Cheap Dust Mite Covers

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Cheryl is CEO and President of AllergyStore.com. She has been helping people with allergies, asthma, COPD and MCS since 1998. She has also owned and operated an air duct cleaning company, mold remediation company as well as the local Aquathin water purification distributorship. If you have a question about the indoor environment and how to improve it, Chery Krause is the person to talk to.

If you have dust mite allergies, you must have a zippered dust mite cover for your mattress, pillow, and boxspring.

Purchasing all of these at once can be expensive. The good news is that a good dust mite cover should last for years, through numerous washings.  It is an investment in your health.

Looking at all the choices available on-line and in the big box stores can be overwhelming. What cover works best?  What cover is most comfortable? What cover is the cheapest?   These are all things to consider.

However, don’t be penny-wise and pound foolish.  The most inexpensive covers on the market today are made from materials such as vinyl and polypropelene.  It might be tempting to spend less than $20 on a dust mite proof vinyl cover for your queen bed but are you getting your money’s worth?

If a $20 vinyl cover is so hot and uncomfortable that you take it off the bed, you didn’t save any money.  If you have to put a mattress pad to cover up the feel of the vinyl, you probably haven’t saved money either, because that pad must now be washed every 7 days in 140 degree water or cooler water and De-Mite.  So, you saved money on the cover but end up spending it in either energy costs (to heat the additional water) or laundry additive costs (to buy the De-Mite)

So, for about $25 you think you will get the polypropelyene. Most allergy bedding places refer to this fabric as SMS – for spun down, melted, spun down – which describes how the three layers of polypro are created.  It is a bit more durable than vinyl and is not as prone to rips and tears from the bed frames.  It will provide dust mite allergy protection cheap, but are you saving money?

The SMS will be more comfortable than vinyl. Instead of the feel of sleeping on a plastic bag, it will be more like the feel of a paper sheet.  So, once again if you have to cover it with a pad to disguise the feel, you haven’t saved money. You are going to spend that money and more on the washing of the pad.  Also, when it comes time to wash the zippered dust mite cover you must use some sort of additive (like De-Mite) because you can’t wash SMS in hot water. SMS is cold water wash only, other wise it will fall apart. If your cheap dust mite cover falls apart in the wash, you haven’t saved any money.

Vinyl and SMS are cheap dust mite covers, but they are best left for the boxspring.   Since you don’t lay directly on the boxspring, comfort is not a factor.

Another category of fabric to consider if you want a cheap dust mite cover is the coated fabrics.  These dust mite covers are manufactured by taking a generic fabric (usually you will see cotton/polyester blends or all polyester) and with a heat process, laminating that fabric to a 1 milimeter thick urethane membrane.  It is the membrane coating that makes the fabric dust mite proof.  The membrane side of the fabric faces down, towards the mattress, and the fabric side faces up, towards the sleeper.  This makes the cover much more comfortable than the vinyl or SMS.  Because the fabric isn’t anything special, and urethane is a relatively inexpensive material, these types of fabrics are not terribly expensive.  However, you have to wash them carefully to keep the membrane from separating from the fabric. This means that you cannot use hot water, so a cooler temp and De-Mite must be used. You have to factor that cost in when figuring if the coated fabric is really saving you money.  Another downside to the dust mite proof covers made from coated fabrics is that the urethane tends to make the cover warm. This might not be a problem for you, but if you or anyone with whom you sleep is a “hot” sleeper, the urethane can make them sweat.  So if  you buy a coated fabric and take it off the bed because it makes you sweat, then it isn’t a cheap dust mite cover, because you wasted your money.

The most popular dust mite covers are made with what is called “microweave” technology.  This means that the weave of the fabric is so tight, the dust mite allergen cannot get through.  You will see everyone claims that their cover is the best and their pore size is the smallest.  As long as the pore size is under 8 microns, you will have protection.  The smaller the pore size, the more expensive it is to make the fabric, so the higher the costs.  So, a “cheaper” microweave with a 3 or 4 micron pore size really is a cheaper dust mite cover compared to the 2 micron fabrics.

In the long run, the cheapest dust mite cover might not be the one that costs the least the day you buy it, but it might be the one that costs the least over time.

Until next time

Cheryl Krause – AllergyStore.com

Eradicate Dust Mites – Warfare Part 3

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Posted in What Are Dust Mites
So we continue our war on the dust mite and its allergens.

In Part 1, we killed dust mites by starving them to death through the use of dust mite proof zippered mattress covers, pillow covers, and boxspring covers.  In Part 2, we eliminated dust mites by washing them away with De-Mite or Allergen Wash.

The War Continues! Today, we will eradicate dust mite and other allergen particles floating in our air with the use of air filters.

People have been trying to eradicate dust mites and allergens from the breathing space for years using all sorts of methods. There have been air cleaners that produce ozone (a not so good idea) in an effort to oxidize the dust mites, air cleaners that claimed to eradicate dust mites by the use of ions (an idea that might boost the effectiveness of a HEPA filter but useless on its own), and ultraviolet lamps that claim to eradicate dust mites all through the house by simply installing it in the AC unit.

Maybe you can tell by my skeptical tone that I don’t believe there is scientific proof to back up these claims to eradicate dust mites. Maybe you can’t tell….so I will make it clear. Ozone machines, ionizers, and UV lights will not eradicate dust mites from your home.

You aren’t going to completely eradicate dust mites from your environment.  You can however eradicate little bits and pieces of dead dust mites, their feces and other allergens from your breathing environment while you sleep with a properly sized and situated HEPA air cleaner.

HEPA is an acronym for High Efficiency Particulate Air and it is a measurement. Just like an hour is a measurement of time (all hours have 60 minutes, some just seem longer or shorter) HEPA is a measurement for filtering ability. It means that 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns are arrested by the filter.  Filtration that fine has the ability to eradicate dust mite particles and feces from the air that passes through the filter. Dust mite allergens are in the 8 to 10 micron range.  Far larger than HEPA definition and easy to eradicate if you can get the allergen to the filter.

HEPA filters work on air exchange process.  That means taking the air from the room, using a motor to suck the air in and then pass it through filter and then send the newly cleaned air out in the room.  As I type this, I can hear the low, gentle hum of the Austin Air HealthMate Junior working to eradicate the allergens from the room.

We carry many reliable and reputable brands of HEPA air cleaners to eradicate dust mites, allergens, odors, and chemicals.

I am fond of HealthMate machines because they just last and last and last.  Made in the USA, they are dependable and hard workers.  They are not energy hogs and when on the medium and low settings are not loud at all.  I especially like that their 5 year filters last so long that I have to write the filter date on the bottom of the machine or I would forget about filter changes.  I can’t honestly tell you how old the machine sitting in my office is. I can’t say that about many other small appliances..but I digress.

As we have stressed over and over, the most important room in the house is the bedroom. You want to place your HEPA air cleaner as close to the bed as possible.  The air closest to the machine is the cleanest and if you are going to eradicate dust mite particles from your breathing space while you sleep, then you want it close by..

If you don’t have rugs or carpeting or heavy draperies in your living area, then chances are you don’t have as many airborne particles in those rooms. You can put your HEPA air cleaner just about anyplace in those rooms.

Let the war continue!

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

Eliminate Dust Mites – Warfare Part 2

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Posted in Dust Mites
In Part 1, we talked about killing dust mites as a form of warfare.

Today, we talk about the feasibility of eliminating dust mites.  As discussed in killing dust mites, the only way to really kill the dust mites in your mattress, boxspring, and pillow is to starve them to death by cutting off their food source through the use of a zippered dust mite proof cover.

So how can you eliminate dust mites?  If you can get it in the washing machine, you can wash them away! Now, regular washing won’t eliminate dust mites and their allergens.  The water in your “hot tub” of a washing machine would have to be 140° F to kill the dust mite and eliminate the allergen.  Most hot water heaters are not set at a temperature that high for safety reasons.  At temperatures that would eliminate dust mites, you would scald yourself in the kitchen or bathroom.  Such a bad idea!

So how can you eliminate dust mites without causing bodily harm to you or your family members?  De-Mite or Allergen Wash!

De-Mite Laundry Additive contains tea tree oil, oil of wintergreen and benzyl benzoate. It will safely eliminate dust mites from anything you can safely wash in the washing machine.  By using De-Mite you can eliminate dust mites from your bedding by washing in warm or cold water. Not only will you eliminate dust mites, you will save on energy costs by using cooler water temperatures.

Allersearch Allergen Wash utilizes super surfactant agents and ACARILâ„¢ to eliminate all allergens from bedding, clothing, stuffed animals, towels and rugs.  Once again, if you can get it in the washing machine… Allergen Wash will eliminate the dust mites while removing soil.

The big difference between eliminating allergens and dust mites with De-Mite and eliminating with Allergen Wash is how they work.  The Allergen Wash surfactants remove soil and allergens and the ACARILâ„¢ will denature anything left behind.  The De-Mite is an additive that must be used in conjunction with your detergent to eliminate dust mites.  De-Mite does not contain surfactants (those are those soap things). It will not eliminate soil. However, it will eliminate the dust mites, so use it with your own laundry detergent (we like the Envirorite Clearly Clean) and eliminate those dust mites!
Til next time.

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

Killing Dust Mites – Warfare Part 1

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Posted in Dust Mites
If you are reading this blog, chances are you or someone you love was recently diagnosed with allergy to dust mites.  When I talk to people that have received a recent diagnosis they have a variety of feelings. Some are in denial, (how can a bug make you sick? I keep a clean house!) some are overwhelmed, and the vast majority are mad at the dust mites and ready to declare war.

The first rule of warfare is to know your enemy.

Just to cover the basics: dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed on shed human skin cells. They do not bite. You cannot see them and you cannot feel them. They like it dark, moist, and with a ready supply of food. Their bodies are covered by a hard shell (like a carapace) and this shell and their feces contain a protein (Der f1 and Der p1) that is the most common household allergen.  Fiber surfaces are their favorites. The bedroom is the most popular room in the house.  The mattress, pillow, and blanket are an environment that meets all of their needs.  We make them warm with our body heat, we exhale moisture and also sweat, and we shed our skin as we sleep. The same environment also traps their shed carapaces and feces, making it a hot bed of allergy activity (pun intended). 

Knowing this about your enemy, what good is achieved by killing the dust mites?  Aside from making you feel like you accomplished something and controlling the population you really haven’t done much.  Remember the problem is the protein in the feces and carapace.  Dead mites don’t poop, but killing mites doesn’t get rid of the existing feces.  Killing mites causes the mite body to break down and thus the carapace releases its protein.  So, killing dust mites doesn’t control dust mite allergy and could make it worse.  That is probably a good thing, because no pesticide is approved in the United States as a dust mite acaracide.

I get it.  You want to kill the mite, so do it in a manner that will provide allergen relief.  Starve them to death!
Yep. That’s right…..kill dust mites slowly by starvation.  The bonus to this approach to killing dust mites is that by starving dust mites you get immediate allergy relief. 

So, how do you starve them?  Cut off their supply of food.  Encase your mattress, boxspring, and pillows in special zippered dust mite proof covers.  This puts an allergen proof barrier between you and the mites.  Their food supply will be limited to what is already in the bed or pillow with them. Slowly, over the years, they will die of starvation.  From the first night you sleep on dust mite proof covers you will get relief.  You will not be exposed to the dust mites, their shed body parts or their feces!  And, you will also get the satisfaction of knowing that you are killing them softly and slowly…by starvation. Revenge can be sweet indeed!
Til next time

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

Out Damn Spot!

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Posted in What Are Dust Mites
Its transition time in our house.  The youngest daughter is in the process of packing up (again) and getting ready to move out for college (again). It is an exciting time.  When you are starting graduate school, the whole world is ahead of you.  She is going through all the things she has had packed away in storage for the last year to determine if they were really worth dragging half way across the country.

She ran across a pair of khaki pants that had been stained by Mr. Lou, her cat that has been gone for almost two years now.  Ewwwww.

Without saying a word, she placed the pants in the laundry basket, thinking that either the stain would come out in the wash or she would throw the pants away.
I can’t think of any stain worse than male cat urine, locked away for two years, staining a pair of light colored pants.

So, I know that sodium percarbonate kicks butt on organic stains.  Cat urine is most certainly organic and sodium percarbonate is the top ingredient in Oxy-Boost.  What I don’t know is if Oxy-Boost can remove a stain that has been set for so long.  The only way to find out is to try it!

You get the best results from a sodium percarbonate solution when you activate it in the hottest water as possible.  I took about 1 1/2 quarts of hot water out of the tap and decided it wasn’t hot enough.  I popped the plastic container in the microwave and zapped it for two minutes.  That was hot water!  I added 1 ounce of Oxy-Boost and gave it a stir.  In to the hot tub went the stained pants leg.  Of course the solution went to work immediately.  The oxidation was full force with more foaming action than I had ever seen before. I allowed the pants leg to soak until all foaming had stopped (a sign that the oxidation process was complete) and the water cooled.  Eww the water looked really yellow and icky.  With trepidation, I took the pants let out of the soaking solution.  At first glance it looked as if the ENTIRE stain was gone COMPLETELY.  Not sure, I rinsed the garment out in the kitchen sink.  Yup, looks like the entire stain was removed.

Oxy-Boost had saved the day again.  The old, set in stain was gone, no toxic chemicals had been used.  The air was free from chemical fumes (like with chlorine bleach) and the fabric had not been damaged.
Now there are many oxygen bleach products on the market. Maybe some of them would have been up to the task of removing a set in stain like this cat urine, but I seriously doubt it.  The mass distributed oxygen bleach products make generous use of fillers.  Oxy-Boost does not.  It is a simple solution of sodium percarbonate and soda ash.  That is why just a little goes along way.

So, the pants went through the laundry cycle and were returned to young daughter.  She smiled and said “Thanks Mom”..  I say “Thanks Oxy-Boost“
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