dustmite allegy

[eczemamum]

Finally DS2 has been diagnosed with a dustmite allergy (cats, dogs and grass too). Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the amount of cleaning that needs to be done. Any advice on where to get the special bedding that he needs? Can he still have a nice dinosaur duvet cover or are those days past? Will his bedroom end up looking like a cell?

not sure completely about your sons allergy but our children are allergic to cats and dogs and one is asthmatic.we got allergy duvets and pillows from argos and a mattress cover and use normal duvet covers, star wars etc.we were told to change bedding frequently, wash/hoover curtains, let alot of air into the room during the day and to hoover with a hepa filter or have laminate as its easier to remove dust from.

we keep them completely away from cats and dogs as they come out in a rash from head to toe and ds1s asthma is really bad even if they're in a room that a dog/cat has been in and the animal isn't in it anymore.

not sure apart form that.good luck. ours are a million times better now we do those things.it's just the summer grass etc that gets his asthma playing up now!

xx

sorry for long post, just remembered, doctor told us to limit amount of teddies in the bedroom and wash them frequently.ours have got a dr who bedroom, nothing like a cell.toys in plastic boxes under the bed etc.

thanks - no asthma so far just eczema and the odd runny nose. He got diagnosed last week and this week we're in a holiday cottage that is dusty and allows people with dogs to stay - will be doing more cleaning here than at home

Will check out the argos site.

thanks.

some friends and relatives were adament that the kids could go visit as long as they put their dog/cat out of the room and hoovered but for our children this doesn't work. the allergens are in the air, cushions, curtains etc when someone has pets and no amount of hoovering etc will get rid of them until the pet has been out of the property for months maybe and cleaned over and over.

for the boys we do not visit anyone who has pets with them, including their grandparents. loads of arguments later and the grandparents now visit us each week. i will not put my childrens health at risk for anyone.

ds1 has lactose intolerance and pet allergies that weren't diagnosed til he was three and by then he had constant glue ear and wheezy asthma. i really feel that because he wasn't diagnosed early and was having dairy and around pets all the time etc this led to the glue ear/asthma. he had grommets and doesnt have dairy and stays away from pets and his asthma is a lot better, no skin rashes/reactions and is hardly ever ill with chest problems anymore. it really has worked for us.

good luck with everything. i dont know how to do links but if you want to know which products i bought etc let me know and i will find them on the web.
xx

This thread might give you some more ideas on how to control the dustmites.

Anti allergy bedding was, apparently, not advised. Just washing at 60degs regularly - if my memory serves me right.

Wet dust. Box up toys so they cannot collect dust. Wash soft toys regularly or put them in the freezer for 24hours. Move furniture around regularly and 'intensive vacuum' (se linked thread).

Hope that helps a little.

Best thing I ever did was get rid of the carpets made more of a difference than using the allergy bedding - although of course I still did that!

I have dustmite allergy. Came on while pg with ds2 who is now 3.3yo. We moved 6 months ago to a house with solid floors downstairs, wooden upstairs. No stairs carpet. I bought one of those industrial Henry hoover things and have to force myself to do an intensive hoover twice a week or I'm wheezing and sniffing.
By intensive I mean doing the whole (thankfully small) house with the little dust brush attachment - floors, blinds, moving all the furniture, ANY ridges on doors, windowsills, shelves and anything on them.
We do have an anti allergy quilt which made a huge difference as I can't fit a double in my washing machine so can't wash one often enough. The anti allergy mattress cover works well too. I hoover the mattress on our bed every week and the ds's every once in a while.
Everything kept in drawers or boxes with lids.
Throws or coats that hang up are washed regularly.

Going to holiday places is a nightmare, we were in a Caravan last month and after one night I had to go and find a chemist for some antihistamines. Just sleeping in a bed with normal pillows or quilt is enough to set me off.

we've got a miele with hepa filter or something? it does really help but def the leather sofa, hard floors and as little soft furnishings as possible have made a huge difference.

Also I get dh to hoover

Thanks for all the advice - luckily we already have wooden floors downstairs and leather sofas. Just need to replace the carpet upstairs, get a new hoover, sort out some new bedding and change the curtains to blinds! Isn't wooden floors upstairs just terribly noisy?

I think DesperateHousewifeToo is right - that you don't need anti allergy bedding as such if you are able to wash the bedding at 60 degrees - to kill the dust mites.

I recommend this washable bedding as it (the duvets, pillows, mattress protectors etc) may not only be washed at 60 degrees but all sizes of the duvet fit in a domestic washing machine so it can literally be kept dust mite free without the expense of taking it to the launderette.

Try not to have too many cushions and toys on the bed as they will also contain dust mites. Put them in the freezer or out in the sun on a hot sunny day.

found this useful

Our dd has many allergy problems including the dustmite allergy. Just to let you know on disney store uk they sell quilts and pillow cases that are 100 percent cotton and wash on 60 degrees. They dont have dinosaur ones at the moment but other disney character ones which may do. I have never had much luck finding any anywhere else!

John lewis have got them, they are brilliant

I was listening to the news the other week and it is claimed that about 1/3 of the UK's population will suffer from an allergy at one stage or other in their life.

It seems to be the enzymes and faeces that cause the allergic reactions rather than the living dust mites itself.

There are many products on the marketplace to help control dust mite allergies such as duvet covers, dust-mite anti-allergen cleaning products, anti bedding and mattress covers.

These links maybe of some help:-

www.healthy-house.co.uk

www.chemdry.co.uk/services/professional-carpet-cleaning/healthy-indoor-homes

www.chemdry.co.uk/products-tips/professional-products-available-from-us/dust-mite-anti-allergen

It would appear that a regular cleaning regime is essential and if you have carpeting it maybe worth getting your carpets professionally cleaned.

Hope this helps

Riccoess

I am just going to give you a boring list of what I do. Sorry if it makes me sound a bit OCD but DS's eczema is v.bad. You get into the swing of it pretty quickly (promise)

Hoover all house twice a day.
Hoover DS's bed everyday
Hoover under bed everyday.
Nothing stored underbed.
Blinds and wooden floor in Ds's bedroom.
Ordinary cotton duvet covers and sheets - not anything labled 'easycare'. That means chemicals.
Mattress, duvet and pillow protectors. Not expensive ones, just ordinary ones that I can hot wash weekly.
Change bed once or twice a week depending on how bad his skin is.
No teddies in room, no novely cushions etc.
Wash everything at 60
Non bio powder, no softener.
Damp dust everyday. (I hoover anything that doesnt move too)
I dont make Ds's bed in the morning. I air it all day.
Air rooms everyday (bit tricky in high pollen season).

Dont forget dust collecting points like behind the tv, under sofas, curtain rails, skirting boards, blinds etc.

I know it sounds a bit mad but I am not a natural clean freak! Its something I have learned to do over the years to attempt to manage DS's condition. If I slack his skin gets worse v.quickly.

Once you get into the routine its fine. Dust doesnt have time to collect so it doesnt take long.

I use micro fibre clothes and water and Method stuff if I need to use a product.

I am also a bit fan of flash type wipes as they are great for dampdusting in a hurry.

These are just suggestions because they help us.

Oh yes, as per Riccoess's suggestions we only have one carpet but I bought a washer on sale and use that regularly.

I have a steam mop for the wooden floors cos the heat kills the little buggers.

Reading all the above I know I sound like a loon but Im not really

Hi,

I have eczema and I'm allergic to dust mites too - it was a nightmare until I found this great product called AllerGuard www.allerguard.co.uk which really works, if you email them they'll also give away really good tips on how to control dust mites. I've also used the products on my daughters bed and it really works, she used to have a runny nose in the mornings but not anymore! :-)

hi my son is 7 and since he was born has always been blocked up snotty does anyone know if this could be an allergy doc not very helpful