Chemical Sensitivity Archives

Don’t Let the Bed Bug Cure Be Worse Than the Problem

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a chilling report yesterday (Sept 22, 2011). The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report concerns illnesses and fatalities associated with using insecticides to control bed bugs.

Bed bug infestations have increased, and there are many theories why. Contributing factors may include more travel and resistance to commonly used pesticides. As a result, the bed bug cure (insecticide) is becoming a real problem.

The Center studied data from 7 states participating in the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR) pesticides program during the time period 2003 to 2010. A total of 111 illnesses associated with bed bug pesticides were identified.

While 81% were of low severity, there was one fatality. Most of the cases were associated with the use of pyrethroids and pyrethrins. Only 12% of the cases were considered work-related (either pest control operators or hotel workers who entered recently treated rooms) but interestingly included two emergency medical technicians who responded to a treated scene.

The remainder fell mainly in the categories of people who applied too much insecticide, didn’t wash treated bedding, or failed to notify others of the pesticide application. The bed bug cure probably caused more of a problem than the bed bug itself. Bed bugs won’t kill you; insecticide will.

People are making themselves and others sick by trying to kill bed bugs. Getting rid of bed bugs does no good if you aren’t going to live to enjoy a bug-free room.

An editorial note to the report reminds the reader that the CDC and Environmental Protection Agency promote integrated pest management strategies for bed bug control. Their non-chemical methods include encasing mattresses and box springs with bed bug-proof covers, vacuuming, steaming, laundering, and even disposing of infested items.

We agree! We have provided bed bug-proof covers for many years. As the problem has grown, we added the Vapamore Steam Cleaner with 17 tools so our customers can do the CDC-recommended steaming in ALL nooks, crannies, and crevices of their infested areas.

We don’t recommend spraying insecticides on your beds and bedding when there are chemical-free ways to treat the problem. Don’t be a statistic, be safe! Don’t let your bed bug cure be more of a problem than the bed bug

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Send Germs and Molds Packing with Antimicrobial Spray

Vital-Oxide is an antimicrobial spray with many household uses.

The bulk of the product we sell is for someone that has had some type of mold contamination and they are looking for a way to safely and effectively clean up the problem. Vital-Oxide is great for that. But as an all-purpose antimicrobial spray, Vital-Oxide does more.

The active ingredient is chlorine dioxide. Now don’t let the word “chlorine” make you think of chlorine bleach like you use in the laundry or put in your swimming pool. The Clorox stuff is sodium hypochlorite, which is totally different. Sodium hypochlorite is a skin and mucous membrane irritant and can damage the respiratory system. It breaks down into trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids.

Chlorine dioxide breaks down into chlorites and sodium chloride (table salt) and is not a metabolic toxin. It reacts with the amino acids in the microbial cells to eliminate bacteria and viruses but is relatively un-reactive to other organic materials.

As a bonus, it also denatures proteins, and proteins are the source of allergic reactions. Vital-Oxide will work on Der f1 and Der p1 (the dust mite allergens) as well as Can d1 and Fel d1 (animal allergens)

Because it works at the microbial level, it will get rid of odors at the source. I have found many uses for the product in my house. We often take advantage of sales on chicken breast. Our local butcher will run a special on chicken breasts that must come from birds the size of Tim Tebow.

These birds would make Loni Anderson and Dolly Parton feel inadequate. They are the largest breasts I have ever seen. They require further butchering and trimming down to become meal size for our household of 2.

Needless to say, after cutting up 10 to 15 pounds of chicken the cutting board, your hands, and the knife is a bit of a mess. I clean up with Vital-Oxide and let the antimicrobial spray go to work killing any salmonella or other germs that may have come home with the chicken.

After someone has had a cold, I like to wipe down door handles, knobs, and remote controls to keep germs in check. When we briefly had a cat that had litter box issues, the odor-eliminating properties of the antimicrobial spray were put to use. Just wipe up the urine, spray the area, then a little squirt in the air and the smell was gone.

We have a family member that is an MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) carrier. We have to be very careful that it does not spread. Vital-Oxide is great for killing this bacteria and we put it to work in the bathroom, wiping down surfaces to take care of any germs that might be left behind. Because it is not a metabolic toxin, it won’t contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. As anyone who deals with MRSA knows, this is an important health issue today.

Of course, Vital-Oxide works well on mold. Because it doesn’t produce chlorine gas, it can be used indoors without fear of respiratory damage. It was EPA approved for use to combat norovirus back in 2007 and has been used to clean up the cruise ships here in Miami.

So whether it is mold, chicken mess, cat pee, bacteria, or viruses, Vital-Oxide is a great all-purpose antimicrobial spray.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Vapamore is Amore to my Floors!

Before we carry any new product, we rigorously test it. The Vapamore Steam Cleaner was no exception. During our testing, we discovered that it did really well at the things it did well, did an OK job at the things it did not so well, and didn’t do at all the things it did poorly.

I was so pleased to find out that one of the things it does really, really, really well is my tile floors. Over the years, I have used many things on my ceramic tile floors. Most of them created streaks, and all but a few required extensive rinsing. Because I have so much white ceramic tile in my home, cleaning was an undertaking.

For the last several years, I have found that vacuuming loose dust with my Miele Vacuum Cleaner and then mopping it with a dilute solution of water and M-1 House Wash works best. When someone was sick, I mopped them with water and Vital Oxide.

When testing the Vapamore Steam Cleaner, I was delighted to learn how well it worked on my tile floors. At first, it seemed like an added chore to fill the steamer and wait for it to get hot. But I finally figured out that if I got the steamer ready first and then vacuumed, by the time I was through vacuuming, the Vapamore was ready. Now I find it takes no more time than mopping….and I never need to rinse…and nothing feels better under your feet than a floor that has been steam cleaned! See for yourself

Cheryl
The Allergy Store
1-800-771-2246
cheryl@allergystore.com