It is now mid October and autumn is officially here. As we notice the trees changing color and the birds beginning to fly south the new season also fills the air with different pollens and air particles. As beautiful as it is to be outside this time of year, the weather affects people with allergies and its important to take precautions.

One of the great ways to limit the amount of allergens we breathe is to use an air purifier in our home and office. We get a lot of questions about air purifiers and people always want to know what is a HEPA air purifier and what are the advantages to using one.

Contrary to what many people think HEPA is not a particular brand. HEPA is an acronym for High Efficiency Particulate Arresting.  HEPA is a type of Air Purifier that can remove particles from the air at a high efficiency. Certain air purifiers are certified as HEPA due to their filtration system. 

The government requires that 99.97% of all airborne particles 0.3 micrometers (µm) in diameter be completely trapped to become a HEPA product.  This ensures that even the tiniest of particles be removed from the re-circulated significantly reducing allergy symptoms.

Here at The Allergy Guy we sell the Austin Air HEPA air purifiers. The Austin Air brand sets the industry standard and they offer an industry best 5-year warranty on these products.  If you or a loved one is one of the millions of allergy sufferers in North America, try a HEPA air purifier and you will be glad you did.

Hello,

The Allergy Guy here. How are those seasonal allergies doing? Is the pollen filled air making it difficult to breath? If this is describing you, you may want to consider adding an Air Purifier to your life and there is one brand in particular that is simply the best: Austin Air. Austin Air purifiers are made from quality materials, and are designed from the inside out.

Austin Air purifiers draw air in from all sides at once, then process it in four distinct filter stages that effectively remove contaminants. This results in maximum efficiency and air flow, and a significantly longer-than-average filter life: 5 years for normal residential use.

In order to effectively produce clean, healthy air, a purifier must eliminate noxious chemicals, gases, and sub-micron particles; and it must not produce dangerous by-products, like ozone. The Austin Air uses medical-grade HEPA and activated carbon filters, the only filter technology trusted for use in operating rooms and hospitals. And unlike ionic generators and electrostatic precipitators, Austin Air cleaners produce no by-products.

In addition, another reason why the Austin Air Purifier is simply the best is because it was invented out of love. Richard Taylor designed the first Austin Air cleaner not to sell, but to help his own wife.

Richard’s wife Joyce had had trouble breathing since she was a child.  Doctors and specialists came and went; she tried medications and diet; nothing made any difference.  Only when Joyce was actually living in hospital cleanrooms did she have any relief.

Finally, Richard realized the simple truth:  Joyce was breathing contaminated air.

He decided to reproduce the air quality of the hospital cleanrooms in their own home.  He built an innovative air purifier, using medical-grade HEPA filters surrounded by activated carbon, covering his bases on chemical toxicity and environmental particulate contamination. And within a week, Joyce could, at last, sleep through the night. Today Austin Air’s HealthMate Purifier is the top choice for leading doctors in the United States and beyond.

So, if you need a solution to help with your allergies, I recommend any Austin Air Purifier. At The Allergy Guy, we offer a variety of Austin Air products. To get more information or purchase, click here.

Hello. The Allergy Guy here.

Can you believe it is already October? It’s finally starting to feel like fall, but the challenge that fall brings is seasonal allergies. As you may know, there are two types of allergies, seasonal and perennial.  Seasonal allergies have specific periods of time in which they are present in the environment in large quantities, where as perennial allergies are present through out the year.

One of the most common causes for fall allergies is the ragweed plant. Did you know that a single plant can produce one billion pollen grains per season. Ragweed grows abundantly throughout the South, North, and Midwest, and its lightweight pollen grains can travel up to 400 miles in the wind. It is for this reason, that the ragweed plant has such an impact on people with seasonal allergies.

If you suffer from allergies, you know that the most common allergy symptoms are runny nose, sneezing, itchy throat, itchy eyes, sinus headaches etc. Today I want to remind you that there are solutions for fall allergy sufferers, and The Allergy Guy can help.

One of our best selling products during allergy season is the SinuPulse Elite. It was developed and engineered in Switzerland to be the best and most advanced nasal sinus irrigation system in the world complete with state-of-the-art electronics and Intellipulse™ technology. The SinuPulse Elite® is an award-winning sinus irrigation system which features the patented SinuMist® function.  It is the only sinus irrigator capable of delivering both a gentle pulsating mist spray for doctor recommended rinses, solutions, or simple moisturizing and a more thorough cleansing pulsating rinse to clear the sinuses and massage the nasal cilia to their normal, healthy state. It really is like having two units in one!  The oscillating stream of saline gently breaks down bio-film and frees your cilia to help you clear your sinuses of infections and foreign substances that can lead to chronic infections and allergy symptoms.

The SinuPulse Elite is a soothing drug free device to relieve symptoms caused by sinus infections, sinusitis, allergies and the common cold including: post nasal drip, cough, congestion, sinus headaches, and irritated nasal passages.

What are you going to do to get through this fall allergy season? We have great deals and discounts on the SinuPulse Elite and other allergy relief products. To learn more or if you would like to purchase, click here.

Hello. The Allergy Guy here.

This is a friendly reminder that Bed Bug Awareness Month is slowly coming to a close. And with that said, we’d like to share quick recap of the September highlights and remind you that in honor of Bed Bug Awareness Month, we are giving our readers 10% off all purchases. All you have to do is enter the coupon code BBAM when you checkout. And now for the highlights. September has been a great month, filled with new Bed Bug news, The 2011 Bed Bug Summit in Chicago, and new product launches.

In terms of news, some our the most noteworthy new pieces that came out this month had to do with the CDC releasing new findings, saying that bed bug pesticides make people sick. We are a big proponent of Cryonite, and our friends at Rest Assured MC did a great blog entry discussing one of the articles that came out around the subject. The net take away from their post is this: Why not use cryonite as a chemical-free, non-toxic and safe alternative to using pesticides to remove bed bugs. Click here to read the post.

Another highlight from the month is the Bed Bug Summit that happened on September 25-27th in Chicago. The conference offered the most up to date research, information and comprehensive treatment strategies for bed bugs. There were 16 research entomologists under one roof all discussing bed bugs. Kind of a scary thought, but totally fascinating! I was there and I truly enjoyed!

The last thing I’d like to highlight that happened in September is the release of the new PackTite Heating Chamber. As mentioned in a previous blog post titled, “PackTight Bug Bug Killing Heat Closet – Now Available for Purchase in Canada” people can now travel without having to worry about bring home hitch hiking bed bugs. This is a really great product and we are really excited about the the piece of mind it will give frequent travelers. If you’d like to purchase a PackTite Heating Chamber, click here.

If you are looking for any allergy relief or bed bug solution products please feel free to visit our site and get 10% off your purchase using code BBAM at checkout.

Enjoy your last few days of September!

Hello. The Allergy Guy here.

Are you looking for a chemical-free way to clean your home? How about ways to loosen dirt, grease and grime? Today let’s talk about the Vapamore Steam cleaning system. By using dry heat, steam cleaners can get rid of mold, mildew, allergens, viruses and more. And, the best new yet, is that if you use a steam cleaner, you can get rid of all of your traditional cleaning products.

Think about how much time and money you spend on household cleaning products? It costs a fortune – and you need a different product for each room. With the Vapamore Steam Cleaner, you can deep clean, sanitize and deodorize all in one step – and the best news yet is that steam cleaning is environmentally friendly too. I recommend using the Vapamore Steam Cleaner to loosen dirt and grim and kill germs and bacteria without using toxic chemicals and not just for one room, but for the whole house!

Here is a great video of a Green & Clean Mom doing an honest product review for the Vapamore Steam Cleaner. I like this video because it is honest and really highlights the benefits of using steam. In addition, it also shows the product in action and not in a test environment.

For more information on steam cleaners or to purchase, please click here.

Also - In celebration of Bed Bug Awareness Month, use coupon code BBAM and get 10% off your order! Purchase a steam cleaner today!

Thank you.

Hello. The Allergy Guy Here and happy Monday to all.

I just wanted to share the good news! Per my post in the middle of August titled, “PackTite Bed Bug Portable Heating Unit Available in Canada” – the PackTite Bud Bug Portable Closet is now available for purchase!

The PackTite Closet Portable Bed Bug Killing Heater Unit uses patent pending heating technology to safely eliminate all stages of bed bugs by heating contents up to over 120 degrees F for a sustained period.

Just as a friendly reminder, the PackTite Closet is a safe, non-chemical way to treat your luggage and personal items for bedbugs and features a timer to select heating times of up to six hours. PackTite Closet is designed to work as a preventive measure for travelers, especially frequent business travelers who stay at hotels.

Many hotels have low-level bed bug infestations that are very hard to detect by visual inspection. Careful travelers can place their luggage and belongings in the PackTite Closet and start up the heater upon returning from a trip and the PackTite Closet will kill any bed bugs that have crawled into the luggage or on clothes. This is a great way to eliminate the possibility of getting bed bugs who may have hitch hiked their way onto your suitcase.

And as we are celebrating Bed Bug Awareness Month we have decided to do something special for our loyal customers and blog readers.

We would like to offer a 10% discount on any AllergyGuy.com Purchase!

Just enter coupon code: BBAM to get 10% off your final purchase.

So now that you know, click on the link and make a purchase!

TheAllergyguy.com

Hello. The Allergy Guy here.

Over the past month I have been getting a lot of emails asking me what is the one product I’d recommend for a dorm room. The answer is a mattress cover. I previously outlined this in a post from August titled, “Bed bugs in college dorms,” but today I’ll dive a little bit deeper as to why I’d recommend the Hybrid Bugstop Mattress Covers - XL Twin as the product I’d give to my child as they go back to school.

The reason for recommending this particular brand is that the exterior of the mattress cover is made of polyester stretch knit and the upper interior is lined with a polyurethane membrane. The Hybrid Bugstop mattress cover uses a special tight zipper with very tiny teeth, an interior flap and an exterior seal, that does not allow bed bugs in or out even if the zipper is not 100% zipped. This means that your mattress is 100% protected.

However, it is good to check your mattress every now and then for bed bugs as not everyone has an allergic reaction to their bits. So, from a maintenance perspective, the cover need only to be washed every 3 or 4 months if there is no bed bug problem. In addition, between washings, I’d recommend simply wiping the mattress cover down with a damp cloth or vacuum with each linen change.

The challenge with college dorms is that there is a lack of sitting areas for students and dorm rooms become the official hang out. As a result, it is really easy for bed bugs to spread – via clothing, backpacks, suitcases, etc. If something has fabric on it, you can consider it a vehicle for a bed bug.

So, the first step to protecting your children against bed bugs is a mattress cover and I recommend the Hybrid Bugstop Mattress Cover as it comes in XL Twin size, which is perfect for a dorm room.

To get 10% off, please use the promotion code BBAM. We appreciate our loyal customers and are happy to reward them with a discount.

Have a great weekend!

Today the 1^st of September 2011, history has been made by Cimex lectularius AKA: Bedbugs. This September is the first ever bed bug awareness month, which will be promoted across North America.

The month of September was chosen for multiple reasons. As we know from other posts bedbugs are normally contacted and transported via people who are traveling.  As most people vacation, stay in hotels and use mass transit more frequently during the summer months; the chances of coming across bed bugs are more likely.

Also September is back to school time and bedbugs are brought home via children from the preschool age through University students. Bedbugs are all too common in college dorms, due to the close quarters and everyone sitting on each other’s beds.

What’s more is that Bed Bug Awareness Month will conclude with the Bed Bug University: North American Summit. The weekend of Saturday September 24^th kicks off the 2011 conference in Rosemont, IL (just outside Chicago).

Over the next month you can expect to become more aware about these common pests. Check back for promotional videos that will aim to educate the public about bedbug prevention and eradication.

Unfortunately, bed bugs have become a reality in far to many places across this planet. And as an industry we are taking measures to limit the spread and infestation of these nasty creatures.

In lieu of Bed Bug Awareness Month we have decided to do something special. We would like to extend an offer to our loyal customers and blog readers and would like to offer a 10% discount on any AllergyGuy.com Purchase!

Just enter promo code: BBAM to get 10% off your final purchase.

So now that you know, click on the link and make a purchase!

TheAllergyguy.com

Hello, the Allergy Guy here.

As August is coming to a close that means one thing for both parents and their kids: It’s time to go back to school.

As I previously advised in an entry from earlier this month, Bed bugs in college dorms, as a parent, I recommend that you purchase a mattress cover for your child to protect their bed against bed bugs. As with most college apartments and dorms, a bed acts as a couch since space is usually limited. This means that spreading bed bugs is easy. By having a mattress cover, you can prevent bed bugs from settling and nesting in your bed that may be brought over accidentally by your friends.

But, sometimes unwanted things happen. If this is the case, I want to share one of my favorite products with you that can be helpful in dorm or apartment settings: Bed Bug 911 Exterminator Enzyme Activated Laundry Treatment. This is a great, all-natural product that you use in conjunction with your laundry detergent to remove bed bugs from your linens. Bed Bug 911 Exterminator Enzyme Laundry Treatment uses scientifically proven active ingredients to eliminate insects in your wash cycle. The product’s enzymes react violently with insects’ outer shell, killing them in one wash. Exterminator laundry detergent can be used to eliminate all unwanted pests including bed bugs, lice, fleas and dust mites from all clothes and bedding.

To learn more about this product or to purchase, please click here.

The long delay is almost over, and we will soon be selling PackTite Portable Heat Units in Canada. This is great news, but first lets take a step back and explain the questions you are all wondering: What is a PackTite?

Well, obviously it is an item used in bed bug prevention, which is why the Allergy Guy is selling the PackTite; but more importantly it is a safe non-toxic, non-chemical portable device that KILLS BEDBUGS!

The PackTite is a portable heating device that you can take with you to make sure you sterilize your belongings when you are on the go. Unfortunately it is very difficult to predict if your hotel will have bedbugs and we are not going to bring a steam cleaner with us to sterilize the bed before we sleep in it. We make sure to take all the appropriate steps we have previously talked about. We try to use tools and technology like the bedbug registry to prevent the occurrence of sleeping with bedbugs, but lets be honest, we can never know for sure. So the PackTite is a great solution to ensure you don’t bring bedbugs home with you.

If you travel or have children in college the PackTite will be your best friend. As we know hotels, dormitories and public transportation are common places where people contract bedbugs. These are closed quarters with a lot different people coming and going, some of whom transport bedbugs. Bedbugs feed on blood, and we are most vulnerable when we are sleeping, hence the name.

So for people in these situations the PackTite is a great tool to prevent taking bedbugs with you. Simply place your belongings in the PackTite, turn it on and your clothing and suitcase are heated to a degrees that kills bedbugs. Any of the would be hitchhikers and their eggs would be killed and not brought home with you.

This is also a must have for anyone who is moving out of a place that once had bedbugs. Make sure you sterilize all of your belongings before you pack to move into a new home. Don’t bring bedbugs with you!

The exact date of when this will be available is still to be determined, but rest assured we will have them in stock soon. Feel free to drop us a line and we will make sure to send you one as soon as they become available.

Sleep PackTite and don’t let the bedbugs bite!