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Allergy Bedding Buying Guide
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If you suffer from allergies and want to sleep in a healthier and
more comfortable environment, then you've come to the right place! Here
at AchooAllergy.com, you will find innovative and high-quality allergy
relief products to help you get the good night's sleep of your dreams.
Shopping for allergy relief bedding, however, can be complicated and
confusing, especially if you are not familiar with the vast array of
products. We created this buying guide to help you learn more about the
different types of allergy relief bedding. What is Allergy Relief Bedding?
Allergy relief bedding, also referred to as dust mite bedding, is
specifically designed to prevent dust mites and other allergens from
infesting your bed. |
The average bed houses between one and ten million dust
mites. Dust mites love the warm, moist environment provided
by your bed, and they feed off flakes of your dead skin.
Humans don't actually
inhale whole dust mites; rather, we breathe in their
allergenic waste particles and decomposed body parts, and
this is what causes allergy symptoms. The only way to
eliminate dust mites is to cut off their source of food by
setting up a barrier between yourself and the dust mites.
Allergy relief bedding provides that necessary barrier.
Crafted from unique fabric blends, allergy relief bedding is
specifically designed to block out dust mites and other
allergens, and unlike a normal sheet or pillow case, it zips
up tightly to encase your entire mattress, pillow, box
spring, or comforter. Used in conjunction with your
pre-existing bedding, allergy relief encasings silently and
invisibly protect you from dust mites and other allergens.
Also available are
allergy relief pillows constructed with this unique
fabric blend that keeps dust mites out of your pillows in
the first place. In addition, using washable
hypoallergenic blankets like the
Allergy Armor™ Microfiber Fleece Blanket is key to
maintaining dust-mite free bedding.
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How does Allergy Relief Bedding Work?
Dust mites and other common household allergens are so tiny that
they can easily slip through the pores between the thread of normal
bedding fabrics. Allergy relief bedding, on the other hand, is woven
tightly so that the pores are too small for dust mites to
penetrate—and once their food supply is cut off, the dust mites will
soon die. Best of all, you can continue to use all your favorite
decorative sheets and pillow cases; simply wash them on a weekly
basis to keep them free of dust mites.
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Why do I need Allergy Relief Bedding?
Allergy relief bedding is ideal for you if . . .
- You are allergic to dust mites, animal dander, or down.
- You wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, sore
throat, or other allergy symptoms.
- You are tired of waking up with congestion and suffering from
nighttime allergy or asthma attacks.
- You would like to allergy-proof your bedroom.
- You want a soft and comfortable mattress cover that can easily be cleaned.
- You want to live in a healthier and cleaner environment.
- You want to sleep comfortably and allergy-free.
What are the advantages of Allergy Relief Bedding?
The main advantage of allergy relief bedding is that it encases your
entire bed, creating an impenetrable barrier that prevents dust mites
and other allergens from infesting your bed. Over 50 million people in
the United States alone suffer from allergies, and of those 50 million
people, 80% are allergic to dust mites.
Allergy relief bedding is the first line of defense against allergies. 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."
If you decrease your exposure to allergens, then you will breathe
easier, sleep more soundly, and feel better. It's that simple! Even if
you don't have allergies, you'll be able to rest easier knowing that
you're not living in a miniature ecosystem of microscopic organisms.
Furthermore, a recent medical study suggests that decreased exposure to
allergens in infancy may prevent the development of allergic disease. If
you're not allergic to dust mites now, you could develop an allergy if
you continue allowing them to live in your bed.
Allergy relief bedding will also protect your mattress and add years
to its lifespan.
Factors to consider before buying Allergy Relief Bedding
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Quality: There are two main
questions to ask yourself when evaluating the quality of
allergy relief bedding: (1) How effective is it as an
allergen barrier? & (2) How comfortable is it to sleep on?
Keep these questions in mind as we explore the importance of
pore size and fabric type. |
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Pore Size: The pore size tells us
how much open air space exists between the threads in
bedding fabric. Pore size is the most important factor in
determining how effectively allergens are blocked. Remember,
humans don't actually inhale whole dust mites; rather, we
breathe in their allergenic waste particles and decomposed
body parts, and this is what causes allergy symptoms. Dust
mite fecal particles average around 10 microns in diameter.
(One micron is 1/25,000 of an inch. To give you an idea of
how small this is, dust mites are around 300 microns, and a
grain of sand can be over 800 microns!) Therefore, in order
to effectively block dust mite allergens, the pore size of
allergy relief bedding must be smaller than 10 microns.
Medical research recommends encasings with an average pore
size of less than 10 microns to block dust mite allergen
below detectable limits. But pet dander and mold particles
may be as small as 3 microns.
Allergy
Armor Ultra, with an average pore size of 2.8
microns, effectively blocks the smallest allergens like cat
dander. |
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Fabric Type:
- Membrane fabrics like
Allergy
Armor CleanAir Classic Membrane are often referred
to a "traditional" allergy relief bedding because they have
been around for many years. The outer fabric is a
breathable blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, but the
inner membrane is laminated urethane, which makes the fabric
somewhat noisy and too warm for some people. Allergy Armor
CleanAir Classic Membrane is not recommended for
hot sleepers, but because of its waterproof membrane, it is
often recommended for younger children and those who suffer
from incontinence. Allergy Armor CleanAir Classic Membrane fabric is very tough
and durable, but over time, the laminated urethane may break
down. Our
Sleep Fresh allergy relief bedding is also a
waterproof membrane fabric, but it lacks the outer
cotton/poly blend and is only recommended for encasing box
springs.
- Membrane-free fabrics like
Allergy Armor
AllerSoft Cotton Blend represent a vast improvement
in the technology of allergy relief bedding. Allergy Armor
AllerSoft
Cotton Blend fabric has only one thing in
common with membrane fabric: they both block out allergens
effectively. Membrane-free fabrics, as the name suggests, do
not have an inner urethane membrane, and therefore they are
much cooler and quieter than membrane fabrics. Allergy Armor
AllerSoft Cotton Blend allergy relief bedding consists of cotton/poly
blended fabric that is woven very tightly and treated
post-weaving to ensure an average pore size of 3.9. Allergy Armor
AllerSoft Cotton Blend membrane-free fabric is
much more comfortable than any membrane fabric, and it will
last much longer, too.
- Microfiber fabrics, such as
Allergy Armor Advanced and
Allergy
Armor Ultra, take dust mite protection to the next
level. They're membrane-free, but because of their
microfiber construction, Allergy Armor Advanced and Allergy
Armor Ultra are the softest, coolest, and most breathable
allergy relief bedding fabrics. They feel just like regular
sheets, and they're recommended for hot sleepers. Fabricated
using a sophisticated weaving technology and a unique
finishing process, these densely woven microfiber fabrics
provide complete protection against household allergens
without the unwanted heat or noise – and their antimicrobial
finish provides long-term protection against mold, mildew,
soling agents, stains, and deterioration. Allergy Armor
Advanced has an average pore size of 6 microns.
Our highest quality allergy relief bedding, Allergy Armor
Ultra, goes through an extra finishing process known as
calendaring, in which extreme heat shrinks the average pore
size down to 2.8 microns. Allergy Armor
Advanced and Allergy Armor Ultra both come with a lifetime
warranty.
- Organic Fabrics like
Allergy Armor Organic are made from tightly woven
certified organic cotton. The fabric is non-dyed,
non-treated, and chemical free. Allergy Armor Organic has an
average pore size of 6 microns. It is not as durable as the
synthetic fabrics, and it's pricier; however, if you suffer
from chemical sensitivities, this is the dust mite bedding
for you.
If you have any doubts about our fabric quality, please
request a sample and feel for yourself! Blow through the
material and ask yourself, "Would I even notice if this were
underneath my pillow case?" |
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Care: Caring for allergy relief
mattress and pillow covers is simple. Most encasings can be
machine washed on warm or hot and gently tumble dried.
Others can be wiped with a wet wash cloth. Do not use
bleach.
Pillow covers can be washed every couple of weeks.
Mattress covers need to be washed only 3 or 4 times per
year. Other bedding should be washed in hot water every one
to two weeks. |
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Durability: The vinyl of
Sleep Fresh box spring covers and the laminated urethane
membrane of
Allergy
Armor CleanAir Classic Membrane are both thick and tough;
however, they tend to break down after several years of use.
Allergy Armor
AllerSoft Cotton Blend is made with double-needle
stitching for increased durability, can withstand high
washing and drying temperatures, and comes with a five-year
warranty.
Allergy Armor Advanced and
Allergy
Armor Ultra both have an
antimicrobial finish that protects against
deterioration, and they both come with a lifetime warranty. |
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Ease of Use: Allergy relief pillow
covers are extremely easy to put on your pillows. Simply
slip your pillow into it, zip it up, and then put your
normal decorative pillow case over your dust mite pillow
encasing. Mattress covers can be more cumbersome to put on,
especially with larger mattress sizes. Fortunately, you only
have to take them off for cleaning a few times a year. The
fitting process is easier if two people work together: one
person holds the mattress up, while the other person pulls
on the encasing. It's kind of like slipping on a sock. To
see how simple it is, please refer to our guide on
how to put on your new allergy relief mattress cover. |
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Measurement: It is very important
to measure the depth of your mattress when ordering allergy
relief bedding. Simply measure your mattress from the bottom
to top, seam to seam. Don't worry if your mattress is
thicker in the middle, as our fabrics are cut to accommodate
center bulges. The two sizes we have available are 9" deep
and 15" deep. For mattresses 9" deep and smaller, order 9"
encasings. For mattresses with depths of 10" to 15", order
15" encasings. If there is extra fabric left over, it can be
easily tucked between the mattress and box spring. If your
mattress is deeper than 15", please call us, and we can
design and build an Allergy Armor allergy relief mattress
cover specially for you. |
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Price: Allergy relief bedding
ranges from extremely affordable to quite expensive for full
protection with our highest quality products. At
AchooAllergy.com, we strive to make our products more affordable than
those offered by our competitors. See the competitive
comparison chart at the bottom of this page for more
information on pricing. |
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Warranty: Allergy relief bedding
is extremely durable. Most products come with a 5-year,
25-year, or lifetime warranty. |
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Return Policy: AchooAllergy.com offers a 60-day money back
guarantee on all allergy relief bedding products. Compare
this to the policies of competitors, who often charge
restocking fees or do not allow returns if the package has
been opened. |
Shop Allergy Bedding
Frequently Asked Questions about Allergy Relief Bedding
Return to the
Allergy Relief Learning Center
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6/02/09 Ahhh, being able to breathe. It's worth celebrating. Thanks for selling such great products!... More Testimonials
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