inc soidsetco
Allergy Breathing easily
with products
from Costco
busters
Sweet dreams: Allergy Comfort
bedding, including mattress
protectors and comforter covers,
helps keep allergens away.
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter
Pat Volchok gives
a behind-the-scenes
look at Costco
products and services.
Send your questions to:
buyingsmart@
costco.com.
EIGHT YEARS AGO, Amber Dodge, a Costco bedding buyer, suffered from chronic sinusitis and
allergies. She tried many remedies, with no success.
Anybody who suffers from allergies knows how
frustrating this can be.
An allergist suggested that dust mite droppings
might be the culprit behind Amber’s problems.
Because beds, bedrooms and upholstered furnishings are common environments for these microscopic
critters, the doctor’s treatment focused on decreasing
Amber’s exposure through the use of bedding barriers, special vacuum cleaners and air purifiers.
Amber’s sinus infections and allergies soon
were under control. “I cannot begin to tell you what
a relief it was to breathe easily once more,” she says.
I’m sure many of you can relate to Amber’s
plight, as allergies are extremely common. In fact,
about one-third of Americans have them. And while
allergies can be caused by just about any substance
that can be inhaled or swallowed or that touches the
skin, dust mites are the most common offenders.
Scores of products and cleaning methods, such
as bedding products, vacuums and air purifiers,
claim to keep dust mites under control. Many do
not perform as promised. This is why I contacted
Amber and other Costco buyers to see what the warehouses and costco.com offer. Here’s a look at products
that can help fight the aggravations of allergies.
The proper bedding
The first place to fight allergies is in the bedroom. It took Amber years to find a manufacturer of
exceptional, scientifically tested and physician-rec-ommended allergen-proof bedding protectors and
bedding that met Costco’s standards of excellence.
“I knew right away Allergy Comfort™ was the one,
because they have reams of independent laboratory
research backing up every claim,” she reports. “And
member response is tremendous.”
Two easy-care collections are available at
costco.com. One is Allergy Comfort’s premium
allergen-barrier mattress protectors, pillow protectors and comforter covers. They form an impervious shield between you and the mites.
Allergy Comfort also offers a collection of comforters, mattress pads and pillows, which are constructed of soft, allergen-barrier, 100 percent
cluster-fiber polyester.
All Allergy Comfort fabrics are made of a
breathable, lightweight 80 percent polyester and 20
percent cotton blend. The big three allergen triggers—cat dander ( 5 to 6 microns), dust mite droppings ( 6 to 30 microns) and dust mites (250 to 300
microns)—cannot penetrate its tight weave of 6
microns or less. I am dismayed to learn that some
brands use inexpensive plastic or film lining. Such
materials actually promote the growth of mois-ture-loving mites, bacteria and fungus.
Costco.com savings of up to more than $100 are
nothing to sneeze at, either.
I strongly recommend a “Buy” on both collections, especially if your pillows and comforters are a
few years old. You might want to purchase extra pillow barriers to use in hotels, too. I know I will.
