When you were in elementary school, one of your best memories might be of an exciting school field trip to the zoo, aquarium, or some other fun destination. A few weeks ago, our staff took a field trip to the ARA conference held in downtown Atlanta. We met a bunch of great people and looked at a wide variety of new products. We were able to check out some products that we have been looking to add to our dehumidifier line up. The Dri-Eaz products lived up to their advanced billing! We are excited to announce that you can purchase Dri-Eaz restoration products on our web site.

Dri-Eaz manufactures a broad range of dehumidifiers, air movers, structural drying systems, and air scrubbers. These machines are used by water damage restoration professionals for industrial drying, cleaning, and maintenance work. As a long time industry leader, Dri-Eaz gives customers the tools they need to succeed through education, technical support, and innovative equipment design. The company mission is to help customers dry out, improve, and restore indoor environments.

The Dri-Eaz success story is directly tied to its customers. Many customers are entrepreneurs running their own businesses. Because knowledge is the key to success, Dri-Eaz provides a full range of technical education courses through the Dri-Eaz education program. Dri-Eaz promises to provide the very best in restoration equipment, applications, and technologies to help you strengthen your business and meet your drying needs.

During the 1800s in America, March was the best time for dusting because it was getting warmer outside, and you could open the windows and doors to help clear out the dust from your home. This was an ideal time for some spring cleaning. Also, spring was the perfect time for cleaning before the insects became unbearable during the warmer summer months.

Today, the benefits for allergy sufferers from a thorough spring cleaning are very clear. The air inside your home is about ten times dirtier that the air outside. Allergens have been building up in your home all winter. This time of year is perfect to open up the windows some and do your cleaning. Make the process fun and enjoyable by focusing on how much better you will breathe and feel when it’s over! On our web site, we have a detailed cleaning plan, but here is a quick checklist to follow:

• Organize closets, shelves, and storage spaces
• Throw away old clothes, sheets, and curtains
• Reduce clutter in your living areas—some knickknacks and decorations are outdated!
• Clean mold and mildew hot spots with Sure Cote
• Clean your bedroom! Wash bedding with De-Mite Laundry additive
• Dry out that damp basement with a dehumidifier
• For dust mite prevention, treat carpets and upholstery with X-Mite Powder
• Clean mini-blinds and drapes thoroughly
• Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
• Change filters on HVAC system and windows

Make sure that when you are cleaning you are using cleaning products that will not aggravate your allergies. To learn more about healthy and natural cleaning products check out the cleaning products section of our web site. Good luck with your spring cleaning and enjoy the lovely, warmer weather!

The new Danby line of dehumidifiers is on its way to AchooAllergy.com. We will receive these dehumidifiers just in time for the rainy Spring months. You can pre-order a Danby dehumidifier on our web site at www.achooallergy.com or you can order one by calling us at 1-800-339-7123.

You can improve your home health and comfort by eliminating dampness with a Danby dehumidifier. A dehumidiifer helps to prevent dust mites, mildew, and mold growth. The direct drain option on these dehumidifiers allows you to remove water from the air without the hassle of carrying and emptying the water bucket. Casters allow you to easily move the unit from room to room. With electronic controls, a 2-speed fan, a built in humidistat, 2 year warranty, and a removable air filter, a Danby dehumidifier promises convenient and efficient home comfort.

Compare the different Danby models on our Danby Compare Page or check out all of our dehumidifiers on the recently renovated Dehumidifier Comparison Chart.

In an article published today in the Wall Street Journal, recent findings of a pilot study conducted by researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital show that a handful of children with severe peanut allergies can now eat peanuts without worry. Scientists and doctors have spent years retraining the children’s bodies by feeding them very tiny amounts of the food that endangered them.

The process is time intensive and tricky. You should not try this at home! Millions of Americans have food allergies. Peanut allergy is considered the most dangerous, with life-threatening reactions possible from trace amounts. It accounts for most of the 30,000 emergency-room visits and as many as 200 deaths attributed to food allergies each year. Although some children outgrow peanut allergy, that is a rare occurrence among the severely affected.

More rigorous research must be completed before this treatment becomes available to more allergy sufferers. However, if this oral therapy continues to work as an effective treatment, the approach could mark a major advance in the battle against peanut allergies.

According to a recent article on the Women’s Health Magazine web site, food allergies in adults are on the rise. While there are many questions at this point about the causes of this increase, experts do not have many answers. In the article, writer Alisa Bowman explores three possible causes:

1. The increase in carbon dioxide caused by global warming makes plants and trees generate more pollen. This leads to an increase in hay fever in adults. It is possible if you develop environmental allergies that you are more susceptible to food allergies.

2. Are antibiotics to blame? The overuse of antibiotics might kill good bacteria that are necessary for proper digestion of food. Some doctors think this might lead to a phenomenon called “leaky gut” syndrome—undigested food particles are able to pass through the GI tract and into the bloodstream. This causes an overload to the immune system and an allergic reaction.

3. Some younger women are experiencing allergic reactions to foods that they eat immediately after working out. These reactions to food are hard to pinpoint by allergists. If you experience a reaction to food after working out, keep a journal of symptoms and consult your doctor.

With food allergies on the rise, is there any good news for allergy sufferers. Yes, the good news is that more regulation of food labels allows allergy sufferers to avoid the foods that might cause allergic reactions. The author of this article even found that when she had to stop eating a certain food, she found a whole new set of foods as replacements!

Does this scenario sound familiar--you carry a bucket of water from your dehumidifier across the basement and pour the water into a corner drain or the laundry sink? Or even worse, you lug the water upstairs and over to the kitchen sink. The heavy bucket must be emptied by hand and it is often a messy and time consuming process. When you put the bucket back in place, you have to repeat this operation two or more times that same day!

The best solution that we recommend is to “port” the water from your dehumidifier. Porting is the process of using an exterior drain line to continuously drain your dehumidifier. Hook a hose up to your dehumidifier and then run the hose down to a drain. The drain hose can not be above the drain connection or you will cause flooding.

Many dehumidifiers provide a threaded spigot to connect a water hose for drainage. If you have a floor drain or basement sink, you can port the water to the drain. Water is continuously draining from the air into the unit and down into the drain. If this is not possible due to a grade or the lack of a nearby drain, you can still port your dehumidifier, but you will require a condensate pump to push the water over a longer distance. With this water removal system, you have very little day-to-day upkeep or maintenance.