Cold & Flu Map Cold & Flu Relief Advisor Dust Mite Mattress and Pillow Covers for Allergies Each adult person sheds about one and a half grams of skin every day. Dust mites are microscopic creatures that can live in your bedding and carpets and feed on this skin.It does explain why dust mite-proof pillow and mattress covers are your first line of defense against dust allergies! Facts About Dust Mites Dust mites are everywhere -- anywhere there are people or animals, warm temperatures, and high humidity. They like to be indoors, where they can get plenty of food like mold spores and dead skin cells from people and pets. If you are sensitive or allergic to them, you may have: Runny or itchy nose and sneezing Sore throat or hoarse voice Coughing and other breathing problems Skin rash and itching Worsening of your asthma Dust mites settle down in carpet, draperies, stuffed animals, and upholstered furniture. Mattresses, pillows, and soft bedding are favorite hangouts.
Dust mite covers really work. One study found that some kids with asthma need less asthma medicine when they used mattress and pillow covers. Tests of their mattresses showed that dust mites colonies there dwindled. But never decrease your asthma medicine unless instructed by your doctor. You can find dust mite covers for mattresses, pillows, and box springs at mattress and allergy supply stores and in a variety of materials. Plastic or vinyl covers with zippers help seal in allergens so you don't inhale them when sleeping. Plastic or vinyl covers are easier to keep clean than covers made of natural fibers. Many plastic covers have an outer layer of material like nylon to make them more comfortable. If possible, cover your mattress and pillows when they are new. Put duct tape or electrical tape over cover zippers to double-block dust-mites from coming and going. More Ways to Minimize Dust Mites Use a bed with a wooden or metal frame. Wash bedding in hot water.
Cold water does not kill dust mites. Wash sheets and pillowcases at least once a week. Wash comforters and bedspreads every one to two months. Consider using an electric blanket, which can reduce humidity on bed surfaces. Wash and dry stuffed animals often and keep them off beds. Clean mattresses in late winter and early spring. That will kill any dust mites that survived the winter and reduce their numbers in the summer months.If you suffer from allergies and want to sleep in a healthier and more comfortable environment, then you've come to the right place! In our comprehensive Allergy Bedding Buying Guide, you will find innovative and high quality allergy relief products to help you get the good night's sleep of your dreams. Shopping for allergy bedding, however, can be complicated and confusing, especially if you are not familiar with the vast array of products. As the manufacturer (most of our Allergy Armor brand bedding is made right here in Georgia), we have taken our experience to create this helpful guide in the hopes that you too can find relief without the use of medication or allergy shots.
Allergy bedding, also referred to as dust mite bedding, is specifically designed to prevent dust mites, pet dander, pollen, mold spores and other allergens from infesting your bed by acting as a physical barrier between where dust mites live and their food source. The average bed houses between one and ten million dust mites. Dust mites love the warm, moist environment provided by your bed, and they feed off flakes of your dead skin. Humans don't actually inhale whole dust mites; rather, we breathe in their allergenic waste particles and decomposing body parts. It is specific proteins in these particles that cause our allergy symptoms. The only way to eliminate dust mites is to cut off their source of food by setting up a barrier between yourself and the dust mites. Allergy bedding provides that necessary physical barrier, while keeping allergens trapped inside the mattress and out of the air you breath. Crafted from unique fabric blends, our Allergy Armor allergy bedding is specifically designed to block out dust mites and other allergens.
Unlike a normal sheet or pillow case, it zips up tightly to encase your entire mattress, pillow, box spring, or comforter. Used in conjunction with your pre-existing bedding, allergy relief encasings silently and invisibly protect you from dust mites and other allergens. Also, available are Allergy Armor pillows constructed with our premium fabric blend that keeps dust mites out of your pillows in the first place. In addition, using washable allergy blankets like the Allergy Armor Fleece Blanket is key to maintaining dust-mite free bedding. How Does Allergy Relief Bedding Work? Dust mites and other common household allergens are so tiny that they can easily slip through the pores between the thread of normal bedding fabrics. Allergy relief bedding, on the other hand, is woven tightly so that the pores are too small for dust mites to penetrate. Once their food supply is cut off, the dust mites will soon die. Best of all, you can continue to use all your favorite decorative sheets and pillow cases;
simply wash them on a weekly basis to keep them free of dust mites. Why Do I Need Allergy Bedding? Allergy bedding is ideal for you if . . . What Are the Advantages of Allergy Bedding? The main advantage of allergy bedding is that it encases your entire bed, creating an impenetrable barrier that prevents dust mites and other allergens from infesting your bed. Over 60 million people in the United States suffer from allergies, and of those 60 million people, 80% are allergic to dust mites. So, reducing dust mites in your bedroom (the place where you spend the most time each day) is a big first step reducing allergy symptoms. Allergy bedding is the first line of defense against allergies. A Johns Hopkins University study showed that "mite population and allergen levels decreased by 90% or more within a month of placing mattress and pillow covers and treating bedding." If you decrease your exposure to allergens, then you will breathe easier, sleep more soundly, and feel better.
Even if you don't have allergies, you'll be able to rest easier knowing that you're not living in a miniature ecosystem of microscopic organisms. Furthermore, a recent medical study suggests that decreased exposure to allergens in infancy may prevent the development of allergic disease. If you're not allergic to dust mites now, you could develop an allergy if you continue allowing them to live in your bed. Allergy bedding will also protect your mattress and add years to its lifespan. There are two main questions to ask yourself when evaluating the quality of allergy bedding: (1) How effective is it as an allergen barrier? (2) How comfortable is it to sleep on? Keep these questions in mind as we explore the importance of pore size and fabric type. The pore size tells us how much open air space exists between the threads in bedding fabric. Pore size is the most important factor in determining how effectively allergens are blocked. Remember, humans don't actually inhale whole dust mites;
rather, we breathe in their allergenic waste particles and decomposed body parts, and this is what causes allergy symptoms. Dust mite fecal particles average around 10 microns in diameter. (One micron is 1/25,000 of an inch. To give you an idea of how small this is, dust mites are around 300 microns, and a grain of sand can be over 800 microns!) Therefore, in order to effectively block dust mite allergens, the pore size of allergy relief bedding must be smaller than 10 microns. Medical research recommends encasings with an average pore size of less than 10 microns to block dust mite allergen below detectable limits. But pet dander and mold particles may be as small as 3 microns. Allergy Armor Ultra, with an average pore size of 2.8 microns, effectively blocks the smallest allergens like cat dander. Caring for allergy relief mattress and pillow covers is simple. Most encasings can be machine washed on warm or hot and gently tumble dried. Others can be wiped with a wet wash cloth. Do not use bleach.
Pillow covers can be washed every couple of weeks. Mattress covers need to be washed only 3 or 4 times per year. Other bedding should be washed in hot water every one to two weeks. For specific are instructions, you can check the sewn in tag or visit the Allergy Armor Care section of our website. The Allergy Armor Basic box spring covers are very durable but not as rigid as vinyl. The other benefit is these covers won't off gas like vinyl. The urethane membrane of Allergy Armor Classic and Bed Bug covers are both thick and tough, but can break down after many years of use. Allergy Armor Cotton is made with double-needle stitching for increased durability, can withstand high washing and drying temperatures, and comes with a five-year warranty. Allergy Armor Ultra has an antimicrobial finish that protects against deterioration, and all of the Ultra covers and come with a lifetime warranty. Allergy pillow covers are extremely easy to put on your pillows. Simply slip your pillow into the encasing, zip it up, and then put your normal decorative pillow case over your dust mite pillow encasing.
Mattress covers can be more cumbersome to put on, especially with larger mattress sizes. Fortunately, you only have to take them off for cleaning a few times a year. The fitting process is easier if two people work together: one person holds the mattress up, while the other person pulls on the encasing. It's kind of like slipping on a sock. To see how simple it is, please refer to our guide on how to put on your new allergy mattress cover. It is very important to measure the depth of your mattress when ordering allergy relief bedding. Simply measure your mattress from the bottom to top, seam to seam. Don't worry if your mattress is thicker in the middle, as our fabrics are cut to accommodate center bulges. Though sizes are specific to which brand of Allergy Armor you choose, in general, we have 9", 12", 15" and 18" encasings available for mattresses. If your depth is a little less than the offered size, that's ok! The leftover fabric can be easily tucked between the mattress and box spring.
As a rule, if your mattress is deeper than 15", or if you have any questions, please call us, and we can design and build an Allergy Armor allergy mattress cover specially for you. Allergy bedding ranges from extremely affordable to quite expensive for full protection with our highest quality products. , we strive to make our products more affordable than those offered by our competitors but will never offer an inferior product to compete with big box stores. Allergy Armor is and will always be our exclusive brand of allergy bedding made right here in our Atlanta, GA location. Allergy bedding is extremely durable. Most products come with a up to a 5 year limited warranty or lifetime limited warranty. offers a 60-day return policy on allergy bedding products. Compare this to the policies of competitors, who often charge restocking fees, or do not allow returns if the package has been opened. Once you've read through the Allergy Bedding Buying Guide and are ready to purchase, you can Allergy Bedding.