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Allergy covers can be a big asset for your family. We believe every kid should have allergies covers on their bed, and you’ll be surprised to know they aren’t just for allergy.
Most people pay little attention to their bed, however, as a place we spend almost 1/3 of our lives we should make sure we sleep in a clean, comfortable environment.
It’s not a shock that kids are notoriously messy. If you have kids you have to remind them to make their bed, wash their sheets, and clean up their bedroom. Catching a cold or getting the flu from friends at school is common too. Needless to say, the bedroom of a kid can be dirty and it poses problems for their health.
Having a hygienic room is important no matter what, but more so if your child has allergies. Although researchers are still trying to discover what causes allergies, we know one thing for sure – allergies are on the rise!
In this article, we’ll look at 7 reasons to use allergy covers on your kid’s bed. Our reasons are mainly for allergy, but after learning what can hide in your bed you may want to put allergy covers on everyone’s bed even if they don’t have allergies.
Using Allergy Proof Covers As A Kid
Growing up I was a slacker. I never made my bed and always had clothes on the floor. To say I was untidy would be an understatement. My room remained messy until my parents threatened me with being grounded. In that case, I’d clean it right away.
I remember not washing my sheets very often (yeah it’s gross). I always had dust in the room and on my headboard and I’m sure I breathed a lot of it while I slept. I also had carpeting in my room which I’ve recently learned collects dust, pet dander, pollen, and bacteria.
My room wasn’t a pigsty by any means…I was just a kid and more worried about playing than I was cleaning my room.
When I was a child I used a mattress cover for moisture. The barrier made me sweaty to sleep on because it didn’t breathe. However, it did protect my mattress. I’m sure it helped with my allergies too, but at the time I didn’t know I had allergies.
I’d wake up with rashes, I’d feel itchy, and I’d wonder why I was experiencing these weird symptoms. A few times during my childhood I removed certain foods from my diet to see if that was causing my congestion, itchy skin, and itchy eyes. Changing my diet didn’t help and I was stumped.
At the time I had no idea about dust mite allergy, nor was I aware how pollen and pet dander could affect my life. I had these strange symptoms and I began to accept them as “normal”.
I didn’t realize a few small changes to my home and bedroom could improve my quality of life. I certainly had no idea there were living arachnids (invisible) in my bed.
In recent years I’ve made some positive changes in the way I live. I’ve gotten rid of a clutter, removed carpets, and purchased HEPA air purifiers for each of my rooms (my indoor air is fresh).
One of the best things I’ve done is to put allergy covers on all the beds in my house. While allergy covers protect from dust mites they offer a range of other benefits beginning with hygiene!
Below I’ll break down why allergy covers are needed for your kid’s bed, whether or not they have allergies.
7 Reasons Your Kid Needs Allergy Covers On Their Bed
Hygiene
Our first reason doesn’t necessarily have to do with allergies. Allergy covers can protect children from all kinds of things in our beds and even though we can’t see them, they are there.
Allergy covers can go on a pillow, mattress, and used as a duvet cover. Cheaper covers are waterproof and have a vinyl type barrier between the mattress/pillow/blanket and the body.
These barriers can help prevent sweat and bacteria from moving in and out of a mattress. The best allergy covers aren’t waterproof, they are breathable and prevent allergens not moisture.
Allergy covers also prevent pests from going in and out of a pillow or mattress – not all pests are allergens. Bed bugs, which suck blood, are common with kids and are often transmitted at schools through backpacks and clothes. Once they enter a mattress, pillow, blanket, or carpet they are notoriously tough to get rid of.
Related: Best Allergy Cover Bedding
Fleas can also colonize a mattress, especially if your family has pets in the house. Spiders are also common in corners of beds and under the bed. Families often resort to chemical sprays for bed bugs and fleas. While effective, chemicals should be used sparingly in bedrooms.
Using an allergy cover is extremely hygienic because it keeps mattresses, pillows, and blankets from things we can and can’t see.
Dust Mites
Another reason to use allergy covers is because of dust mites. Dust mites are interesting arachnid because we can’t see them. Yep, they are invisible to the naked eye but can be seen under a microscope. The average bed has over 10,000 dust mites living in it but most of us will never know about them.
If you have an allergy to dust mites you may experience symptoms like congestion, rashes, fatigue, and even asthma. You may sleep poorly at night and not understand why (this was my experience).
It’s not necessarily dust mites that we are allergic to, rather a protein found in their body and in their feces. Given that dust mites reproduce, defecate, and die, the protein remaining in and around a bed can be plentiful. If your kid jumps on their bed they are likely creating a dust mite cloud in their room that can cause terrible problems for them if allergic.
The best allergy covers (breathable) use a tightly woven fiber that doesn’t allow dust mites to penetrate. The allergy cover will keep dust mites in or keep them out and can greatly improve sleep.
Related: Best Mission Allergy Bed Products
If your child is allergic to dust mites an allergy cover will be a blessing!
Pollen
The size of pollen can sometimes be seen (pine pollen) and can often be invisible to our eyes (ragweed). In wind, pollen can be blown hundreds of miles from their source.
We go about our days and hardly notice pollen yet for those of us allergic we begin sneezing, coughing, and itching. Pollen allergy is the most common allergy in the U.S. and, like other allergens, its prevalence continues to increase.
We rarely think of pollen getting into our house but it makes its way in on our clothes and shoes, through the windows and doors, and on our pets. A slight breeze outside has the potential to push millions of pollen into our homes where they settle on our floors, couches, and beds.
Routine washing and vacuuming will help remove much of the pollen but the particles are so small that they find their way into crevices and fabrics. An older mattress and pillow will have plenty of pollen burrowed inside.
An allergy cover will help keep pollen from getting in your child’s pillow and mattress. Over time, a covered mattress and pillow will last longer and remain allergy free.
Of note: kids with environmental allergies commonly develop new allergies. If your child is allergic to pollen but not dust mites it’s still wise to protect from both!
Pet Dander
In recent decades pets have become a big part of the family. Dogs and cats were once expected to stay outdoors but somehow they’ve made their way into our homes (they’re irresistible).
The addition to dogs and cats indoors brings with it a lot of dust, dirt, and hair. If you have dogs or cats inside you likely spend time cleaning up after them.
Pet hair and shed skin are called “dander” and it can be highly allergenic. Pet dander is also the perfect food for dust mites so remember that more pet dander can equate to more dust mites.
There are a few places dogs and cats enjoy more than sleeping in our beds. They like beds because it allows them to get off the ground and snuggle in a blanket and soft mattress.
Related: Best HEPA Air Purifier For Dust Mite and Pet Allergy
Unfortunately, that also means they are depositing hair and skin on our mattresses. Although washing the sheets and vacuuming the mattress will help, some of the pet dander will make it inside our blankets, pillows, and mattresses.
An allergy cover for your kid’s bed will help make sure the pet dander stays out of your bedding and it will relieve allergy symptoms caused by pet dander!
Mattress Protection
One reason for allergy covers that few people consider is to protect the mattress. Sweat, urine, dust, and dirt eventually make their way into our beds and over time a 50 lbs mattress can become 60 lbs (gross).
An allergy cover can keep a new mattress looking good for years after it’s purchased. The cover can do the same for a pillow and blanket, reducing wear and tear on the material while keeping your child fresh and allergy free.
>> check out Allersoft’s All-Cotton Protector on Amazon
If you’ve purchased an expensive mattress or pillow you’ll want to take care of it and an allergy cover will do just that. 10-20 years later your child’s mattress will look the same as it did when you bought it…resale value!
Bed Wetting
One of the main reasons parents get mattress covers for their kids is because of bed wetting. We have to admit, waterproof covers aren’t our favorite because they can make things hot while sleeping, however, they are effective for keeping moisture out of beds and effective against allergies.
Most allergy covers for moisture offer thin, vinyl-like material and some will have a cotton terry outer cover. While we can appreciate the outer material being a soft cotton, don’t be fooled by claims that they are “breathable”. In my opinion, it is impossible for a moisture-proof allergy cover to be breathable.
If your child has the occasional nighttime accident and has allergies, a moisture proof allergy cover might be perfect!
Prevents Eczema Caused By Dust Mites
We’ve included this reason because of the fact that many children experience eczema. Most kids will outgrow they itchy red skin that eczema causes, but while they are experiencing the rash an allergy cover can help.
Allergy covers will keep dust mites and their allergy-causing protein from coming into contact with your child’s skin. In doing so it can prevent eczema flares caused by allergy.
I had eczema growing up and had no idea I was allergic to dust mites. It would have helped me tremendously. As an adult, I still use allergy covers and they work well to keep my eczema at bay.
Related: Best Supplements for Eczema Caused By Dust Mites
Additional Steps To Reduce Allergens and Improve Bedroom Hygiene
Bedroom hygiene isn’t just for people with allergies, nor is it only relevant to the bed. There are a few tricks that can supplement allergy covers in the home. They include but aren’t limited to:
HEPA Air Purifiers
HVAC filters
Less Carpeting
Air purifiers have come a long way since they were first introduced. The best air purifiers use HEPA filters. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance and is specifically designed to capture particulates we can’t see (invisible dust that irritates our lungs, nose, and eyes). HEPA air purifiers are affordable and are a great addition to a child’s bedroom where it can clean the air in a room up to 3 times per day!
HVAC allergy filters are not the standard filters you can purchase at the hardware store. In fact, you won’t find these filters at your local store. They can only be found online where there’s a larger selection.
The best HVAC allergy filters will remove all allergens from the air, including the microscopic dust mite. These filters are also able to remove smoke, chemical pollutants, and bacteria.
Growing up my family always purchased the cheapest filters because we didn’t know there were other options. Once we made the upgrade I could tell the difference in our indoor air. It can have huge effects on your health and I recommend trying it, especially if you have kids.
Removing carpeting is tough because it’s a big project not to mention expensive. If you happen to own your home, consider removing carpeting if people in the home have allergies.
In addition to dust mites, carpets will hold onto pollen, pet dander, and more generally dirt. Carpeting can increase the allergen load in the home and be a source of symptoms for years. The best option is hard flooring that is slick and easy to clean.
Conclusion
Allergy covers are thought of as a last resort for people with allergy. The truth is, however, that allergy covers are hygienic and can be a proactive way to ensure cleanliness and health.
Growing up I experienced allergy symptoms but didn’t understand why I felt bad. It wasn’t until later did I realize I had allergy symptoms that partly originated from my bed.
While most people think mattress covers are for dust mite allergy and bed wetting, they don’t consider that covers can help with pet dander allergy, pollen allergy, and eczema. Allergy covers can also keep a mattress looking like new. The reasons to use an allergy cover on your kid’s bed included:
Hygiene
Dust mites
Pet Dander
Pollen
Bed Wetting
Mattress Protection
Preventing Eczema Caused By Dust Mite
For these reasons, I use allergy covers for my family even if they don’t have allergies. It’s more hygienic and gives me peace of mind!
We hope you enjoyed another article by Dust Mite Solutions. Be sure to check our blog for more information on dust mite allergy, eczema, allergy shots, and products. Thanks for visiting!