually remove a tree or two if they're growing too
close. Let the light shine!
When planting
any new tree, consider the shade that it will cast when it is full-grown.
Certain trees always develop very thick canopies while others will
be light and airy.
Watering
and Irrigation
Perhaps as
important as any other single mold factor is the watering. Too little
water makes for weak plants that attract insects. Too much water
will also always produce weak plants.
Automatic irrigation
systems, on clocks, are responsible for a great deal of mold growth.
Allergists in desert areas often find very high mold spore counts,
in the middle of the summer! Much of this is being directly caused
by irrigation systems that are not being monitored closely enough.
Often they are set to irrigate lawns that are already still soggy
from the last watering. Over-watered lawns will quickly become mold
factories and will shower everyone near them with an abundance of
mold spores.
Plant Diseases
and Spores
Many pests
of our plants are not insects but are fungal type diseases such
as mildew, rust, black spot, scab, and leaf blight. These organisms
also produce allergenic airborne spores. The very best way to avoid
these diseases and their spores is by planting disease resistant
plants. The second most valuable approach is to keep plants growing
cleanly and strongly.
Insect-attacked
plants will often later be attacked by fungus diseases, and visa-versa.
Healthy plants go a long way to keeping our air clean.
Certain plants
if grown in the wrong area can almost be counted on to harbor disease.
Evergreen viburnum growing in the shade will certainly get moldy
and full of mildew.
Crepe Myrtle
trees grown in an area that doesn't have hot summers will always
have mildew.
A cold, wet
spring frequently brings out a huge flush of both mildew and anthracnose
on the leaves of California Sycamore trees.
In areas with
cool, foggy nights and warm days, rust will surely grow on any roses,
hollyhocks, or snapdragons that are not rust-resistant.
Most roses
grown in too much shade will quickly mildew. Actually almost any
plant that thrives in full sun will run into problems in too much
shade.
Insecticides
and Fungicides
When you see
a plant covered with insects or fungus, fight the urge to go get
out the chemical sprays. Many chemical sprays will themselves trigger
allergies. They may also weaken your immune system.
A shrub full
of insects can often be helped immensely by just blasting off the
bugs with a strong jet of water from the garden hose. Spider mites
on plants can also often be brought under control with this same
stiff spray of water.
Many insect
pests can be killed with a simple, non-toxic homemade spray of vegetable
oil, water, and liquid dish soap. For a gallon of water add two
tablespoons of vegetable oil and two to four tablespoons of soap.
I like Ivory Liquid.
For fungus
diseases spay them with a mix of baking soda and water. I use from
two to six tablespoons of baking soda per gallon of water, depending
on how bad the infestation of disease is. This often needs to be
repeated all summer long. The baking soda will also kill some aphids.
If you like you can just add some baking soda to the insecticide
mix of soap and oil and have an all-around insecticide-fungicide
spray mix.
Do not expect
these homemade sprays to be just as effective as the most powerful
chemical killers. Often they're not. But they do work and they are
much safer and a whole lot less likely to cause allergies.
IPM
This stands
for Integrated Pest Management and one of the basic themes of IPM
is that we are not looking to eliminate insect pests, just to control
them. Using beneficial insects such as ladybugs, mealy bug destroyers,
tiny parasitic wasps, and green lacewings is always worth a try.
It would be worthwhile for any gardener interested in allergy control
to read a book or two on organic pest control.
Ants, Aphids
and Scale
Ants will farm
out aphids and scale and will protect them from their natural predators.
When the aphids and scale have ruined one part of a plant, the ants
will move them to another fresh spot.
Frequently
we can't seem to get rid of the insects because there are so many
ants on the trees and to kill the ants I use a slow-acting but effective
mix of powdered sugar and borax. Look for the borax in a box in
the grocery store where they sell laundry products. Mix the sugar
and borax fifty-fifty. Sometimes I like to flood the area under
where the ants are thick with a hose and then when they're all over
the place, I sprinkle the sugar and borax mix.
A few types
of ants don't much care for sugar and for these try mixing corn
meal and borax. This bait mix will also kill some other garden pests
such as slugs, earwigs and roaches. I have also had good luck killing
ants with a mix of non-dairy creamer and borax. Cockroaches by the
way, inside the house cause plenty of allergies and the best way
to kill them is with a mix of boric acid and powdered sugar as a
bait. Sprinkle this powder down where the roaches will walk through
it. You can buy boric acid in almost any drug store. These baits
are cheap, safer than other poisons, and they work.
Out in the
yard don't put these baits where the dog will eat them. Sometimes
it works well to hide them under old boards or flat rocks.
A Note about
Ferns
Ferns don't
produce mold spores but they sure can produce fern spores. Often
these spores from the ferns can be just as allergenic as the mold
spores. Fern spores usually shoot out and land fairly close to the
fern. Small ferns growing in a shady part of the garden rarely trigger
much allergy. But people love to grow ferns in hanging baskets and
then they often hang these over patio chairs, tables, right where
someone will be sitting.
When these
overhead ferns cast off their miniscule spores, they will land directly
on the unsuspecting victim underneath. Hanging basket ferns are
fine, but watch where you hang them!
Tree ferns
are handsome creatures but again we need to watch where we plant
them. All too often they are planted right next to front doors where
with their added height, they can shower spores on the people coming
and going. Another consideration with tree ferns is that they have
millions of tiny reddish-brown colored, needle-sharp hairs on their
trunks. These little fern hairs can make you itch and they can also
cause plenty of irritation of the throat and nose when they're inhaled.
Plant tree
ferns back away from most human traffic.
Thomas Leo
Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, July 2000, Ten Speed
Press.
Tom writes for California Landscaping, the journal of the
California Landscape Contractors Association, and also for Pacific
Coast Nurseryman Magazine, the number one professional horticulture
journal on the West Coast. He can be reached at: tloallergyfree@earthlink.net
Top
NEW
PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS
 a.
We have a fabulous new line of furniture by Pacific Rim. All solid
handmade maple wood with a natural finish. No out-gassing of formaldehyde.
Maple wood is the most durable of woods and we thought this line
was exceptionally good looking. My husband is eying it for our bedroom.
Among this range is an infant crib and children's room and some
very nice headboards for your bed- they have some nice looking chests
too. You should take a look- if nothing else the pages are the handiwork
of Margie, a new addition to our web staff, and she is very proud
of her first web pages for us.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/pacrimfurniture.html
b. We have extended
our Primaloft line. We have more sizes and coverings for the Primaloft
comforters, including a nice sateen finish. We have also added a
"soft" Primaloft pillow for those folks who do not like
a pillow that is too "puffy". I do have to warn you that
the original "medium" fill pillow, I still think are your
best bet. Why? I have been using Primaloft Pillows for over a year
now and they do lose a little loft over time. And the medium is
still very soft indeed. I still love these pillows.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/primsyndowco.html
c. Talking of
bedding I got my new white sateen check organic comforter cover
and pillowcases yesterday. Everyone gathered around to admire and
said how nice and soft they were. I think the check pattern is nicest.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/organicbedset1.html
Allergy Consumer Review - Issue #20
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Here
in Massachusetts I think we despair that Spring will ever
arrive. I am writing this in the last week of March and it
is snowing again. Yet part of me is thankful for the delay
in the pollen season. Winter brought with it great relief.
Sinus infections are a distant memory for the time being.
= poor 
= fair 
= good 
= very good
= excellent 
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