Dust Mites Call Your Pillow Home, Too: When To Replace Your Pillow To Avoid Bacteria, Fungi, And Mold

When was the last time you thought about how clean or dirty your pillow was? If you are like most of us the answer to both questions is ” not often”

The sole purpose of a pillow is to provide you with comfort and neck support while you rest. We all know a good pillow is essential to a good night’s sleep, nap, or long plane ride. However despite how comfortable and deceivingly clean your pillow might be, it can be  home to thousands, if not millions, of dust mites and debris.

How often should you get new pillows?

That’s a good question and one many of us tend to overlook. We have a habit of becoming attached to our pillows, so the prospect of tossing an old one and replacing it can be difficult.

While the life span of a pillow is a debated topic, the average replacement time has been suggested to be around two years. However, Robert Oexman, DC, director of the Sleep to Live Institute says pillows should probably be replaced every six months. “People talk about how nasty a mattress gets,” said Oexman, but pillows are more frequently forgotten. Read complete article

The good news is, dust mites don’t spread any kind of disease, but they do pose allergy and asthmatic risks. Roughly 20 percent of people have allergies, and of those who do, around two-thirds may be allergic to the types of dust mites found indoors, The Huffington Post reported. To help reduce your allergic symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes, use an airtight cover for your mattress and pillows.

Allergies and Camp

School ended here in South Florida last week.  Parents and kids alike are starting to prepare for sleep away camp.

If you have a child with asthma or allergies, there are a few things you can do to make sure camp isn’t a problem.

Before your child leaves, make sure to speak with the director about any medications that will need to be administered. Also, if your child has food allergies, the time to discuss special diets is before you commit your camper and pay your fees.

If your child is a seasoned camper, you have been through this routine before.
Find out if they have a nebulizer on hand for emergencies or if you need to pack one.  Find out their Epi-Pen policy.  When out on a hike, who carries the Epi-Pen in case of an emergency insect sting? Critical if your child is allergic to bees or wasps.

If your camper is required to bring their own bedding, you get an allergy-proofing break. You can make sure that your camper is sleeping on sheets that you washed with De-Mite or Allergen Wash.  No matter who is providing the linen, be sure to send an inexpensive zippered allergy proof cover for the mattress and pillow.  For campers, we recommend using either the SMS or vinyl.  You wouldn’t want to sleep on them every night as they are not the sturdiest (that is why we recommend them for the boxsprings) but for 1 to 4 weeks of sleeping at camp, they are perfect to use and then throw away.  Most camp beds are long twin, be sure to ask the camp in advance so you get the right size.

Don’t forget the sunscreen.  Read the label to make sure that there is no PABA, parabens, or vitamin A.  Same for the soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

While your little camper is away, take advantage of the time to do a good deep clean of their room.  Start at the top and work your way down, wiping down walls, furniture, doorjambs, window sills, and such.  Strip all the bedding and wash in De-Mite or Allergen Wash.  Clean the floors (including under the bed) and baseboards.  Don’t forget to clean any picture frames and wash the curtains.  Turn the air cleaner on high and close the door. Your little camper will return to a clean, fresh room.

Make sure that their bag and belongings stay in the garage until unpacked and inspected.  Bed bugs are tricky hitchhikers and you don’t want them coming home with your camper.
Summer camp is can be a great experience but…no matter how far you travel and how much fun you have…there is no place like home!
Til Next Time

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Foam Mattress for Allergies?

One of the more recent trends in mattresses has been the memory foam mattress.  Natural foam (latex) has been in and out of fashion since it was first introduced over 30 years ago. There are people who are allergic to natural latex that fear reactions to latex mattresses.  This is despite the fact that there has not been one documented case of latex allergy to mattress. This could be because of the open cell structure of the natural foam allows it to be thoroughly washed before it is manufactured into a bed or because there is no direct contact between the sleeper and the latex.  That being said, if you are allergic to latex it is probably wise to consider the memory foam cell  over the latex.

If you start shopping foam mattresses you will find that most manufacturers claim that foam mattresses will not harbor dust mites.  This simply is not true. They contend that the closed cell structure of the foam protects it against dust mites.  While it is true that the foam itself does not provide a food source for dust mites, it still collects the food source (skin) for the mites. Where there is food, there will be mites! Foam mattresses (whether natural or man-made) do provide a means of collecting dust mite food, the resulting dust mites, and because of the interaction between the dust mites and their food, dust mite feces.  In addition, foam mattresses are covered by foam, wool, or polyester batting.  Mites and their feces will collect in the batting.
So, no matter the type of foam or the manufacturer, your foam mattress still needs an allergy proof cover. If you have natural foam or natural foam and organic cotton, then you would like our organic cotton dust mite proof cover.  If you have memory foam, you might want to consider our Pristine Luxury or AllerSoft 100% cotton covers for your mattress.

If you have a foam pillow, the same holds true. Your pillow is not free of mites and their allergens.  Put a zippered cover on the pillow and sleep tight!
Cheryl
The Allergy Store
4111 SW 47th Ave #307
Davie, FL 33314
1-800-771-2246
cheryl@allergystore..com

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Will any Mattress Cover Do?

We get calls all the time from people who want to know if you need a special cover to protect against dust mites.

They may already have a cover or pad on the mattress or pillow and want to know if it will do the trick. I don’t blame them for asking. I wouldn’t want to buy a new mattress cover if the mattress cover I already owned would do the trick.

The problem is most regular mattress covers aren’t made of barrier cloth.  Barrier cloth is the common name we given to the microweave fabrics. The idea of a mattress cover made of a microweave is that the fibers have been woven so tightly that the allergens cannot escape through as air flows.

The most tightly woven  microweave mattress covers are made from polyester fibers.  That is because polyester is a strong yarn that can be woven very tightly without breaking.  To get allergen protection, you want a mean (average) pore size of at least 8 microns.  the good microweave mattress covers are made with fabrics that have a 5 micron pore size and the really really good ones have a pore size of 4 microns. Of course if you don’t like the idea of a mattress cover made from polyester and want the coolness of cotton, then you will have to sacrifice some pore size..

So, if the mattress cover you currently own totally encases the mattress, zips closed, and is made from a fabric with a mean pore size of under 8 microns, then you do not need to buy a special cover.  Chances are, your cover does not meet these requirements and the money invested in a new mattress cover will well be worth the relief you get from sleeping allergy-free
Cheryl

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved