I attended the event with Freddy, Ella and Kezia. The kids are always up for joining in with whatever fun is on offer and were excited to take part!
The focus of the allergy advice was surrounding dust mites and pollen, both factors in some very common and unpleasant allergic conditions. 1 in 4 Brits suffer from home based allergies and are six times more likely to turn to medication rather than find an in-house solution to reducing allergens. In fact only 1 in 10 say that they actively attempt to reduce the allergen levels in their home, even though there are steps that can be taken.
Hotpoint have a washing machine with an anti-allergy cycle to help avoid the effect of allergens, especially on bedding. They use high temperatures and extra rinses to remove up to 99.9% of major allergens found in homes. Investing in a good vacuum cleaner with anti-allergy functionality and a steam mop, are efficient ways of reducing exposure to allergens on flooring and hard surfaces. Using a condenser dryer on an anti-allergy cycle, especially for bedding, can remove 99.9% of dust mites, pollen, fungi and bacteria. In fact, line drying laundry can actually cause washing to become contaminated with pollen, which is not good for hayfever sufferers.
The children took part ion a range of fun activities including playing some games, which helped the little ones learn about dust mites, cleaning and laundry. They even played musical statues to the sound of a vacuum cleaner! There was a treasure hunt where the children hunted for allergens hidden in a mock up living room, searching under the sofa, inside lampshades, under cushions and in the carpet!
The adults were able to chat with the knowledgeable experts and find out about the Hotpoint appliances and how they can help in the fight against household allergies. I loved the look of the washing machine and dryer that they had on display.
They made some pretty spring flowers using tissue paper, pom poms and pipe cleaners, while learning about pollen and hayfever.
They also did some colouring in, adding their own colourful twist to the cheeky allergen characters!
We enjoyed a lovely lunch and completed the day by visiting Thinktank, where Freddy enjoyed dressing up, pressing buttons and looking at the exhibits, before playing in the brilliant Science Garden.
Freddy had a great day and learned a lot about how to get rid of allergens, in fact he got his very own certificate and t-shirt to prove it!
If you are an allergy sufferer there is some great advice available at allergyuk.org and on the Hotpoint Allergy Week page, which includes details of the products with anti-allergy functionality. Also take a look at ao.com where you will find thousands of household appliances to suit your needs!