ALLERGY-PROOF YOUR ENVIRONMENT (part 1)
Monday, August 4th, 2008Outdoor allergens are almost impossible to control. In your home, however, you rule the atmosphere. The cleaner the air you breathe, and the more dust, pollens, molds, and dander you can banish from your indoor environment, the better your chances of getting good results from pills, sprays, or shots. Your eventual goal is to live and work in settings so free of irritants and allergens that you won’t need any medication.
CLEANING HOUSE
Dust reduction is your main priority. Begin in the bedroom, be- cause it ‘ s where adults spend one-third of their time and children spend half their time. It’s also home to the greatest number of dust mites. Once you’ve done the bedroom, apply the same principles to the rest of the house, including closets.
The Bed
Not a pretty picture, but do you realize that thousands of tiny dust mites share your bed and bedding every night? If you weren’t so hospitable, they’d starve-and that’s exactly what you want to happen. The little beasties can’ t crawl through plastic, so encase your mattress and box spring in airtight zippered covers, then apply tape over the zippers. Mattresses not only draw mites ; many contain allergenic materials such as horsehair. Allergy specialty stores like Gazoontite ( see appendix D ) sell protective mattress covers, not only in heavy-duty vinyl but also in machine-washable blends of cotton and polyester. Some are fortified with an antibacterial agent to protect against molds. The bed should, be made of wood or metal. Try to avoid wool, down, feather, kapok, and ( moldattracting ) foam rubber products. Polyester, linens, or cottons are fine for most people, although one 1999 British study compared dust mite levels in feather and synthetic pillows and found higher levels of dust mite allergens in the synthetic pillows. Studies show that the average year-old pillow houses no fewer than 250, 000 mites, and that up to 20 percent of a pillow’ s weight can come from mites and their waste. Perhaps the answer is to buy inexpensive new pillows and replace them annually-or, as one enterprising mother does, make your own pillows out of soft white towels. Then, once a week, toss the whole thing into the washer. Blankets, sheets, and cotton or polyester pillowcases should be machine-washed in very hot water ( 140 degrees Fahrenheit ) every seven to fourteen days. Eliminate such dust collectors as quilts and comforters, and in general, keep your bed simple. If you can’ t bear to part with Grandma’ s quilt or your rose-patterned comforter, wash them first, then dry them in the dryer. An hour of dry heat dramatically reduces the dust mite population. Canopies, padded headboards, bunk beds, and ruffles are far too hospitable to the critters. Don’ t overlook your clothes, especially outerwear such as jackets, wool caps, mittens, and sweaters. Wash in cold water, then dry for fifteen minutes at a high temperature or stash in the freezer overnight. Incidentally, dust mites don’ t much care for mothball fumes. A Connecticut study found that mothballs, mothball crystals, and mothball oil packets destroy dust mite eggs. The bad news is that mothball vapors can be irritating to humans, especially asthmatics or anyone sensitive to chemicals. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Inimunologil recently reported that Australian researchers added eucalyptus oil to laundry and found it killed 95 percent of mites that survived the high temperatures.
