Around 12 million people suffer from breathing problems, including asthma, and this figure is increasing each year. These conditions can be aggravated by sleeping on old beds with an accumulation of dust mite irritants.

Beds and Bedding Tips

• • Keep only one bed in the bedroom
  • Encase box springs in a zippered dust-proof or allergen-proof cover
  • If a second bed must be in the room; prepare it in the same manner
  • Washing Tips
  • Use only washable materials on the bed
  
• Sheets, blankets, and other bed clothes should be washed frequently in water that is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures will not kill dust mites
  • If you set your hot water temperature lower (commonly done to prevent children from scalding themselves), wash items at a laundromat which uses high wash temperatures

 

Mattress Pad Tips

• Use a synthetic mattress pad and pillow like latex, memory foam, or Dacron
• Avoid fuzzy wool blankets or feather-stuffed comforters and mattress pads

Asthma Facts

• Approximately 17 million people in the U.S. suffer from asthma
• An estimated 4.8 million children under the age of 18 suffer from asthma
• One of the main triggers for asthma is the house dust mite
• The bed is one of the house dust mite's favorite hiding places