Mattress Cleaning
ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY?
Before we begin, let's agree…Please understand that our desire to inform you on the subject of dust mite contamination, as disturbing as it can be for some people, isn’t meant to scare you into taking action. Rather, it’s strictly designed to inform and educate so that with the proper information, you can make the best decision for you and those you care for concerning this subject. Our belief will always be invested in the intelligence and discernment of our customers, and their ability to know what best to do and how best to react given the facts.
If you or anyone in your family identifies with any of the following allergy related maladies such as Asthma, Eczema, Hay Fever, Bronchitis, Inflammation of the Mucous Membranes, Itchy Red Eyes, Headaches, Sinus Pain, Fatigue, early morning fits of excessive sneezing, even a feeling of depression when you wake up, you may well be sleeping with the enemy.
Who is this enemy? He's called a dust mite and we'll spare you trying to remember or even pronounce the scientific name. Dust mites live primarily in mattresses, but they are invisible to the human eye. The dust mite feeds on shed dead skin cells. The feces and dead bodies of mites are allergens to susceptible people, causing asthma, rhinitis or dermatitis.
These little creatures, not visible to the naked eye, and in fact, they're so small that as many as 1000 of them could be placed on the head of a pin. And guess where their favorite breeding spot is? Yes, that's right. . . your mattress. Their ideal home!
Why the mattress? Because it's warm, often moist, cozy, easy to burrow into and full of their favorite food...skin flakes, the skin flakes every human being sheds every day and night of his or her life, no matter what their age, sex or state of health.
And you can't just vacuum them away.
FACTS:
- We shed 10,000 million scales of bacteria laden skin each day. Most of that ends up in our mattresses.
- Dust mites produce 200 times its body weight in excrement during their normal life span.
- Dust mites feast for up to 170 days on our shed skin.
- Dust mites spread rapidly. A female dust mite lays 300 eggs.
- They can live without food for up to a year.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. How often should a mattress be cleaned?
A. The recommended service interval for mattress cleaning is once a year. If you suffer from severe allergies, then you should consider cleaning your mattress more often.
Q. Why can't I just vacuum my own mattress?
A. Traditional household vacuums do not have the power to remove the highly resilient dust mites and other harmful debris that are deeply embedded in the mattress. And, they do not utilize the all important sanitizing properties of cleaning solutions, the key to effective sanitizing.
Q. How long does the cleaning process take?
A. It depends on the size of mattress, but between 15-20 minutes for a single mattress and about 30 minutes for a double mattress. Queen and King Mattresses can take up to an hour.
Q. How long after you’ve finished do we have to wait before we can make the bed and go to sleep?
A. You only need to wait approximately 1-2 hours for the cleaning solutions we use to evaporate off. Although it is not necessary, airing out the room will expedite the drying of your mattress. After your mattress has dried, you can then make your bed.
Q. Is there any mess after you finish?
A. No. You only need to wait for your mattress to dry and then you can make your bed.
Q. Can mattress cleaning cure my allergy?
A. No, it doesn’t offer any cure, but it will help to reduce the severity and frequency of allergies. Many of our customers have found that their particular allergy disappears altogether and in the case of asthmatics, about 85% of sufferers are allergic to House Dust Mite droppings, so the chances of us helping an asthma sufferer is very high.
Q. Can an old mattress be cleaned effectively?
A. Yes, most definitely. Mattresses that are old will have much higher levels of dust mites and their droppings, dead skin, fungal spores, bacteria and germs. This will also apply to hand-me-down mattresses as well. Our process is extremely effective and will make them clean and fresh again.
Q. Do protective mattress covers work?
A. Studies show that mattress protectors are not effective. If you are intending to purchase a mattress protector, then use it only on a brand new mattress or one that has just been cleaned and sanitized by us. If you don't, all you are doing is incubating the mold, bacteria and fungus that is already present.
Q. Is there a dust mite season, as with pollen or molds?
Are the summer months tougher on people with dust mite allergies because of the higher humidity?
A. The dust mite season is actually quite erratic. It may be higher in the summer in many climates because of the warmth and higher humidity. But people who are sensitive to dust mites often will have symptoms all year-round. And in the winter time, when people spend more time indoors and keep windows and doors closed, dust mite particles are often still in the house, and they still can be a problem.
Q. Can exposure to dust mites actually cause the sensitivity, or are you just born allergic to dust mites?
A. The main area of concern is in very young children growing up in environments where there's high dust mite exposure — or other types of allergen exposure. There is some evidence that if an infant or a young child grows up where there's a high exposure to sensitizing substances, he or she will be more likely to develop allergy problems, asthma or both.
EVERY home has DUST MITES and over 1/2 of ALL homes are INFESTED with dust mites!
30,000 dust mites can live in 1 ounce of dust!
An average-sized dust mite colony, not just living but thriving in the micro-habitat of YOUR mattress and pillow, produces 40 million fecal pellets per day...as YOU rest and sleep, YOU lay in this and breathe it in!
The EPA has stated that Indoor Air Quality is 2 to 5 times worse (and sometimes as much as 100 or even 500 times worse), than Outdoor Air Quality.
Children spend approximately 90-95% of their time indoors.
Pillows will increase in weight by as much as 10% within two years of the purchase date.
Mattresses can DOUBLE in weight in 10 years.
Mattress manufacturers' can and will, void your warranty due to an "unhygienic condition" if you do have have your mattress cleaned.
Recent research reported at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) shows that synthetic pillows, often referred to as "hypoallergenic" may contain MORE pet allergens than feather pillows.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) has suggested that 50% of ALL ILLNESSES are caused by, or further aggravated by, poor indoor air quality. Mattresses harbor the vast majority of contaminants that cause indoor air pollution.
Say hello to what lives in your bed right now! Aren't they cute, they feed off of dead skin and you feed them every night!
A typical used mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside. (Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.) Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it. A favorite food is dander (both human and animal skin flakes). Humans shed about 1/5 ounce of dander (dead skin) each week. About 80 percent of the material seen floating in a sunbeam is actually skin flakes. Also, bedroom carpeting and household upholstery support high mite populations.
To effectively control dust mite allergens, the mattress should be regularly cleaned, about every 6 months for allergy sufferers.
Mattress cleaning is not new, it has simply become a "forgotten" task. Ever since man began sleeping on mattresses, some 8,000 years ago, mattress cleaning has been a necessity to remain in good health.
Contact Michael's Today and Sleep Better Tomorrow
