DeMite Brochure
Control Dust Mites & All Of Their Allergens That Live On Your Sheets And Pillowcases
Dust mites and their allergens are probably the world’s greatest cause of indoor allergies and are significant triggers of asthmatic attacks.
A recent study has suggested that allergic and asthmatic individuals would do well to rely on a broad program of interventions, like the frequent laundering of clothing, bedding and blankets; using mattress and pillow encasements; air conditioning instead of humidifiers; and strictly limiting exposure to allergens from cigarette smoke, perfumes etc.
Estimates are that as high as 20% of the earth’s total population is allergic to dust mites and that they are responsible for 25% of all allergy diseases and 50% to 80% of asthmatic disease. Symptoms can include bronchial congestion, stuffy, runny or itchy noses, red runny eyes and sneezing.
Dust mites are not parasitic and are not capable of biting or stinging humans. Their importance is due to the powerful protein allergens contained in their discarded fecal matter, exoskeletons and secretions.
The inhalation of these allergens by hypersensitive asthmatic individuals, especially when in bed, very frequently results in acute attacks of bronchial asthma accompanied by wheezing and shortness of breath.
All of this makes your bed and bedroom the best places to start reducing dust mite allergens.
A QUICK LESSON IN WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DUST MITE CONTROLS
SOME HELPFUL, REASONABLE SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING YOUR DUST MITE ALLERGIES
First: Almost all doctors will tell you that encasements are an absolute necessity to control dust mites in your pillows, mattress and box spring, and they are! They encase the existing colonies of dust mites inside of them and prevent their escape to the sheets and pillowcases above. However, not all encasements are truly effective. The weave of the fabric determines their efficacy. The tighter the weave, the better your protection.
Second: Your problem is not caused by the dust mites contained within the encasements. It is caused by those living on top of the sheets and pillowcases covering the encasements. Dust mites are continually being deposited on your bedding from the circulating air above. They breed, eat, live and deposit their allergens here. These are the allergens that you inhale deeply into your lungs every night as you sleep.
This is important enough to repeat: You must understand that the millions of dust mite allergens that you inhale each night are on your sheets and pillowcases and not those already isolated in the encasements. For eight hours every night, your face is in actual or proximate contact with them.
Third: Bedding must be laundered regularly. Normal laundering will do some good, but usually not good enough for what you really need. A small number of physicians still recommend laundering in 140° F water to kill dust mites but this practice is diminishing (* See governmental warnings on Page 5) because it is not recommended due to the danger of burning, scalding and instant death, particularly to children and the elderly. Aside from the safety factor, it can also be damaging to fabrics and cause color fading. DeMite Laundry Additive is the only practical way to virtually eliminate dust mite allergens.
Fourth: Undergarments also collect dust mites. They should be laundered regularly either by machine or hand using DeMite Additive in COOL, WARM or HOT water.
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1 dust mite can produce 250 or more allergens
. . . and a typical bed contains from hundreds of thousands to millions of them along with billions of their allergens.
Dust mites are approximately 250 to 300 microns in size, invisible to the naked eye with a translucent body (many hundreds can fit on the head of a pin). It would take at least a 10x glass to see them. Their allergens are continually deposited onto your sheets, pillowcases and blankets to affect your health if you suffer from asthma or allergies. See a video of live dust mites by clicking here.
You spend 1/3 of your life in your bed . . . the dust mite spends all of its there. It is the palace of the dust mite who thrives on the food of your dead skin cells, the moisture your body emits and your body heat . . . everything it needs to sustain a comfortable, beautiful life and to multiply.
DUST MITE ALLERGENS: The protein fecal material, exoskeletons and secretions that are being constantly deposited on your pillowcases and sheets become a major concern to your well-being because they are so deeply inhaled into the airways of your lungs as you sleep. Your face is always in actual or proximate contact with your bedding. Virtually every breath that you take is saturated with them, frequently triggering asthmatic attacks.
Your bedroom, but especially your bed is the most important area of your home to allergen-proof first. It is this room that contains the greatest number of dust mite allergens that directly affect you. It has been estimated that one untreated double bed may contain hundreds of thousands to millions of dust mites and billions of their allergens.
ENCASEMENTS are an absolute necessity to control the existing colonies of dust mites already inside of the mattress and pillows. The encasement’s only function is to contain these mites and prevent their escape to your bedding above. Because of this, the weave should be the critical criteria in selecting encasements. Too large, the mites will not stay contained.
MUCH MORE IMPORTANT to you is controlling the dust mites on your sheets and pillowcases once you have installed encasements. These are the mites that you inhale with every breath as you sleep. These are the millions of dust mites and their allergens that live on top of the bedding that cover your encasements.
HOW DO DUST MITES CAUSE ASTHMATIC ATTACKS?
Most asthmatics have their most difficult time when trying to sleep. Dust mites are millimeters away from their face. During the eight or so hours
of sleep each night, virtually every breath taken is saturated with them and deeply inhaled through the air passages into the lungs.
If there is ever to be an expectation of resolving this specific aspect of dust mite control, these allergens must be dramatically reduced or eliminated before entering the lungs.
Except for using 140 degree F water* which is considered to be unsafe by the U.S. Product Safety Commission, the only certain way to eliminate virtually all of these allergens is by adding DeMite Laundry Additive along with your normal detergent to your wash using COOL, WARM or HOT water
* Federal regulations now require the following label to be prominently posted on all hot water heaters: “DANGER: water temperature over 120° F can cause severe burns instantly or death from scalding. Children, disabled and elderly are at highest risk of being scalded.”
The U.S. Product Safety Commission also urges users to set their water heaters at 120° F
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BEDROOM CARE: Use only washable curtains and/or shades that are easy to launder or maintain. Avoid long or heavy drapes and Venetian or other kinds of vertical slatted blinds that attract dust and allergens. If your pillows are washable, launder them periodically adding DeMite Laundry Additive to the water, then tumble dry in a warm dryer.
VACUUM around the base of your bed weekly. Remember to vacuum under the bed and to dust the bed frame frequently. All bedrooms of allergy sufferers in the house should be cared for in this manner.
CONVENTIONAL VACUUMS do not retain microscopic particles such as dust mite allergens, the cat allergen Fel d 1, animal dander and pollen which are found in carpets by the billions. Yes, they do pick them up, but they immediately recirculate them back into the air you breathe because they are not physically capable of retaining ultra small particles, the ones causing your problems. Their filtering systems usually retain only particles 50 microns or larger, not small enough to collect those that are creating your problems.
You should always use a vacuum with true HEPA filtration.
YOU CAN, HOWEVER, turn a standard vacuum into an allergen vacuum by buying double-lined, high-efficiency vacuum bags that augment filtration. These are generally available where most upright and canister vacuums are sold.
CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING plays a major role in asthma and to a lesser degree may be related to many other indoor allergy problems. The recirculated air of today’s energy-efficient, closed environment homes is brimming with microscopic allergens, from dust mite allergens to pet dander, pollens and more, all bottled up with nowhere to go. And to make matters worse, this same air is being constantly regenerated throughout the house. If you are considering the purchase of a central air conditioning system, it should absolutely contain a high efficiency particulate air system (HEPA) to reduce these allergens as much as possible and to control other airborne bacteria.
AN ALTERNATIVE TO central air conditioning that your doctor may recommend is using an air cleaner in the bedroom and other rooms to reduce the levels of allergens circulating throughout your home. Always choose one with a HEPA air cleaner or filter. A “true” HEPA filter must be able to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns with 99.97 % efficiency and not spill any of its intake back into the room.
Air cleaners are effective only on airborne particles, not those that have built up on your carpets, upholstered furniture, draperies or bedding.
CARPETS are allergen reservoirs. They collect them at one hundred times the rate of bare floors. As carpets get older, they begin to harbor more and more allergens, not only dust mite allergens, but animal danders, Fel d 1, house dust, mold growths and outdoor pollens.
If removal of carpeting is not an option, be certain that it is vacuumed frequently. Work against the pile, stroking several times over each area and overlap movements to capture as many allergens as possible. Wear a protective mask unless someone else does the vacuuming. The ‘sufferer’ should stay out of the area for one-half hour to let the air settle.
UPHOLSTERY: There are locations in your home where dust mite and pet allergens are frequently overlooked. Your sofa and other upholstered furniture, curtains and draperies are examples of these areas that can be controlled. See DeMite Fabric Sealer.
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MISCELLANEOUS
Try to keep pets with hair, fur or feathers out of the bedroom at all times, but if this is not likely to happen, at least keep them off of your bed. Give them their own bed with washable bedding in a distant part of the room. Make certain that they are brushed or combed thoroughly at least once a week to reduce loose dander.
Bare surfaces, such as hard wood floors or inlaid tiles with washable throw rugs discourage allergen build-up and are easier to keep clean.
Dusting with a dry cloth stirs up and scatters dust and allergens. Use Eat My Dust to dust, clean and polish wood, granite and clean, uncluttered closets and keep the doors closed. Keep only washable clothing of the current season in your closet. Store out-of-season clothing elsewhere. Do not use mothballs or moth crystals.
Avoid exposure to other irritants such as perfumes, air fresheners, tobacco smoke, pesticides and other aerosol sprays, chemicals and paint fumes, as they can trigger allergy symptoms. Cigarette smoke is an allergen. Do not smoke in the house!
leather to capture and hold dust mites, their allergens and pet-related allergens. Don’t make your bedroom a storeroom. The more items in a room, the more dust will accumulate
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DeMite is so effective, that we guarantee it to eliminate virtually all dust mite allergens.
Dust mites are the major cause of indoor allergies. However, the problems that they create are not from the dust mite itself, but from its allergens, the powerful proteins contained in its fecal droppings, secretions and exoskeletons (cast-off body parts) that are shed as the mite grows. Dust mites and their allergens are everywhere in your home, but your most serious problems come from those that live on your pillowcases and sheets. Your bed is the single largest concentration of dust mites and their allergens in your home. Your need is to virtually eliminate this single most important component to your health and well being from your bed . . . dust mite allergens.
Presently, there is only one practical way to do this . . . DeMite Laundry Additive. Its active components have been formally tested with the results published in professional journals. It’s easy to use . . . just add to your wash load along with your regular detergent. Use it with COOL, WARM or HOT water.
DeMite LAUNDRY ADDITIVE DIRECTIONS: Follow manufacturer’s fabric care instructions. Use COOL, WARM or HOT water and add DeMite Laundry Additive according to the following:
TOP LOADING WASHERS: When machine is mostly filled with water, add detergent and about 3/4 of the supplied measuring cup with DeMite.Equivalent: about 4 teaspoons.
FRONT LOADING WASHERS: Add low sudsing detergent according to manufacturer’s directions. Next, fill about 1/3 of the supplied measuring cup with DeMite and add through the detergent tray. Equivalent: A little less than 2 teaspoons. If necessary, adding a little water will reduce viscosity.
Hand washing: Medium & Small Size Sinks: Add a little less than 1/2 teaspoon of DeMite Additive. Rinse very well.
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Wood tables, chairs and paneling attract dust naturally along with millions of allergens.
Eat My Dust is a non-aerosol spray specifically designed to capture dust mite, pet and other airborne allergens and keep them from circulating in your environment. Eat My Dust, unlike commercial polishes, leaves woods with the soft, velvety glow of fine hand rubbed furniture and no oily or sticky residue to attract additional allergens and dust particles. It is odorless and hypoallergenic.
Many of our suppliers carry the products mentioned in this article as well as DeMite Products.
