In Germany, unfortunately one person in ten suffers from an allergy to dust mites. It is the excrement from the dust mites that has an allergenic effect on people. Unfortunately for allergy-sufferers, dust mites particularly like living in mattresses and beds. Therefore, it is common for the people affected to experience a blocked nose or itching first thing in the morning. Special covers for mattresses and beds known as encasings are intended to help combat the problem. They act as barrier textiles, preventing any contact between the dust mite excrement and the person’s respiratory passageways.
Manufacturers face the challenge of designing the covers technically in such a way that they remain proof against dust mite excrement even as people move about in their sleep. Scientific studies show that this kind of encasing can reduce the number of allergens. However, it is essential that the product is of a high quality. If the quality is not good enough, there is a risk that critical amounts of the allergens in the excrement could pass through the covers and trigger allergic symptoms in the sleeping person. The Hohenstein Institute tests the resistance of encasings to allergens to assess how excrement-proof and effective they are.