Building a healthy home may seem complicated or even overwhelming but by breaking down the various aspects of a build, the task can be simplified. Firstly consider the material the building is made from, then how the home is decorated or finished, which also includes the ventilation, and finally what we bring into the building and how we maintain the building.

The kitchen is an area of high traffic with many different sources of asthma and allergy triggers. Cooking and cleaning introduce particles and allergens into the air; flooring, paints and insulation can release potentially harmful chemicals; insects, attracted to food, can act as triggers; pollen is brought in on clothing from outside. Furniture, sealants, glues and home office equipment can emit harmful chemicals and furthermore, the kitchen is where a pet is most likely to spend its time

We know that people spend up to 90% of their life indoors and 30% of this time may be in the bedroom. Infants and young children spend even longer than this. Integral to the designing of a well-functioning bedroom are the concepts of comfort, wellness and health but the bedroom can be rife with asthma and allergy triggers with the potential to impact on these concepts and turn a bedroom into a negative space.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is the one that is most exposed to external factors. As a consumer it can be very difficult to know whether a textile has had a particular finish, and even more so to know what chemicals were used to deliver this finish. In order to provide consumers with a signpost for textiles that may be more suitable for them and the environment, a number of certification programs have been established

Being CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® gives a product an edge over its competitors in many ways. What is it exactly that makes an asthma & allergy friendly® textile stand out? Here are some useful questions and answers to make that advantage clear.

The global textile sector is enormous; in 2018 the value of the US textile sector was $78 billion and employed over 550,000 workers1. In 2017 China produced 79 billion metres of cloth2; that’s enough to go to the moon and back 100 times!

Textiles and clothes are a fundamental part of our everyday life however they also provide an excellent material for micro-organisms to grow on. Measures to prevent microbial growth on textiles and fabrics dates back to Egyptian times when mummy wraps were preserved using herbs and spices3.  Since then bamboo has been used in housing structures and design in China and in World War II a range of chemicals were used to impart antimicrobial activity to tents, tarpaulins and truck covers4. Prevention of microbial attack is essential for durability of the textile, in addition to potential use in prevention of transmission of disease.

We are constantly in contact with textiles in our environment and so safety and confidence in these products is vital. In this article, we talk about the dangerous chemicals and their health implications as well as the various ways to ensure that our clothes, bedding etc are free from dangerous chemicals.

Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) today announced that certain products in the AllerCot bedding line from Indo Count have passed the relevant Certification Standards.

IFAI Expo 2017 is organised by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) and takes place in New-Orleans, LA, from September 26-29, 2017.

As part of the Home Textiles Sourcing Expo last July 2017, Allergy Standards’ CEO, Dr John McKeon had the opportunity to talk with the Managing Editor of the magazine Textile Insight.

It is estimated that nearly 70% of USA households are impacted by asthma & allergies and that these households want independent assurance that the products they buy will not adversely impact them.

Dr John McKeon had the opportunity to meet with John Mowbray, Founder and Editor-in-chief of EcoTextile News at the Home Textiles Sourcing Expo.

Ahead of our attendance at day 2 of the New York Home Fashions Market September 2017 meeting I thought I would review a paper we produced some time back about textiles & allergies.

Ahead of their attendance at the New York Home Fashions Market September 2017 meeting, the ASL team have released their wrap up report and video blog of the Summer 2017 Seminar Series organized by Texworld USA, in New- York.

Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards Ltd., joins Stephanie Benedetto and Samanta Cortes on location at TexWorld USA 2017 in New York.

After the success of the New York Home Fashions Market Spring 2017, the ASL team will be attending the Summer 2017 Seminar Series organized by Texworld USA, next week in New York.

From March 27 – March 30 the Certification & ASL Team went to New York to attend New York Home Fashions Market Spring 2017, meeting with clients, attending industry seminars and speaking with key retailers.

On Wednesday May 24th the CEO and founder of Allergy Standards Limited, Dr. John McKeon, gave a webinar to representatives of retailers, manufacturers, component producers, and influencers in the textile industry.

Join Dr. McKeon – Allergy Standards CEO – for an informative webinar entitled “A $10 Billion Market. How Can Your Products Get the Right Reaction?” on Wednesday, February 22 at 12:00 Noon EST.