Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where are Mitex Allergy Relief Covers available to purchase?

They are available to purchase direct from us at www.mitex.ie,

2. What is the difference between Mitex Anti-Allergy Covers and other products available in the department stores?

A. Our covers are full zip closure encasements putting a barrier between the allergy sufferer and dust mites and their allergens contained in their bedding.
With 40 to 60,000 dust mites in the average pillow and 1 to 2 million dust mites in the average mattress, our fully enclosed, zipped encasement covers give you total protection from house dust mites.
B. Mitex High Efficiency Filtration Fabric has been independently tested by the IOM and proved to be 99.995% effective @ 0.35 of a micron, more than 11 times smaller than a house dust mite allergen. A house dust mite allergen starts at 4 microns and clusters up to 20 to 30 microns across. At this size, the multi-layered tight weave of Mitex fabric is 100% effective.

3. Would you notice the Mitex cover on your bed, is it hot and sticky?

No, our covers are made of high filtration fabric, which are fully breathable.
So it allows heat and moisture to pass through yet the weave is so tight it will not allow dust mites or their allergens through. There is no obvious difference to your bed when the mattress or pillows are fitted, once on you will forget they are there. Duvet covers, while made of the same fabric as the mattress and pillow covers may take longer to settle down as the duvet has no weight on-top of it. Washing the duvet will help the fabric to settle.

4. Is the fabric waterproof?

Our fabric is water resistant, so if you say spill a glass of water on the cover, it will bead like mercury and can be dabbed off with a cloth without a drop passing through to your mattress. The covers are however also fully breathable so moisture will pass through, meaning they do not get hot to sleep on as perspiration and body heat can pass through.

5. Are they easy to fit?

Yes, however if you are fitting a mattress cover to any size over a single bed it is a two-man job. It is also recommended in the case of highly allergic people to have friends or family who are unaffected by dust mites to put the covers on for them, or if they asthma/allergy sufferer has to put it on themselves, to wear a suitable dust mask as moving the mattress around will disturb allergen.

6. Are the covers machine washable? Alleviating symptoms of asthma, eczema and hayfever /rhinitis, our full encasement covers, all with zip closure envelope all of your mattress, duvet and pillows.

This ensures that your new bed, pillow and duvet remain dust mite, and dust mite allergen free, including keeping your bed free of organic matter (dead skin cells) and therefore free also from fungal and bacterial waste.

Yes, they are machine washable up to 60°,Anything over 54° will kill dust mites. They should be air dried after washing, if putting in a tumble dryer, please dry on a low heat setting. DO NOT IRON.

7. How often do they need to be washed?

You may wash then as often as you feel necessary, however we would suggest about once every 12 months.

8. Should I get rid of my feather and down pillow and duvet and replace them with anti-allergy pillows?

No, it is a common myth that feather pillows are worse for allergy sufferers than hollow-fibre. An anti-allergy pillow you buy in any department store that states it is anti-allergy does so because it uses a hollow fiber filling, A study published in the British Medical Journal in 1996 found that polyester fibre pillows actually contained more grams of fine dust than feather pillows. Dust mites can live very happily in hollow fiber duvets and pillows.

9. Are Memory foam mattresses free of dust mites?

The same is true for memory foam mattresses and according to a study published in European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in June 2002, the risk of finding dust mites is four times higher in foam mattresses compared to spring mattresses and eight times higher for the foam mattresses without cover.
The open cell structure of memory foam is prone to taking in large numbers of dust mites. Conventional foam beds made of closed-cells also allow dust mites in, just not as many as memory mattresses do.

10. How do I claim the VAT Back? Is it through my MED 1?

Do I have to be registered for VAT?
No, much easier than that, simply fill out form VAT61a,
Enter your details, under Nature of Disability state Asthma,
And return the completed form along with a copy of your Mitex invoice
To revenue in Monaghan, you should receive a cheque back within a matter of days.
Mitex Allergy Relief Barrier Covers are registered in Ireland as a class 1 Medical Device with the HRPA formerly the Irish Medicines Board.
the pdf form can be downloaded here;
www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/forms/vat61a.pdf
And returning it to the revenue commissioners @
FREEPOST,
Central Repayments Office,
M: TEK II Building,
Armagh Road, Monaghan.