Wow, what happened to Fall? We have had some crazy snow storms in the East and West and it is only the first of November. There just seems to be something wrong with snow falling before the leaves have a chance to fall! That means it is already time to pull out that winter duvet and start worrying about allergy control for duvets.
As we get cooler temperatures at night, people are getting those winter-weight duvets out of storage and putting them on the bed to snuggle up. If you aren’t careful, you will be snuggling with dust mites. Before long sniffing, sneezing, coughing, wheezing and a host of other symptoms may ensue if you don’t take steps for allergy control.
How can you control the allergens that collect in your duvet? I’ve got a number of suggestions. You can pick 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 an inhospitable environment for dust mites. Now, that doesn’t mean that wool and silk duvets will not collect dust mite particles, and feces. They will. What they won’t provide is an environment that fosters the growth of dust mite colonies.
Next, be sure to encase the duvet in a zippered dust mite-proof cover. These anti-mite proof covers will put a barrier between you and the dust mite particles and feces that will collect in any duvet. Even though I have a wool duvet, which is naturally resistant to mites, it still has an all-cotton zippered duvet cover on it.
You can also use your household steamer to give an anti-allergen treatment to your winter duvet. Just hang it up and apply steam to both sides of the duvet.
Be sure to move your steamer slowly enough to give the power of the steam time to contact and neutralize the allergen-causing proteins from the dust mites. I do this a few times a year using my Vapamore steam cleaner with the fabric/upholstery attachment.
Allow the duvet to dry completely before putting your zippered cover back on. In practical terms, I usually do the steam treatment at the same time I am washing the zippered duvet cover in De-Mite. That way, when the cover comes out of the dryer, the duvet is nice and dry and the zippered cover is clean and I just put them back together again!
If you don’t own a steamer, you can spray your duvet with a denaturing agent like ADMS anti-allergen spray. While it won’t penetrate the way steam can, it will be effective in neutralizing the allergy-causing proteins from the dust mites and their feces. You can also do this while your zippered cover is in the wash. Just as with the steam treatment, make sure your duvet is completely dry before you put the zippered cover back on it.
During the cold months, you won’t need to do this process every time you change the sheets, but if you at least spray your duvet with ADMS Anti Allergen Spray monthly, you can cuddle knowing that your duvet is protected.
Til Next Time!
Cheryl
The Allergy Store