The Facts on Dust Mites

Much smaller than a grain of sand, dust mites are too tiny to be seen with the human eye.

At least 10% of the human population and approximately 80% of allergy sufferers are allergic to proteins that are found in the waste and decomposed body parts of dust mites.

Dust mite allergen is the number one cause of perennial allergic rhinitis.

If you often wake up with congestion, a runny nose, watery eyes, itching, or sneezing, then you are probably allergic to dust mites.

Dust mites flourish in warm, humid environments.

Your bed is the perfect environment for dust mites; they love to burrow into fabric and feast on your dead skin cells. (Humans shed two to three pounds of skin a year—plenty of food for tiny dust mites.)

A gram (about a half teaspoon) of dust contains as many as 1,000 dust mites and 250,000 allergenic dust mite fecal pellets.

Dust mite populations increase rapidly; each egg-laying female can increase the population by 25 or 30 new mites per week.

Depending on its age, your mattress may house between one million and ten million dust mites.

During its 80-day lifespan, the average dust mite produces about 1,000 allergenic waste particles.

The weight of the average mattress doubles after ten years due to dust mite infestation, and the weight of the average pillow increases 10% after one year.

Dust mite populations peak during the hot, humid months of July and August.

Dust mites grow best at 75-80% relative humidity, and they cannot survive when the humidity is below 50%.

A Johns Hopkins University study showed that "mite population and allergen levels decreased by 90% or more within a month of placing mattress and pillow covers and treating bedding."

Dust mite allergy can be controlled using scientifically-proven environmental control devices.

achoo! ALLERGY & AIR Products Can Help!

To control the dust mite population in your home, alleviate your allergy symptoms, and breathe better, we recommend that you take the following steps.

1. Encase your mattress and pillows with allergy relief bedding to form an impenetrable barrier between you and the dust mite allergens. It is especially important to note pore size on mattress and pillow covers. Our highest quality allergy relief bedding, Allergy Armor Ultra, has a pore size of less than 2.8 microns—woven so tightly that no allergens can penetrate. Unlike dust mite bedding with larger pores, Allergy Armor Ultra also blocks out animal dander.

2. Frequently wash all bedding used on top of your encasings in hot water. The allergy mattress covers should be washed two to four times per year.

3. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, most washing machines do not use water hot enough (140°F) to kill all dust mites. Fortunately, achoo! ALLERGY offers a laundry wash and laundry additive that kill dust mites in any temperature of water. Use these additives if hot water washing is not possible.

4. Vacuum your mattress with a HEPA filtered vacuum before putting on your allergy relief bedding. Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter entraps allergens and prevents them from blowing out through the exhaust.

5. Dust mites also thrive in carpets and upholstery. Vacuum as if your life depends on it!

6. Avoid upholstered furniture. If possible, remove carpeting in the bedroom. For carpeted rooms, use a dry dust mite carpet cleaner to deactivate dust mite allergens.

7. Keep your clothing in a closet with the door shut. Wash and dry-clean clothes frequently. Consider using a laundry additive such as Allersearch Allergen Wash to get rid of dust mite allergens on your clothes.

8. Monitor and reduce humidity by using air conditioning and/or dehumidifiers. Dust mites grow best at 75-80% relative humidity and cannot live with humidity below 50%.

9. Run a HEPA air purifier, which removes dust, airborne dust mite waste particles, and other allergens from the air.

achoo! ALLERGY & AIR Products Offers only the Best to Our Customers

• achoo! ALLERGY provides the highest quality products at the most affordable prices. Our allergy relief bedding represents the best dust mite barriers on the market today.

• achoo! ALLERGY offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on all allergy relief bedding products. Compare this to some of our competitors, who charge restocking fees or refuse to accept returns if the package has been opened.

• We offer FREE SHIPPING on orders over $150.00 in the continental United States.

• You can easily order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, online or by phone. Call 1-800-339-7123 today to speak with our friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Dust Mite Control Buying Guide

	Allergy Armor Allergy Relief Bedding Package Allergy Armor complete allergy relief bedding packages include (2) standard size Allergy Armor pillow covers, (1) Allergy Armor mattress cover, and (1) vinyl box springs cover. Packages are available in both 9" and 15" depths. We bundled these items together to make it more convenient for you to purchase complete protection.
	Allersearch Allergen Wash Simply washing your laundry will not remove dust mites and dust mite allergens, unless the water is hotter than 140 degrees. However, most washers do not get this hot, and frequent hot water washings can damage fabrics. Allersearch Allergen Wash can remove allergens in any temperature. Regularly wash bedding with Allersearch Allergen Wash to keep the dust mites in your bed to a minimum.
	de-mite Laundry Additive Use this laundry additive to remove dust mite allergens from your laundry, while washing at standard temperatures. Just wash your bedding and any other items with about 2 tablespoons of de-mite. One 8-oz bottle lasts for 11-12 loads, and de-mite is completely safe for all washable fabrics.
	Mite-T-Fast Allergen Detection System Do you want to know exactly where to focus your dust mite control efforts? The Mite-T-Fast Allergen Detection System enables you to test the level of dust mite allergens inside your home, on surfaces like carpets, furniture, and bedding. Get results in 10 minutes.
	Allersearch X-Mite Sprinkle this handy powder onto your rug, carpet, or upholstered furniture, to deactivate household allergens caused by dust mites. Special anti-allergen formula contains non-abrasive, sponge-like particles, with a water based cleaning agent to de-activate most household allergens.
	Ebac HD880 Residential Dehumidifier Dust mites love humidity, so it’s important to keep home humidity levels below 50%. Achoo! Allergy recommends an Ebac HD880 dehumidifier, capable of removing up to 3 gallons a day, and affordably priced. The Ebac HD880 is small and quiet, making it an effective and powerful solution for high indoor humidity levels in a home or apartment.
	Miele Callisto Vacuum Cleaner The lightweight, sleek Miele Callisto vacuum cleaner may not make cleaning fun, but it definitely makes cleaning easier and more effective, especially if you have allergies. The sealed system and HEPA filter make the Miele Callisto ideal for allergy sufferers.