Allergic to Dust Mites? What You Should Know Before Buying a Dust Mite Mattress Cover

Every day, millions of Americans wake up with a stuffy nose, swollen or watery eyes, and even an itchy skin because of dust mites. I used to be one of them.
In many people the symptoms of a dust mite allergy are strongest in the morning and tend to subside during the day. Why is that? Well, mites love it warm and humid, just like in your bed's mattress. Since they are really tiny, they can easily pass through the fabric normal mattresses are made of. Mattresses typically are home to hundreds of thousands of little mites and their droppings. After a "good" night's sleep, chances are you have been breathing in dust mite parts and their allergen for 6 to 8 hours.

This is where a good dust mite mattress cover comes in: These special covers are made of a fabric dust mites cannot pass through. By completely encasing your mattress with one of these covers you essentially trap the mites and even their much smaller droppings inside. People allergic to mites are in fact allergic to an allergen mostly contained in their droppings and a mattress cover provides an effective shield against this allergen. Also, the dust mites are removed from their food source (our skin flakes), so they simply die.

When selecting a dust mite mattress cover, you need to pay attention to a few things though:

• It is very important that you completely encase the mattress with a zippered cover. Fitted sheets, pads etc. may reduce the amount of allergens you are exposed to, but some mites can still escape from underneath and get to you and their food.


• It is best to get a mattress cover made out of a woven breathable fabric such as specially woven cotton or microfiber material. These fabrics have pores between the woven thread which are so small that mites' body parts and their droppings cannot get through, while still allowing for good airflow.


• Covers with a membrane bound to it tend to be water and mite proof. But, they can become quite hot to sleep on. So, unless you need something water proof, they should not be your first choice.


• For people who need a temporary solution, covers made out of a non-woven breathable synthetic material are available. While they tend to be quite a bit less soft and comfortable than the woven type, they can be a good choice for when you are traveling.

I hope you found this information useful, and wish you a wonderful night and a good sleep.