Happy Cinco de Mayo!  In case you haven't noticed, this Mexican holiday has become more and more popular in the United States. I have my suspicions that the bar and restaurant industries are behind it. Sort of an excuse to sell margaritas and Mexican beer along with nachos and tacos.

Despite popular misconceptions, the 5th of May isn't Mexican Independence Day. That is September 16. It also has nothing to do with Mexico and Spain. It really isn't a big deal in Mexico either. I grew up in far South Texas, not too ...

We had a customer with an interesting inquiry earlier this week.

She wanted to know why she couldn't cover her mattress and box spring in the same zippered cover. She had measured her box spring and mattress together and realized that combined, they were under 18" deep and she thought they would fit in an AllerSoft Blend mattress cover that was extra extra deep.

We spoke for awhile about how she intended to get the cover on both pieces at the same ...

Coughing is a natural function of a healthy body. It is your body's way of clearing secretions and particles that you might have inhaled. By clearing the lungs and respiratory system, the cough is intended to help your boy fight off infection by evil invaders.

But what if you get a cough and it doesn't go away?  A cough will generally be considered "chronic" after 8 weeks of coughing with no relief. The most common causes of a cough are post nasal drip and allergic asthma. Less common causes can be acid reflux, ...

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 ...

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, ...

Wishing you the best ...

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!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

People love their pets.  I heard someone on the radio a few days ago that really made me chuckle.  He said 15 years ago "people had pet cats and dogs and now they have children in fur coats".  He was speaking of the growth in the pet care industry.

You don't have to tell me that people love their pets.  I know personally.  I love my pets (well except when they are tearing something up or making a mess). Don't you love your pets?  I also hear the heartbreak in people's voices when they call and are faced with giving up a pet because someone in the house has an allergy.  They are faced with very real pain from the loss of their loved one in a fur coat. 

The conversation usually starts like this, "I need some cat dander allergy spray" or "do you sell that cat dander allergy soap?" or "I heard you have some stuff to rub on the dog to get rid of the dander".  The first thing we try to do is educate the caller.  When people are informed, they are better able to make rational decisions about the actions they need to take.  See, it is not the cat or dog dander that causes the allergy.  The actual substance that triggers the allergic reaction is a protein that is found in the saliva and urine.  There are several proteins involved, but when it comes to cats, the most common is the Fel d1 protein. All cats and dogs produce this protein. Some more than others.  Don't buy into the notion of the "hypoallergenic" cat or dog.  It doesn't exist.
These allergy-causing proteins get spread on the animal's skin and fur every time the animal grooms itself and empties its bladder.  It sticks to bits of hair and it sticks to little bits of skin.  It can dry up and flake off on its own or more commonly, it gets shed when that piece of skin or that strand of hair is shed.  The bits of dry dead skin on animals is referred to as dander, and that is why so many people mistakenly think it is the cat dander that causes the allergy.  Just think of the dander as a carrier of the allergen, not the actual allergen and you will be well on your way to understanding what is happening.

Knowing the source of the cat allergen helps to understand how to control it in the environment.  It almost goes without saying that the person with the cat allergy should not be in charge of cleaning the cat litter box.  That is because the protein is in the urine and the urine is in the cat box.  If you have cat allergies and must clean the cat box, then wear a mask.  Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards (that applies if you have cat allergies or not..eeewww).

Control where the animal sleeps.  Don't let them sleep with you.  I know it is hard, but your body really does need the restful down time to recover from the stresses of the day and if you are subjecting your immune system to allergens unnecessarily, that just can't happen..  Besides, you might even get a better night's sleep if the cat isn't waking you up every 2 to 3 hours because it is bored or wants to be petted..  That doesn't sound like any pet you know does it?

You can wipe the cat down at least once a week with a coat conditioner made especially for controlling the allergens riding on the cat dander.  It is called Allerpet/C.  They also make a formula for dogs called Allerpet/D.  I have personally used the Allerpet lotion on my cats before I have visitors with cat allergy and have wonderful results.  You just pour the Allerpet on a clean rag and wipe it all over the cat (or dog).  It is not a shampoo, so you are not soaking and rinsing the animal.  You are just rubbing it on the animal.  It goes to work right away to get rid of the cat allergen.  As a bonus, it contains ingredients that make the animal's fur very soft and shiny.

If the animal roams freely through the house, you have a bit more work in store.  You will need to spray down the fiber surfaces that can collect those little bits of shed skin, hair, or dried saliva or urine with a denaturing agent like ADMS Spray.  This goes for any upholstered furniture that the cat gets on as well as rugs or carpets.  This needs to be done at least once a month.

If you or someone you know is allergic to cats, it may be possible to get that "cat dander allergy relief" without getting rid of the cat.  But at least now you know its not really relief from cat dander you need.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Last week-end I was doing my own spring cleaning for our rental property (if you ever want a great place to get away from it all, check this place out Cabin On A Creek).  This included all those steps in the deep cleaning blogs I wrote previously.  As my dust mite covers were coming out of the washer and into the dryer a light bulb came on over my head.

In all the times I have written about the care and cleaning of zippered dust mite covers for the mattress, pillow, and duvet I never mentioned two important things.  First, when you wash your covers, make sure the zippers are open.  Second, when you are drying the covers don't mix laminated and microweave fabrics. 

You want the zipper open so that both the inside and the outside of the cover can be laundered.  You don't want to mix laminated and microweave fabrics in the dryer because they have different care needs.

The laminated fabrics protect because they are a conventional fabric to which a thin urethane laminate has been fused.  Because the membrane is fused to the fabric with heat, if it is subjected to high temperatures, the fusing will release and separate from the fabric.  This will ruin the dust mite cover and this situation is not covered by warranty.  Once the fabric and laminate separate, it is almost impossible to put the cover back on the pillow or mattress.

The microweave fabrics protect because they are a specially woven fabric that is constructed with a weave so tight that allergens cannot pass through the spaces between the fibers.  There is no urethane or any other form of laminate.  These types of covers can be dried on higher temperatures.

Drying of the covers becomes important when you are laundering a mixture of both types.  Since one takes higher heat than the other, they cannot be dried together unless you want to run your dryer for a long time on a low setting. 

What I do is wash both types of covers together (with the zippers open) and then I dry the microweave fabric first in the dryer on the medium setting.  While the microweave fabric (in my case it was the AllerSoft 100% Cotton) covers were in the dryer, I had my laminated covers (in this case it was the Bed Bug proof pillow covers) drip drying while they waited for their turn in the dryer.  When the cotton covers came out, I adjusted the heat to the low setting and tumbled the laminated the covers.  Because they were almost dry from the drip dry, it only took a few minutes for them to become completely dry.

The entire washing and drying process took place while I steamed the mattress and pillows with my Vapamore and treated the carpets with a denaturing agent.  So when all the covers were dry the bed could be put back together again and the room was finished.  It was perfect timing!

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

If you were overwhelmed by my Spring Cleaning break-down, I apologize.  I tried to take a really, really big job and break it down to approachable and do-able bites.

If you aren't up to the full job, what is the minimum you can do to get results that will bring relief?

Focus on the bedroom and the bed.  At a minimum, your clean should include washing all your allergy bedding, washing the conventional bedding, and treating the nonwashable items with a denaturing agent to handle the allergens that have collected since your last deep clean.  If you have an air purifier or HEPA air cleaner in the bedroom, make sure you turn it on high before you start cleaning.

Strip off the dust mite proof mattress covers, pillow covers, and duvet covers and get them in the washing machine.  Make sure your water has been turned up to 140 degrees.  If you don't want to use hot water, just add a little De-Mite to your regular laundry detergent or wash with Allergen Wash.  We don't recommend washing your allergy bedding with any liquid chlorine bleach.  The chemicals are just too harsh, and if you have a laminated or coated fabric, the treatment can be damaged.  If you think they need a little brightening, use any of the powdered bleaches.  The bleaches with sodium percarbonate (anything with "oxy" in the title) can be safely used on your allergy-proof bedding.

While the bed is apart, wipe down the bed rails, head board and foot board. 

If you have silk or wool bedding that cannot be washed, take them outside to expose to the sunlight.  The ultraviolet light will revive silk and wool.  If you have a bedspread that can't be washed, you can safely put it in the dryer on the fluff or no heat setting and let it tumble for 20 minutes or so to beat out the dust and allergens.  Then before you put it back on the bed, spray both sides with ADMS Anti Dust Mite Spray to denature the proteins from the allergens that were left behind.  This is a great way to freshen up a bedspread that is too large to wash or is made of nonwashable material.  I wish I could take credit for this idea, but it was my mother who came up with this years ago.  I believe in giving credit where credit is due!

While you have the bed apart, this is a great time to spray down the dust ruffle.  It the dust ruffle is washable, you can toss it in with the allergy proof bedding if you aren't using hot water.  The De-Mite and Allergen Wash are safe for all fabrics and colors and can be used to safely wash your dust ruffle.  The same is true for decorate pillow shams if they are made of washable materials.

Once all your allergy proof bedding is clean and dry, re-assemble the bed.  Spray down anything you weren't able to wash with ADMS antiallergen spray and put on the clean sheets.  Put your freshened bedspread, quilt or duvet back on the bed as well as the decorative shams.

Keep your air cleaning device turned on high for the next two hours and keep the bedroom door closed.  This will allow your cleaner to suck up dust particles that might have become airborne as a result of your cleaning.

This isn't the same as doing a deep clean to the entire room, but if you have allergies, this is something you need to do at a minimum of once a year.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

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•  Spring Cleaning - Bedrooms
•  Spring Cleaning - Kitchen