If you have asthma or indoor allergies, particularly to dust mites, and are considering getting new beddings and pillows, you might want to wait a couple of weeks until the Allergy Standards Ltd releases their list of certified asthma-friendly beddings and pillows.

Allergy Standards Ltd has recently certified some high performance allergen-avoidance bedding as asthma friendly® and they will be available in stores in December.

If you can't, or won't, wait here are some pointers to consider when shopping for hypoallergenic bedroom linen and pillows:

• avoid allergen barrier encasings for mattresses, pillows or duvets made of hot, noisy fabrics, with plastic membranes, or with poor vapor transmissibility ('breathability')


• Choose fabrics that are unbleached, undyed and free of chemical irritants.


• Choose products that can be washed frequently at high temperatures in order to keep allergen levels low.


• Select products that have been thoroughly tested by an independent laboratory or that has a third party certification mark.

The AsthmaFriendly website also lists certified asthma-friendly soft toys and will also soon certify other allergy products such as vacuum cleaners, floorings, and air filtration devices. I'll keep you updated when the lists are up!