Bedding Products – Home Page Simple is Beautiful     Why good bedding products are essential in allergy prevention   On average, people spend 8 hours on the bed everyday. The bed is the breeding ground for dust mites, moulds and bacteria. Many people wake up sneezing with running nose in the morning, and may feeling tired and exhausted even after a long sleep. Good bedding products can effectively protect the mattress from infestation by dust mites, bed bugs and micro-organisms.   Major causes of allergy for many sufferers The fecal pellets of dust mites may directly trigger allergy and asthma. Dust mites disrupt the protective function of the skin, making it more vulnerable to allergens and severe skin diseases. (research study) Chemicals used in many bedding products may cause respiratory irritation and allergic skin reactions. These include the bleach, dyes and synthetic fibres used in production. Key for Quality Sleep - 100% natural fibre, unbleached, undyed, chemical-free bedding products   Criteria for ideal bedding products Purely from natural fibres – Natural fibres (both cotton and silk) allow moisture to evaporate quickly, making it less favorable for micro-organisms to grow. Natural fibres are cooler and have a much more comfortable touch-feel than synthetic ones. (Problem of waterproof and "breathable" synthetic microfibres) Able to prevent dust mites from entering the pillow / mattress / duvet, where there is moisture and warmth for them to breed rapidly Zipped covers for pillow, mattress and duvet to achieve total protection No chemicals used in the production process, i.e. unbleached, undyed, no soaking in anti-mite chemicals. (Those chemicals may trigger allergic reactions for some people.) Tested for harmful substances according to Eco-Tex Standard 100 (also called Oeko-Tex in German) Boil washable at up to 90°C . This can kill a large range of moulds, bacteria and dust mites. Dust mites and their eggs can be killed by hot water above 55°C.   Keep the bed simple. Have more colour for the room or home instead The bed is the place for us to take a rest and sleep, with our eyes shut. Therefore it advisable not to have fancy colour and designs for the pillow cover, duvet cover and bed sheets. The bleach, dyes and chemicals used in making those fancy colour and designs for bedding products will adversely affect the quality of your sleep, and will even cause irritation, allergy, asthma and eczema for a lot of people. The chemicals also pollute the environment, including the water and the soil. In regions with a lot of bleaching and textile factories, the water quality and the natural ecology has suffered serious deterioration. Simple is beautiful.   Bedding Products Overview (all boil-washable up to 90 or 95°C, Eco-Tex certified with no harmful chemicals) 1. CottonFresh® Series - pillow cover, mattress cover, duvet cover : 100% cotton, unbleached, undyed and dust mite proof. (size and price) 2. CottonSafe® Series - pillow cover & mattress protector : cotton surface with polyurethane backing ( waterproof, dust mite proof and highly permeable to air). (size and price) 3. Blanket and duvet (all hot-washable up to 90 or 95°C)   Cellular Cotton Blanket - 100% unbleached, undyed cotton. (size and price) Silk Wash Super® Duvet - 4.5 tog, 60% silk & 40% cotton filling, dust mite proof cotton case. (size and price) 4. Pillow - FeatherFresh® Pillow - hot wash at up to 90°C , hypoallergenic feather & down filling, dust mite proof cotton case. (size and price)   Mattress is the dirtiest place at home   Mattress provides a warm and moist environment that is very favourable to the growth of dust mites, moulds and bacteria. It absorbs moisture and sweat from our human bodies and gathers a large amount of dead human skin scales, which serves as food for these organisms. Dust mites have eight legs with claws that can grasp tightly onto the mattress fabric. In an allergy prevention study in the UK, the dust load levels in the homes of 67 children with one allergic parent were studied for 10 years with these results: Dust Load Level Microgram (gg) of allergen per gram (g) of dust Mattresses 18.4 Bedroom Floors 4.3 Living Room Floors 2.4 Threshold Level for Allergy Risks Microgram (gg) of allergen per gram (g) of dust With increased risk of sensitization >2 With risk of acute asthma >10 Source of Study: Sporik R, Holgate ST, Platts-Mills TA, Cogswell N. Exposure to house-dust mite allergens (Der p I) and the development of Asthma in childhood. A prospective study. N Engl J Med 1990; 323:502-7.