Pet Dander – “For the Dogs”

 Hypoallergenic Bedding Covers Mean Sweet Dreams for Animal Lovers

Dogs and cats are wonderful companions and great for the soul.  Nearly 70 percent of Americans own pets, the most popular among them dogs and cats, of course. As many allergy sufferers can attest, the pet dander they produce can be hard on our health.

Almost one in 10 of us are allergic to dogs and cats, with cat allergies numbering twice as many as those to dogs. Allergies are an allergic response to an immune-system trigger, and pets can pose a pair of particular triggers to sufferers. First, many people are allergic to what’s called pet dander, which are tiny particles of dead skin that dogs and cats shed. Second, since our animals are covered in fur and typically go outside, they are likely to expose us to some allergens in greater quantity, versus our own exposure. These allergens attach themselves to pet fur, and include things like pollen, grasses, and dust mites.

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Many people enjoy living with indoor pets.  Still others even let their dogs sleep in their bedrooms and on their beds. Most health and wellness experts would agree that it’s best to send Fido packing, at least to another room, since our bedrooms can be ground zero for allergens.

While pollens and grasses can irritate by their sheer presence, dogs and cats bring pet dander into the equation. The situation is made even worse because our pets help dust mites and other allergens migrate from the outdoors into our home. When dogs and cats add to the dust mite population in the bedroom, they increase the likelihood that dust mites will proliferate causing both immediate and long term misery. Millions of Americans suffer increased asthma, itchy skin, watery eyes, and more from dust mites and pet dander.  These pesky allergens thrive in warm, humid environments. Due to the body heat and perspiration we release throughout the night, our bedrooms tend to be the warmest, most humid locations in our homes.

Fido Stays—So What About the Pet Dander?

Although it’s advisable from a health perspective to send the family pets to other rooms to sleep, for many people that’s out of the question. Many animal lovers would rather suffer than part with their beloved furry family members. But is it really a binary choice?  Love and bad health on one side, and shunning the pets for wellness on the other?

Thankfully, there’s another way.  Use high performance Allergy Guardian bedding covers—made from either high-performance fabrics or all-natural cotton.  For a relatively small, one-time investment, you can encase your pillows, mattresses, and even your duvets.  This will protect you and your family members from pet dander and the possibility of bed bug or dust mite infestations.  The best bedding covers are made from fabrics with pores even more microscopic in size than dust mites, bed bugs, pollens, and grasses.

Encasements serve as an effective barrier from pet dander and dust mites. By burrowing into the warmth and humidity of your pillow, mattress, or duvet, allergens find an ideal environment to proliferate. If these allergens can’t penetrate your bedding, the conditions become less favorable for them to thrive. Allergy Guardian encasements are specifically designed to wick away your perspiration and body heat, just like your favorite athletic wear. Therefore, even the conditions just outside your bedding become less favorable for allergens.

Here’s the good news… It is relatively inexpensive encase your bedding.  Plan on roughly $200-300 per bed set, depending on size, and fabric.  High performance encasements typically last the lifetime of the bedding they protect. You maintain them in much the same way prescribed for bedsheets and pillow cases, by washing in hot water (at temperatures greater than 130 degrees Fahrenheit). While you may wash your sheets daily to weekly, it’s best to wash encasements like these yearly.

But Are These Encasements Comfortable?

There’s one more great thing about these Allergy Guardian fabric barriers—they’re actually so comfortable, that you won’t even notice them. Gone are the days of rubbery, plastic cover sheets that bunch up and crinkle with your every move.

Just imagine—a high-performance fabric barrier that actually makes your bedding more comfortable!  By wicking away your body heat and moisture, our encasements ensure a cooler, less humid, and healthier sleeping experience. We’ve come a long way!