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

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