Do You Remember???

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Posted in What Are Dust Mites
Next week will be the beginning of May. 
Will you remember to clean or change your air filter?  Once upon a time, when the world was a more simple place, I recommended that people clean or change their air filter when they mailed their mortgage payment.  I thought that by connecting the air filter maintenance to the one activity that you would never forget was a great way to remember to clean or change your filter.  Mail a check, clean/change your filter.  Once a month, easy peasy.
Times have certainly changed.  Some people pay their mortgages bi-weekly.  With the spread of electronic debit and on-line banking many people don’t even mail a check to their bank or mortgage company, they just have the funds automatically transferred.  So, the old thinking needs some updating.
If you have allergies, it is important that you keep a good filter on your forced air system.  This keeps your HVAC or heating system from circulating the same dust all over your house as well as serving its primary purpose of keeping the blower motor clean. If your ductwork is dirty, a good filter won’t clean it, but it will keep it from getting worse. 
There are two styles of filters; permanent and disposable. The permanent electrostatic filters are highly recommended because they trap the most particles.  However, because they work well, they need to be cleaned on a regular basis. And if you can’t remember to clean the filter (despite the tips I am going to give you) the permanent filter is not for you.  Disposable filters come in a spectrum that ranges from high-quality (like a pleated MERV8) to useless (like the blue ones at the grocery store). Either style needs to be changed on a regular basis.
So, if you don’t mail a mortgage check, how do you remember to take care of your filter?  You can put that same electronic technology that makes bill paying easy to work as your filter reminder.
If you have an Android smartphone, just go to the “Calendar” function and pick your filter maintenance day.  For example, you can pick the first day of the month.  Now, create an event called “filter maintenance” and set the frequency to one a month.  Your phone will now remind you take care of that filter. You can do the same thing with your Iphone.  If you don’t want your phone nagging you, add filter maintenance to your Google Calendar our your OutLook calender and your PC, tablet, or laptop can do the nagging.  Just create the event and set the frequency to once a month and the expiration to never.
Now that your electronic device is set to do the nagging, all you have to do is take action.  If you have an idea on how you remember to take care of your filter, let me know.
Til Next Time!

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

Cross Reactivity – Should you Change Your Diet in Pollen Season?

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Posted in What Are Dust Mites
Most of the allergy-related articles you read in the spring time cover avoiding your exposure to those pesky pollens.
I have written several posts myself about what to do to minimize your exposure and reduce your allergic reactions if you have seasonal allergy.
Once thing that hasn’t been mentioned is the phenomenon of cross reactivity or oral allergy syndrome. 
This occurs when a person has been sensitized to proteins found in certain tree pollens that are very similar in structure those found in foods.
For example, the birch tree (a big pollen producer and the enemy of many a hay fever sufferer) produces a pollen called Bet v1 that is similar to plants in the apple, plum, and parsley family. Because the chemical structure of the protein in the pollen is so close to the structure found in the food, your body gets confused and thinks that juicy apple is a nose full of birch pollen.  For the botanically challenged, that means apples, pears, plums and prunes, peaches, apricots, cherries, almonds, carrot, celery, fennel, parsley, and parsnip may be seen by your immune system as birch trees.
During the birch pollen season, you might want to reduce or eliminate your consumption of these in their raw state. In the case of oral allergy syndrome, you will want to eliminate them year-around.  The good news is that like all proteins, these cross reacting pan proteins can be denatured (or broke down).  Now that doesn’t mean that you can spray your food with ADMS Spray to denature the way you would with dust mite allergy.  What is does mean is that you can apply heat to break that protein down.  So, while a raw apple might cause symptoms, apple sauce, apple juice, or apple pie might not.  That is because the cooking process (whether stove top, oven or microwave) will raise the temperature of the food high enough to neutralize the pesky protein.
None of this is “new” news.  A study done back in 1998 and published in The Journal of Immunology determined that alder pollen was just as bad as birch pollen. It just doesn’t seem to get much attention, so I thought I would bring it up.
Do any of you have any problems with oral allergy syndrome or do your pollen allergies make it harder to eat certain foods?  I’d love to hear your stories and how you cope with it..
Til Next Time

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

Easy to Use and Effective – X-Mite Carpet Powder

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Posted in Allergies

In the past few months we have gotten quite a few calls from customers wanting to know how to use the X-Mite Carpet powder they just got. Well I’m here to tell you it is easy.

Take a minute to watch the video of Cheryl as she shows you just how easy it is. 



Wishing you the best of health
Mike

The Allergy Store – Helping customers since 1989
800 771-2246

 

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

Happy Grilled Cheese Day

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Posted in What Are Dust Mites
Did you know that April is the official Grilled Cheese month in the United States?  And today, April 12 is the official National Grilled Cheese Day here in the United States. 
Is this a great country or what?  We actually set aside a day to celebrate that ooey gooey melted goodness that is known as the grilled cheese sandwich.  Whether it is good old fashioned American cheese grilled with butter on white bread or creamy brie on brioche with herbs or swiss on rye, we love our grilled cheese sandwiches.
What does this have to do with allergies?  Well, nothing unless you need to use gluten free bread or soy cheese.  But grilled cheese is so awesome, I thought we should honor it with a post today.
My family likes the taste of grilled cheese and tomatoes.  My daughter likes a slice of tomato on her grilled cheese.  I think that is sacrilege.  My mother likes grilled cheese with tomato soup.  I think that is disgusting. The whole grilled cheese and tomato gene must have skipped a generation because just the thought of desecrating the simplicity of my grilled cheese turns me off. 
But, call that grilled cheese a quesadilla and make it with cheese and a flour or corn tortilla (no meats…I am a purist) and you bet I want some tomato salsa on there.  The hotter the better. 
I have made grilled cheese with sharp cheddar and granny smith apple.  I saw Paula Deen make grilled cheese with mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter.  I admit I tried it, but I will stick to butter.
So, in honor of Grilled Cheese Day, tell me how you like your grilled cheese and we will post it here.
Till Next Time!

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

Say Goodbye To Dust Mites With A Portable Steam Cleaner

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Posted in How To Kill Dust Mites ProductsTagged

How to use a portable steam cleaner to kill dust mites is something many allergy sufferers have wondered.  Now it’s easier than ever to find out with a range of products like the Vapamore MR100 Primo portable steam cleaner, available online.  You no longer have to suffer from the scourge of dust mites, you can use steam to fight them.

The biggest misconception about dust mites is that it’s the bugs themselves that cause allergic reactions. It’s actually their waste, which becomes part of the common thick dust covering you see in most homes. In order to avoid allergy symptoms, then, you need to get rid of that waste and the bugs that are creating it.  Kill and clean is what I say.

Since dust mites are so small, they can crawl into tiny crevices and latch onto the fibers of any fabric or upholstery (your bed), making them particularly difficult to eliminate.   That’s why you’ll want to find out more about how to use a portable steam cleaner to kill dust mites.  It’s a proven way to reach them where they live and kill them and their eggs so that the threat is completely eliminated. Granted you can’t get deep into a mattress but you can make a big dent. Mattress covers are really the best thing to use after you clean.

Kill Dust Mites With SteamThere are allergy sprays that can protect various upholstered surfaces from dust mites, but even these can’t eliminate them entirely.  The heat from steam is the only thing that kills them, provided it is above 140 degrees.  Portable steam cleaners like the Vapamore MR100 use steam that is between 210-220 degrees, so they are guaranteed to kill dust mites and bed bugs and their eggs.

Figuring out how to use a portable steam cleaner to kill dust mites is easy.  Just fill up the tank, flip the switch and in just over ten minutes you’ll have enough super heated steam to let you clean for an hour.  Simply run the steamer over any fabric or hard surface using one of several attachments to get into any hard to reach spots and your room will be cleaner than it has been in a long time. Steam also cleans bacteria, mold and viruses.

Because the Vapamore produces steam that contains only 5% water, your surfaces will dry quickly and thoroughly and won’t get ruined.  And better still, there is no need to expose your pets or your family to potentially harmful chemicals.  Steam cleaning is a 100% environmentally friendly cleaning method, the only one of its kind.

Dust mites can work their way into any fabric and make life miserable for you and your family.  If itchy eyes, runny nose and scratchy throat have become a way of life, don’t think you just have to suffer in silence.  Find out how to use a portable steam cleaner to kill dust mites and you can take back your home and you health.

It’s a one-time investment that can lead to a lifetime of improved health and happiness for the entire family.  Consider buying a portable steam cleaner and banishing dust mites for good.  There’s more to steam cleaning than just a sparkling house, it can make a huge difference for your family too!