Wow, what happened to Fall?  Wehave had some crazy snow storms in the East and West and it is only the firstof November.  There just seems to besomething wrong with snow falling before the leaves have a chance to fall!

 

Cooler temperatures at night means people are getting those winter weightduvets out of storage and putting them on the bed to snuggle up.  If you aren't careful, you will be snugglingwith dust mites and before long sniffing, sneezing, coughing, wheezing and ahost of other symptoms may ensue.

 

How can you control the allergens that collect in your duvet?  I've got a number of suggestions. You canpick what works best for you.

 

Start with a duvet that is made from materials that are naturally resistant to Dust mites.  Silk and wool are both great natural choices for people with allergies.  Both wick away moisture and provide aninhospitable environment for dust mites. Now, that doesn't mean that wool and silk duvets will not collect dustmite particles and feces. They will. What they won't provide is an environmentthat fosters the growth of dust mite colonies. 

 

Next, be sure to encase the duvet in a zippered dust mite proofcover.  These anti mite proof covers willput a barrier between you and the dust mite particles and feces that willcollect in any duvet.  Even though I havea wool duvet, which is naturally resistant to mites, it still has an all cottonzippered duvet cover on it.

 

You can also use your household steamer to give an anti-allergentreatment to your winter duvet.  Justhang it up and apply steam to both sides of the duvet.  Be sure to move your steamer slowly enough togive the power of the steam time to contact and neutralize the allergen causingproteins from the dust mites.  I do thisa few times a year using my Vapamore steam cleaner with the fabric/upholsteryattachment.  Allow the duvet to drycompletely before putting your zippered cover back on.  In practical terms, I usually do the steam treatmentat the same time I am washing the zippered duvet cover in De-Mite.  That way, when the cover comes out of thedryer, the duvet is nice and dry and the zippered cover is clean and I just putthem back together again!

 

If you don't own a steamer, you can spray your duvet with a denaturingagent like ADMS anti-allergen spray. While it won't penetrate the way steam can, it will be effective inneutralizing the allergy-causing proteins from the dust mites and theirfeces.  You can also do this while yourzippered cover is in the wash.  Just aswith the steam treatment, make sure your duvet is completely dry before you putthe zippered cover back on it.

 

During the cold months, you won't need to do this process every time youchange the sheets, but if you at least spray your duvet with ADMS Anti AllergenSpray monthly, you can cuddle knowing that your duvet is protected.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store