If you have kids, the weight of their soft toys is around 30% dust mites and their droppings. (No source at present, but as a sufferer myself this once read statistic stayed in mind ). Wash 'em.

OK so enough messing around. Steam clean everything. Get yourself a hoovering robot and set it to clean while you're out. Get an air ioniser. And most importantly get one of these. Don't go cheap mind you. This is the one. Do all of this and your allergies will stop dead.

Yep I have a similar one, it is an air ionizer/humidifier/air filter...got it for my birthday from hubby...yes we are a weird couple...

lol. 3 most important things are activated charcoal scrubbers, HEPA filtration @ 3nm and an ionizer. The cheap ones are worth nothing. Get a proper one, smoke a cigar in a closed room and come back in an hour. You'll barely smell a thing and HEPA doesn't even work on smoke - it's just the charcoal!

My 17 month old son suffers from a dust mite allergy and I have found this post extremely useful, so thank you to all for advice (even if it wasn't for me!!). I would say that our specialist says that while the humidifier helps with the cough in the short term, it actually helps breed the little mingers cos they like the humidity. I open his window the minute he gets up in the morning, he has only one soft toy (couldn't prise it from him even if I wanted to!) which gets regularly washed and his mattress is up and aired during the day when he is not sleeping.

I didn't know about covers and special hoovers etc, but will investigate asap. Good luck OP.

THe humidifier is actually for my asthma

Hello

Sorry, someone else also mentioned a humidifier for the dust mites. Actually hadn't noticed you had mentioned it.

we don't have kids but we did have loads of teddy's tat are now in plastic bags!!

Not cuddly...but non-allergenic

Unbeknown to me, I've been suffering from this for years too. It actually got worse here in CH (resulted in eczema), so I ended up going to the doctor who after the second visit referred me to dermatologist, who after a few tests confirmed that it was dustmites that were causing me all the grief.

He also stressed that the first and most important thing to do was a mattress cover thingie. A few months later, I still have to get one. I will re-find the leaflets that the doctor gave me, but in the meantime can anyone recommend an online store for a mattress protector? Or failing that even an old-style bricks and mortar store?

Also:
- I'll start airing the bedroom more thoroughly/leaving covers off/freezing the duvet on the balcony
- I'll check what fillings we have (so feathers = bad, synthetic = good?)
- I got a robot vacuum cleaner recently (rooomba!), which is HEPA compliant too, and I think I'll switch to daily vacuums instead of 2-4 per week.
- I'll think about hoovering the mattress once a month (with standard - also HEPA - hoover, not sure the roomba would be good for that).

However, not sure about a couple of the other suggestions, any comments on them?

1. Dust Mite Reducer Aller DMC
2. Neem oil
3. AirMedic+ Vocarb

Thanks.

OK 'feathers' are not automaticall 'bad' according to the Swiss Bedding Manufacturer’s Association (VSB):

the asthma specialist recommended these brands for bed covers here in CH (in our experience they are are a very effective measure)
we haven't ordered them here yet, because the ones we brought from germany are still ok:

AllergyCare AG
Zürichstrasse 2
CH-8134 Adliswil

tel. 043 377 88 66
www.allergycare.ch

don't forget that they shouldn't be washed very often, we do it max every 6 months).
good luck!

Somehow landed on the following page yesterday:

http://www.service-allergie-suisse.c...parents_id=961

and they list/recommend two manufacturers, one of which is AllergyCare with their 'Microair' range. The other manufacturer - Softsan - has a Swiss and a German shop, with the German shop being c. 100 CHF cheaper at the current exchange rate. As I've got to go to Jestetten next week, I registered for a parcel holding service and ordered from the German site.

I'll see how that goes before considering an addiotnal step (probably the 'Dust Mite Reducer Aller DMC').

BTW Venice, thanks for reminding me to check if there was a German store for the manufacturers I found present in CH!

good to know, thanks! it doesn't surprise me they are cheaper in germany... if you order from the german shop, though, don't you then have to pay taxes etc to have them sent to CH, making it in the end more or less as aexpensive as buying them from the swiss shop? at least that's what kept me from doing it. I was rather thinking of ordering them to a "physical" sanitary shop in germany, since we visit relatively often.

it would be good to know how it worked out for you, so thanks for sharing.

That's just it, I am having the parcel delivered to Jestetten, which is in Germany. Many people offer a German delivery address for a fee. I signed up for a Jestetten one: http://www.lieferadresse-deutschland...sse-jestetten/

So German delivery address = low postage, no customs. But of course I do pay German VAT. But even so, the price is still a lot lower than the Swiss shop.

I actually have someone who is going to Jestetten tomorrow, so I'll have them pick up the parcel then (just got to fill out a Vollmacht just in case). As long as any additional shopping does not go over the limit, the parcel can be brought into CH with without having to pay anything extra

The parcel shipped yesterday (I ordered Saturday afternoon) and so should be waiting in Jestetten tomorrow.

clever solution!
and down with the killer beasts (I would enjoy killing them one by one if I could...)

Parcel was delivered Tuesday (saw that on DHL website), and picked up yesterday. Fee to pick it up was 3 EUR.

So total cost in DE (including delivery to DE) = 104 EUR + 3 EUR = bit less that 130 CHF.
Cost in CH shop, exluding delivery = 229 CHF

I hope these things are as effective as I've read and that it'll put an end to the eczema, blocked nose, running eyes etc etc.