The Allergy Kid
I was the allergy kid. I’d so much as look out the window and get a rash or the sniffles. Eczema, Asthma, Hives & Hay Fever were constant childhood companions.
I’m fortunate to have mostly outgrown the asthma and the eczema, but still get punished by hay fever.
I have a passion of biology and a family full of doctors who I can pepper with questions on allergies.
Why start Allergy Australia?
I still suffer from allergies. The youngest of my two children is prone to allergies. Allergies suck, I guess what drives my interest in allergies is finding some way to get rid of them. An effective treatment Failing that, a way to be symptom free. I’ve created this site to help me (and hopefully, others) de-mystify the causes, symptoms and treatments of allergies with an emphasis on eczema, asthma and hay fever.
Hi would like advice re dust mite covers today . Thank you
Hi Rebecca,
How can we help you?
Regards,
Jon
Good Morning,
Can you please advise if your covers can be washed in hot water(above 60 degrees)? and can they be tumble dried?
Thank you
Hi Tina,
We recommend washing in ‘warm’ water, at most. The covers are samphorised, or pre-shunk, but they are 100% cotton and hot water temps will be tough on them over time. You can tumble dry on the lowest (warm) setting.
By way of reassurance, cold water will remove most of the allergens in your bedding, what hot water achieves, is killing the dust mite itself. Other ways to kill the dust mites when washing is to dry your bedding in sunlight, or adding essential oils like eucalytpus or tea tree. Add 100ml of the oil to 25ml washing liquid, preferably to a full machine tub. I actually just add a few capfuls of the oil to my washing machine powder/liquid tray. Alternatively, there are washing machine liquids that you can buy prepared specifically for dust mites.
Essential Oil & Dust mites research:
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(97)70136-2/fulltext#:~:text=of%20the%20data.-,Results,1).
Hope this helps,
Jon
just wondering who actually makes the products? where? thanks!
Hi SC,
I have my anti-allergy bedding products manufactured in the US. I also source the anti-allergen spray from a US supplier.
Thanks,
Jon
Hello,
Just wondering what you recommend when it comes to a mattress that is in between sizes? I am assuming that a mattress height of 27cm is best with the 30cm cover. Does it matter if it’s a bit spacious?
Also, in regards to washing instructions – you mention above that cold wash is best given the cotton will not like hot washes too frequently. But I was under the impression that 60deg+ is important for bedding to remove the dust mites. Now I’m confused?! I’m assuming that the covers are treated and therefore the hot wash isn’t as important…can you please clarify? Thanks
Hi Catriona,
Thanks for you enquiry. If you have no means of hanging your covers in the sun or adding tea tree oil to your washing then washing at high temps is another alternative. But, as you’ve noted, high temp washes are hard on fabric, including our covers, and will shorten their life (you’d still get quite some years out of them). So, of those three methods that are proven to kill most of the mites in your encasements, we recommend the former two.
The covers will work if they are a little bit baggy, as they are basically a zipped bag. Both covers will likely fit, as the smaller size is made with some generosity to make their fitment easier, but I would recommend the larger size as the smaller one will probably be too tight.
Hope that this is of some help.
Kind regards,
Jon