Anti-Mite Barrier Covers

Natural Allergy Cures

Barrier covers are a proven method of avoiding exposure to mite allergen. One cover fits beneath the bottom sheet, enclosing the entire mattress, while others fit between the pillows and pillow cases and between the duvet and its cover. All bedding needs to be covered - it is simply not worth covering the mattress alone. Ideally, fit barrier covers on a new mattress and bedding before use, so that you prevent infestation right from the start.

Barrier covers prevent you coming into contact with the mite allergen contained within the fabric of your mattress and bedding. Some mites will survive on top of the cover, living on the skin scales you continually shed, but these will be few in number and can be removed weekly by changing the sheets. This is also when you should wipe the surface of the barrier cover with a damp (not wet) cloth to remove any mites and shed skin. Wash the barrier covers about twice as year, or as advised by the manufacturer.

Old-fashioned covers are made of plastic. Although they are an effective barrier against mites and mite allergen, they do not allow water to pass through, so that you wake in the morning damp from the sweat you produced while asleep.

In contrast, modern covers are made out of a soft, microporous material that allows both water and air to pass through - although brands differ in how well they do this. Concerning durability, covers with a manufacturer's guarantee of at least 10 years are better value for money than the less expensive types that will need replacing more often.

Also available are cotton bedding covers impregnated with acaricides - chemicals that kill mites. However, little is known about the long-term effects of the chemicals on humans, and the covers do not provide a barrier to the mite allergen.

Protecting your mattress

Within three months, under the right conditions of warmth and humidity, a new mattress will be almost as infested as one that has been in use for years. One estimate has suggested that up to 2 million mites could live in a double-bed mattress. Most mites live in the uppermost layers of the mattress and some people vacuum their mattress in the mistaken belief that they are ridding themselves of the dust mite. In fact, these tiny creatures cling to the mattress fabric and, at best, you will remove only a tiny proportion of the live mites by vacuuming.

A more effective treatment is to use a mite-killing chemical (acaricide) on the mattress and bedding. However, acaricides don't penetrate far enough to kill mites deep inside the mattress and so are not as effective as when used on carpeting. Furthermore, they need to be applied at least every three months.

Liquid nitrogen, which freezes the mites, dry steam cleaning, and heat treatment are other approaches. All of these are unnecessary, however, if you use anti-mite barrier covers.


Natural Allergy Cures



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