Category: Bedding and Covers

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Do You Need To Cover All Pillows

A lovely young couple was in the store last week.  He had just been diagnosed with allergy to dust mites.  The doctor had sent them to us right away with instructions for allergy-proofing their bedroom.

They were on a tight budget (aren’t we all) and were looking to spend where they would get the most bang for their buck.

He asked why it was necessary to cover all pillows on the bed with a dust mite proof pillow cover, not just the one he slept on.  It is a very common question.  I mean if you aren’t sleeping on it why must it be covered?  Why do you have to cover all pillows to get allergy relief?

In order to answer the question, you have to understand how you are exposed to dust mites.  These microscopic creatures and their feces are in your mattress, pillow, and comforters.  Every time someone moves on the bed, a cloud of microscopic particles is blown into the air and the allergic person inhales these particles.  So, if person A (the person with allergies) is laying in bed with their covered pillow and person B is laying on the bed with a pillow that is not covered, every time person B moves, they will send up a cloud of particles that will rain down on person A.  Person A is not protected from B’s allergens.

The other scenario is that you sleep on two or more pillows.  If you only cover the pillow on which you lay your head, every time you move your head the other pillows release their cloud, right there by your head.

What I recommended to this couple was something I do myself.   The pillows that are used to cradle the head are the pillows where you put the most expensive and comfortable covers.  For example, if you have 6 pillows on the bed (1 for each person’s head, 1 to go under each person’s sleeping pillow, and 2 for decorative shams) then the pillows that are used for sleeping should have a microweave pillow encasement made from Pristine Luxury or AllergCare Cotton.  The other pillows can be encased with coated fabrics like the Bed Bug Solution fabric, which are totally effective just less expensive.  That way you can cover all pillows and stretch your allergy control dollar.

Just another way to get the protection you need without spending more than you need.

Til Next Time
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Killing Dust Mites – Warfare Part 1

If you are reading this blog, chances are you or someone you love was recently diagnosed with an 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 hotbed 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 cause 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, box spring, 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
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Best Dust Mite Cover

What is the best dust mite cover?   Wow! We get that question many times a day.  It is sort of like asking “what is the best flavor of ice cream?” It is all a matter of preference.  My son loves cherry, I don’t. I love vanilla.

My daughter loves the satin feel of the fabric used to make our Bed Bug Mattress cover.  It is not my favorite. I like either the Linen or the AllergyCare  100% Cotton.

The best dust mite cover is the cover that you find the most comfortable.  If you are concerned about chemicals and want to support organic farmers, then the Certified Organic Cotton is the best dust mite cover for you.If you need something thin and lightweight that can stand up to frequent washing then the Pristine Luxury fabric is for you.

Every dust mite and bed bug proof mattress, duvet, and pillow cover we sell will give you protection against the common household allergens.  These include dust mites and their feces, animal dander, molds, pollens and cockroach bits.  If in addition to dust mite allergy protection, you need waterproof protection for the mattress, then you want a urethane coated fabric. The Linen or Bed Bug fabric would be best for you. The other fabrics do not offer waterproof protection, so they would not be the best.

When I help people choose a fabric, I ask them about the sheets that they like. If someone is an all cotton person, they won’t like the feel of the polyester fabrics. It doesn’t matter that Pristine has the smallest pore size, its not the best if you don’t like the way it feels so you take it off the bed.

Another consideration is how often you plan on washing your dust mite cover.. We recommend that you wash the covers at least once or twice a year.  Some people just like to wash more often. The more you want to wash the cover, the more polyester you need in the fabric. For such a person, the Pristine Luxury is the best dust mite cover.  If you want to wash often but need the feel of cotton, the AllerSoft Cotton Blend is the best dust mite cover.

Another consideration is fabric price. If Certified Organic Cotton is out of your price range, then it is not the best dust mite cover for you.

To sum it up, the best dust mite cover is one that meets your needs for washing, is pleasing to your touch, and fits in your budget.  As for the ice cream, I’ll take a single scoop of vanilla in a cup please.

Cheryl