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Summertime is Time for Cotton!

The United States has been baking this summer.  What a great time for cotton!

If you live in a cotton-producing area, you know that hot summers are great for growing cotton. In the south, the cotton bolls are just starting to open.  As you drive the highways, the fields are turning from green to white.  Summertime is the time for cotton!

If you live in any area where it gets hot, you know that summer is the time for cotton to keep comfortable.

Cotton’s ability to absorb moisture makes it the perfect choice for sheets and other bedding items.  Nothing feels better than slipping into bed on freshly washed cotton sheets.  No matter the outside temperature, you feel cool at that moment!  Also, cotton’s moisture-absorbing qualities make it easy to clean.  Because moisture is quickly drawn into the fiber, water-based cleaning solutions are easily absorbed and thus surfactants can get right to work loosening soil.

Cotton is a great choice for blankets.  It can be woven easily into a waffle weave that can be used in almost all seasons.  Cotton blankets are also easily laundered at home and require no dry cleaning.  If you have allergies, you know the washability of anything on your bed is important.  Cotton stands up well to hot water washing (140 degrees is recommended) or you can use cooler temperatures and some good old De-Mite.

Some people are concerned about the chemicals used in the growing and processing of cotton.  Organic cotton is available but usually carries a premium price.  Because more of the crop is lost to pests and disease, the yield of organically-grown cotton will be lower.  This results in higher prices for the finished fabric.

Organic cotton products are almost never bleached.  We have had people return their organic cotton products for conventionally-grown cotton because they don’t like the color of natural cotton.  Also, the bleaching process softens the cotton fabric a bit.

Organic cotton bedding may initially not feel as soft as conventional cotton, but upon a wash or two, the fabrics should feel the same.  After years of washing and use, my natural cotton sheets are soft and white and will probably last for many more years to come.

Because cotton is weaker than polyester, you will find that all cotton dust mite covers will not be woven as tightly as all polyester or polyester blends.  As long as your mean (average) pore size is under 8 microns, you will be protected.

Both our certified organic cotton dust mite covers and our AllergyCare cotton have a pore size of 4.9 microns, which is plenty of protection against household allergens like dust mites, mold, pollens, and pet allergens.

Whether it’s terry cloth or waffle weave, cotton also makes great bathrobes.  That’s why they are so popular with fine hotels and spas.  Slip into one sometime at the Boca Raton Resort and Club and you will think you’ve died and gone to heaven!

So don’t let the summer heat get you down.  Get comfortable with cotton.  As the commercials say, it really is the fabric of our lives.

Til Next Time
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Pets to Prevent Pet Allergy?

It might seem totally against conventional wisdom, but there is research to indicate that if you want to protect your children against allergy, the best thing to do is get them a pet in the first year of life. Read the full study here.  Yes, you can prevent pet allergy by getting your newborn a pet.

That’s right, get a pet in the first year of life to prevent pet allergy!

The Journal of Clinical Allergy and Immunology reports a study that showed that the risk for developing allergies decreased when a dog was in the home during the first year of life. The study took place in Wisconsin and covered a representative demographic of the community.  The allergies studied were not just environmental allergy but food allergy as well.  Odd as it may seem, Ubu prevents food allergy in addition to pet allergy.  Sit Ubu Sit!  Good Dog!

However, the window of opportunity was small.  The dog had to present from birth and the first year of life.

So, don’t let fear of allergies keep you from having a pet and a newborn.  Of course, use common sense.  Don’t leave the baby unattended with a pet and you certainly don’t want the pet licking all over the baby.  That’s just ewwww. Also, supervise baby when it interacts with the pet. No one likes having their tail or fur pulled.

If you are past that one year window and still want a dog, we suggest washing the dog at least monthly in the Pet Plus Shampoo.

If you get a cat, rub it weekly with the Allerpet/C solution to gently denature the allergens and remove any loose fur.  If you didn’t catch my blogpost with the pictures of the cat after the Allerpet, see it here.  That Allerpet was one shiny cat.

Til Next Time!
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Mask for Travel

On my recent travels, I only saw one person wearing a mask for travel.

Of course, the bulk of my trip was by car and the people with whom I traveled weren’t afraid of any germs that I might be sharing.

However, two legs of my trip were by plane and I did see one person wearing a mask for travel in the Houston airport.  From the sneezing and coughing I heard on the plane from Houston to Ft. Lauderdale, everyone should have had on a mask.  I am still waiting for that first tingle of the nose that tells you a cold is on the way.

Back when there was the H1N1 scare, the SARS scare, and the bird flu scare before that it was not uncommon to see people wearing a mask when they travel.

We are often asked if the U2 Sports mask is a good mask for travel.  The answer is “yes” if you are concerned about pollens and large particles of pollution in your destination city/country.  When my mother visited China, she said the residents referred to the heavy pollution as “the mist”.  As in “The mist is heavy today”.  How quaint and ever so much more polite than “Holy crap the pollution is so bad I can’t see today”.  It isn’t going to protect you from small particles such as bacteria and viruses.

If your concern is either catching or spreading disease, then the best mask for travel is the N95 Alpha Mask.  We still refer to it as the “Bird Flu” mask.  Because it is designed for 0.1-micron particle efficiency it will protect you against those pesky pollens and pollution particles, but it will also protect you on the plane or train from airborne viruses and bacteria.

Because it is lightweight, it doesn’t get hot and because it is disposable, it is inexpensive.

The person I saw at the airport was wearing an N95 mask. I wanted to ask her if she bought it from The Allergy Store, but I also wanted to make it to the Customer Service counter ahead of all the other people who had just had their connecting flights ruined by Continental Airlines.  So I didn’t ask her.

I also didn’t get to the Customer Service counter ahead of all the other people.

I also didn’t make it out of Houston that day.

Til Next Time!