Let's Talk Allergies

Vital Oxide Saves the Day (and Car)

Wow, Vital Oxide just saved the interior of my daughter’s car! I can’t believe it.

I’ve told you before how Vital Oxide is an amazing antimicrobial spray. Well, in this case, it saved replacing the interior of the car.

My daughter recently moved to Texas from Florida. Just before she left, she accidentally left a window down and the interior of her car got wet. We didn’t know this, and it just sat in the driveway in the hot sun.

Then a few days later it was towed across the country, in the heat. The smell, when we opened the car door, was almost enough to make you vomit. The warm, moist environment was perfect for the growth of mold. Ewwwww.

Thank goodness it is a convertible and we were able to put the top down to help speed up the drying process. It took over a quart of Vital Oxide, but the mold was killed and the odor was vanquished.

The car is drivable again, the new neighbors won’t think she is harboring a dead body in her trunk, and Mom and Dad didn’t have to spring for a new interior and graduate school all at once.

Vital Oxide saved the day again. It is one amazing antimicrobial spray and mold slayer!

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

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

Cheryl
The Allergy Store

Is Summer B in Your Schedule?

If you have now or ever had a college student in your family, you know all about the Summer B term. Summer B is the term just before the fall term. Some freshmen get a jump start by beginning in Summer B. It allows them to take a few classes and adjust to life on campus before the craziness of the full Fall semester begins.

Some Honors College students are required to take Summer B and many athletic programs require their students to be on campus for Summer B. No matter what the reason if you have a Summer B student, you have to start thinking back to school 6 weeks before the rest of the country.

So, for you Summer B crowd, let’s review the off-to-college basics.

Expect your student to get more colds. They will be living in close proximity to other people and other people’s germs. They are immune to the ones at home…this is a whole environment. Also, most college students don’t eat a proper diet and don’t get the recommended amount of rest.

All of this takes a toll on the immune system. Anytime the immune system is compromised, allergies and asthma can flare up also. So, make sure they have tissues and know what to do when they get a cold. Some college health clinics even sell a “my first cold kit” that has everything from a cup of chicken soup to tissues and cough drops!

You invested time and effort in making sure your teen’s room is free from dust mites and bed bugs. While you can’t export the entire room off to college, you can make sure they are protected. Find out in advance what size mattress the room will have. For years the standard dorm bed was a long twin, but as dorms are remodeled, many are switching to full size.

You don’t have to wonder if the mattress will be extra deep or a pillow-top…it won’t be! If you want to add some extra padding or cushion, get them an egg crate or foam topper. Be sure to put this under the zippered mattress encasing.

And speaking of zippered mattress covers, you want one that will be bed bug-proof and allergy-proof. We recommend the Bed Bug Cover for complete protection which is also inexpensive. Don’t forget to send along a zippered allergy-proof pillow cover or two. Remind them to wash the sheets weekly, but don’t be surprised when they aren’t. It is just the way it is.

If you are thinking about an air cleaner, the Austin Air HealthMate Junior is the perfect size for a dorm room. It is well built and sturdy, and even if your student graduates on the 5-year plan, they won’t need a filter change for the entire 5 years!

As the parent of a Summer B student, you get a jump on the crowd preparing for back to school. When they are going crazy in August, you can sit back and chuckle knowing that you have been there and done that!

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store