Dust mites and their droppings are an aggravator of the symptoms of allergies and asthma.
If your symptoms flare up in the night, it can be difficult to sleep to regain your strength for the following day. Reduction in the exposure you have to dust mites, will help reduce the symptoms of your allergies or asthma, resulting in a deeper nights sleep; but how do you reduce your exposure to dust mites?
Natural wool repels dust mites - they don't like wool - good news for those with allergies
Dust mites do not like our natural untreated wool. To survive, dust mites absorb water from their environment – however high quality natural wool fibres that have not been bleached or chemically treated do not absorb moisture. Our platinum grade British wool has not been bleached or chemically treated. Very simply the fibre has not been artificially altered to an unnatural state. These untreated natural wool fibres work together to help to repel and wick away moisture encouraging evaporation, leaving an environment that is not moist enough for dust mites to easily survive. Therefore sleeping on and under Devon Duvets' woollen products is bad news for dust mites, but good news for those with allergies and asthma.
A regular airing of your woollen product will assist in maintaining this quality of resistance to dust mite colonisation.
Wool folding pillows to help beat the dust mites and bacteria.
Airing a wool duvet or wool mattress topper is very easy, but how easy is it to air your pillow? With this in mind, we have reinvented the pillow and created our patent pending folding pillow system. This unique pillow is not only extremely comfortable as a pillow when folded, when unfolded it is easy to air to help maintain an environment where dust mites and bacteria cannot survive.
One of the most common causes of allergies is dust mites. The allergens that they produce lead to red eyes, blocked or runny noses and headaches. This can impact on your sleep, leading to fatigue and lethargy in the mornings. Your choice of bedding can make a real difference and we've provided some information below that will help.
Why do dust mites aggravate the symptoms of allergies and asthma?
Dust mites like nothing more than humid, moist conditions and as we all release water at night, through sweat, whilst we sleep, we create the perfect environment for them.
So if your symptoms flare up in the night, it can be difficult to sleep to regain your strength for the following day. Reduction in the exposure you have to dust mites and their droppings, will help reduce the symptoms of your allergies or asthma, resulting in a deeper nights sleep; but how do deal with dust mites in your bedding? One of the many great benefits in using a wool or alpaca duvet is that natural wool and alpaca repels dust mites - bad news for the dust mites but good news for you!
Why don't dust mites thrive in our wool and alpaca products?
In a nutshell, dust mites do not like our natural, chemical-free wool or alpaca duvets. Duvets with fillings such as feather, down or synthetic fibres are not efficient at moisture wicking. This means the fibres are not able to release any captured moisture into the air whilst you are sleeping, and so the moisture builds up creating the right environment for dust mites to thrive. Both wool and alpaca fibres are very efficient at moisture wicking and so the environment that dust mites need to thrive is not present. The most efficient wool and alpaca fibres are those that have not undergone chemical treatments or bleaching, as these processes alter the structure of the fibres making it less efficient at moisture wicking. This is why we do not use chemicals or bleaches when we wash our wool or alpaca in traditional British mills. This makes it better for you - and for the planet.
Do you have any plant-based duvets that are resistant to dust mites?
Our 100% plant-based Botanic duvet range comes with a TENCEL™Lyocell filling. These fibres, which are created from sustainable wood sources using an eco award-winning process, have a natural ability to moisture wick, releasing moisture into the air, thereby removing the humid environment that dust mites need to survive. Our Botanic range is suitable for those who are looking for a wool or alpaca duvet alternative.
What else helps deal with dust mites?
Regular airing of your wool or alpaca bedding will assist in maintaining this quality of resistance to dust mite colonisation. This is best done outside (when the weather is dry), or draped over a clothes airer near an open window so that air can get right around the bedding. Our unique folding pillows make pillow airing easy - just unfold the pillow and air!