WHY PROTECTEASE®?
The All-In-One Allergen and Bed Bug Protector
Proven By Independent Testing
Allergens and Health
Millions of people suffer from allergies — quite often the result of dust mites common to virtually all bedding materials.
These perennial, or year-round, allergy sufferers deal with persistent stuffy or runny noses, itchy eyes, sneezing and wheezing. Virtually all beds are host to a world of invisible allergens. Although most are unaware of this fact, allergists are all too familiar with the symptoms associated with these unseen bed-fellows. Therefore, protective bedding is recommended as the first line of defense.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, advise allergic consumers to encase mattresses, box springs and pillows in special allergen-proof fabric covers. (Source: www.AAAAI.org)
A similar study, published by Dutch researchers in Clinical and Experimental Allergy in 2002, found that mattress encasings helped to reduce symptoms in asthmatic patients and concluded that “their use should be recommended.”
Further, a recent PRNewswire states that nearly 98% of allergists recommend protective bedding as the number-one way to minimize indoor allergy symptoms, according to a recent Braun Research survey (Braun Research, Nov. 2009).
NOTE: ALLERGY PROTECTION REQUIRES A ZIPPERED, ENCASED MATTRESS PROTECTION.
Stain and Spill Protection
The top fabrics for all ProtectEase® Mattress Encasements and Fitted Mattress Covers repel bodily fluid and moisture and serve as a barrier against blood, urine and perspiration, and thereby prevent staining a mattress in the areas covered.
For Mattress Protector products, E-Z™ zippered seams and ends are protected with our SeamSmart™ bound seams, and the zipper closure with our unique Velcro fastener, to protect from snagging.
NOTE: STAIN AND SPILL PROTECTION FOR THE TOP MATTRESS SURFACE ONLY REQUIRES ELASTIC, FITTED MATTRESS COVERS.
Bed Bugs - A Resurgence
The name "bed bug" is derived from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially inside of beds and bedding. Bed bugs are small nocturnal insects that feed on the blood of humans and other warm blooded mammals. While found worldwide, they are typically located in areas inhabited by people. They are flat and oval in shape, ranging from 4 to 7 millimeters, and are usually red-brown in color.
According to Wikipedia, prior to the mid-20th century, bed bugs were very common. According to a report by the UK Ministry of Health in 1933, all the houses in many areas had some degree of bed bug infestation. The increase in bed bug populations in the early 20th century has been blamed on the advent of electric heating, which allowed bed bugs to thrive year-round instead of only in warm weather.
The decline of bed bug populations in the 20th century is often credited to potent pesticides that had not previously been widely available, with other contributing factors that are less frequently mentioned.
Bed bug infestations have resurged in recent years for reasons which are not clear, but contributing factors may be complacency, increased resistance, bans on pesticides, and increased international travel. The U.S. National Pest Management Association reported a 71% increase in bed bug calls between 2000 and 2005. The number of reported incidents in New York City alone rose from 500 in 2004 to 10,000 in 2009.
One recent theory about bed bug reappearance is that they never truly disappeared from the United States, but may have been forced to alternative hosts. As anyone who has experienced exposure to these creatures will confirm, bed bugs are an embarrassing problem to avoid.
Habitat and Behavior
While they can come from any number of places, most infestations spread through contact with bedding and furniture in hotels, motels and a wide variety of locations where there is high turnover in sleeping accommodations. They can be unwittingly transported in clothing or luggage, and usually dwell in the crevices of fabrics and upholstery.Being nocturnal, bed bugs will normally come out to feed at night. Crawling out from an individual's mattress, they can sense heat and will crawl up to 30 feet in one night to reach it. Once the beg bugs detect bare skin, they will inject the human with two tubes. One tube releases an anti-coagulant (blood thinner), and the second will steal the blood of the human. Most bed bugs will survive for up to 18 months without feeding, but they will search out food every five to ten days. A healthy colony of bed bugs can leave an individual with dozens or even hundreds of bites in just one night. Some people are more sensitive to the bites that others and it is typical to be left with a number of itching red bite marks that are uncomfortable and unsightly.
The first sign of a bed bug infestation is the distinct and pungent aroma that emanates from the insect's fecal matter. This fecal matter can also show up on bed spreads as a number of small black dots. If either of these things are noticed, it is important to make a thorough visual inspection of the bedding and surrounding areas. Bed bugs will typically be found in the crevices of mattresses, although they may inhabit the inside of the mattress and box spring as well.
The best way to treat a mattress for a bed bug infestation is with a high quality mattress protector like those offered by ProtectEase. The mattress protector seals existing pests and parasites inside the mattress where they cannot feed on humans, or go on to infest other areas. A good mattress protector will also prevent new infestations from beginning in the mattress and box spring by making it impossible for them to enter the area to begin with. This will not only end the feeding cycle of bed bugs residing in infested bedding, but will prevent the issue from recurring in the future.
NOTE: bed bug protection requires ZIPPERED, ENCASED MATTRESS COVERS.