Allergic to cats
 

I am making two quilts for people who are allergic to cats and of course I have two. What can I do to remove any cat hair or dander from the finished quilts, is there more than just washing them that will work?

I'm deathly allergic to all hairy animals. I would suggest washing, drying and placing immediately into a sealed plastic tote or box for delivery. The recipients will probably want to wash them again when received.

Hello, I am also allergic to cats and this works for me (my kids have cats). After washing, tumble dry your quilts with a hypoallergenic dryer sheet for about 20 minutes, then hang to dry the rest of the way. This will remove any hair that is left. You can also tumble an unwashed quilt if you are in a pinch.

Great suggestion. No allergies here but I had not heard of hypoallergenic dryer sheet.

Are the people aware that you have cats and OK with that?

I would probably wash and dry it at the laundry mat and take it directly to them... bypassing a stop at my house all together.. keeping the clean quilt away from kitties

I was wondering this also....

There are different levels of allergies but most people are allergic to the dander and that would be washed away in the washer. I would ask those allergic if the hair is a bother.

I second the vote for the laundry mat!! As one who's suffered with a severe allergy to cats for over 40 years, those with no allergies sometimes don't realize how those hair and dander can get eeeevvvvrrryyywhere. A lady at work has 2 indoor cats. She's very clean but anytime she visits my office for more than 5 minutes I start sneezing and coughing. And bag it before putting it in your vehicle cause you can guarantee there's some straglers in it. Then make sure you suggest they wash them again before using. I can't go to someone's house to visit if they have a cat. And no, putting the cat out while I'm there will not make any difference. I know it may sound overly dramatic but remember the girl who died after her boyfriend gave her an innocent kiss on the lips after eating a pb&j sammich? Yep. It can be that bad. If you've never suffered a severe allergy attack with your eyes and throat swelling shut you have no idea what it's like. If you have, you know you wouldn't take a chance on doing that to anyone, ever.

Hen you have an allergy to anything I agree with aunt nana that other people find it hard, very very hard to understand. I'm allergic to oranges. Some people think if they don't offer me a segment that is fine. The juice and essence from the peel put in food eg carrot cake are all oranges and cause problems.
Good luck with your method you select.

If it were for my family, I'd agree about the LaundroMat. Take them there & wash them with a scent-free detergent. Try to make sure the quilts touch your clothes as little as possible & wash hands before grabbing out of the dryer. Then seal it in a bag (or two, if they're tie-top garbage bags).

My family has severe allergies. When I would go to a friend's house who had a pet when I was younger & would come home, my baby sister would get an asthma attack & my mom would start sneezing like 8x in a row. I wasn't even touching my family members & I hadn't touched the pets directly, but the allergens traveled on my clothes and bothered them terribly. My sister eventually had to go for allergy shots because the other kids' clothing at school would cause her allergy/asthma problems.

But other people have mild allergies & just can't be around pets 24/7. If the client isn't super difficult, maybe you could call her and ask what she usually does with items that have been exposed to pet dander. She might just say to bag it up & she'll put it straight in the washer as soon as she gets it home. Assuming her allergies aren't super extreme, she may prefer that so she can use her preferred detergent/fabric softener.

So glad for this thread. I'm having a problem with someone else's quilt I offered to hand sew the binding on. As it's laying across my lap I keep seeing what I thought was batting bearding. But then realized it's some kind of animal hair. To me this is gross. Also it explains why my eyes are irritated.
This is a QOV. So my first problem is finishing it. And second, do I say something when I return it to the group? I'm not sure they wash before awarding quilts. I had offered to be the "binder" for the group. But I have an allergy to pet hair, obviously. It seems lots of quilters have cats. Always see them as the "quilt inspector"
I shall have to find a way to tactfully rescind my offer. And quilts I make certainly can't go to a 'cat house" to be longarmed.
I know people love their pets, but they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near and especially not on other peoples quilts.
Unfortunately w/o remembering I sent my quilt to be longarmend at a ladies house with several cats. I'm just hoping they aren't allowed in her studio.

It's the pits to be so allergic to anything, believe me. With severe lung problems, I can't be around anybody who smokes. My daughter has cats and dogs in the house and my SIL smokes, needless to say I can't go over there which is very sad. When my grandboys come over, they have to immediately take their clothes off in the garage and take a shower. I also have to rewash all the clothes that they bring for stays with us.

Using a washateria is a good idea.

I want to thank everyone for their comments on this issue. I see I am not the only one with the problem. No, the people getting the quilts do not know it, as they are Christmas presents. I think I will opt for the Laundromat, there is one a few blocks from my house, then tell the to parties to rewash them if need be. I am allergic to agora, from rabbits, so I can sympathize.

I was allergic to cats and it's awful. I am not allergic now. I would make the quilts and then take them to a Laundromat and wash them there. Even your clothes have dander on them.

I'm glad you asked this. It's very helpful to see the responses. I desperately try to keep my pets away from quilts made for others, but sometimes the brats (cats, the husky is very well behaved), find a way to get at them. I'm making a baby quilt for my nephew and I know my brother is allergic. Not as severely as those above, but definitely gets stuffy and watery eyes. I was wondering what I would need to do about the quilt before sending. I was planning to wash and dry it at the laundromat either way, but now I'll be extra careful about bagging it up in a sealed plastic bag before getting it anywhere near my home. Actually, maybe after I seal it up, I'll go straight to the post office.

Sval, maybe you could gently ask folks to run a lint roller over their quilts before you bind them. Say you love helping out, but are allergic to pets and had a reaction to the last quilt you worked on. I agree, if the quilt is for someone else, and being worked on by several people handing it off with pet hair on it is icky. I love my pets, but I'd be super embarrassed if I did that and I'd also be grossed out if someone handed one over with pet hair all over it...

It is hard to think about when there is no one in the family that has an allergy. My mother was told I had an allergy to dog hair when I was a child. Watery eyes, sneezing, and itching when around my grandmother's pet dog. The old Dr. said I'd develop an immunity to it if they got me a dog to be around all the time I got a dog and later a cat and I guess it worked. I had symptoms for awhile but they faded away. LOL. Can you imagine a Dr. saying that now?

you must do it at a laundramat and you must put it in a bag before you put it in your car. I have pets and no matter what I do, there is cat and dog hair floating everywhere!

I was so allergic to cats as a child, that just standing next to someone that had cats... in school, grocery store, etc., would send me into a full blown asthma attack, and several times to the hospital. I ended up getting the antigen shots, once a week for 3 years, and am happy to say that now I have a cat and he sleeps with me, lays on my lap, is all over the house and I'm fine with him!That was 40 years ago when I got the shots, and it is still holding, and I'm sure modern medicine has advanced them so maybe it's not even 3 years anymore..but I advise anyone with allergies to check into the doctor and ask about the antigen shots.

My baby,Coco, would love to come in my room...... There was alot of crying [both of us] but she has learned that she has to stay on the landing. Most of the time now ,she is waiting at the bottom of the steps for me. I still go ahead and throw the quilt in the dryer on air to make sure....

Yes....Due to some sensitivities to soaps, I use hypoallergenic soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and unscented products. I have no cats indoors for several reasons, and big reason is DD's allergy!

My son and DIL are both becoming more and more allergic to cats, so presumably that is why they seldom come over and bring Zoe our 5 year old DGD over. When I made a new quilt to go into Zoe's bedroom with her new full size bed, I was under the gun as far as washing and drying her quilt (try putting the binding on a full size quilt Christmas Eve when we were due there for dinner); so my son suggested that we just bring the quilt when the binding was finished. We were able to sneak the quilt in the house in a huge black trash bag, which my son promptly put into the washer, so when the quilt was dry we presented her with her new quilt. If there was a problem with a pet allergy with the quilt I am not aware, so I think washing and drying it at their house did the trick, with no further treatment.

Very interesting thread. My son is very allergic to cats and has problems with some dogs(one of ours but not the other). He's an adult now but had shots for 4 yrs as a kid. Since we have dogs, I make sure all fabric, etc goes straight to my sewing room or the longarm room--both off limits to the dogs. Once I'm finished longarming a quilt, it
gets bagged and put in my car for delivery--and the dogs never ride in my car. But I realize there is probably some hair transfer (although dogs not allowed on furniture or in bedrooms).

DH and I both have allergies to perfumes and cats. I buy ALL dye free and perfumed free laundry detergent. It isn't "hypo,", it's "free". Hypo is low allergens, free is no allergens. I also use Seventh Generation dryer sheets, again 'free'. You can tear the sheets according to size of load. I can use a full sheet on 3-4 large loads but prefer to tear them down. My friends and relatives wear lots of perfume, therefore, I tend not to go to functions with a large and tight crowd. Got tired of coming home with itchy watery eyes and nasty headaches. They think I'm anti-social but I just can't stand the perfume.