Being an Allergenius at the #aoCleans event

We were invited by ao.com to attend the #aocleans event at the Thinktank in Birmingham, where we were to learn all about what it takes to become an 'allergenius' with Hotpoint. With hayfever, asthma and eczema sufferers in my family, the subject of allergies is very relevant for me, and I was interested to find out how I can help Ian, Ella and Megan avoid the misery of allergies.

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!

Anti-Allergy Baby Bedding

One in five children in the UK are now diagnosed with asthma and allergic rhinitis.  Household dust mites are said to affect 80% of sufferers. Allersafe Anti Allergy Baby Bedding offers relief helping to dramatically reduce the growth of dust mite allergens deep inside the bedding and not just on the surface.   They provide a healthier sleeping environment for those sensitive to household dust mite allergens and prevent the sensitisation that leads to asthma, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis.  Allersafe bedding is blended with Amicor Pure fibre, an intelligent fibre with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives inside. It creates an environment that is not suitable for dust mites to survive.  The Allersafe baby range has been designed for gentle and safe protection from irritations and provides luxurious, allergy free bedding for your little ones to sleep in.

Allersafe Baby Bedding

We were sent a 4.0 Tog Cot Bed Allersafe Duvet to try out, perfect for the warmer weather.  The quality of the duvet was instantly apparent with the jacquard stripe cover and satin piped edging.  Although it is very light it feels snug and the cassette design ensures the even distribution of the filling.  It is very reassuring to know that the filling prevents the growth of dust mites within the duvet itself, the thought of my precious Freddy sharing his bed with millions of uninvited guests actually gives me the shivers!  

The duvet comes with the Allergy UK Seal of Approval.  It is also machine washable and can be tumble dried keeping it hygienically clean and safe.  


The Allersafe range includes pillows, mattress protectors, bed linen and duvets from Cot Bed to Super King size and from 4.0 to 13.5 Tog. This means that you can allergy-proof the entire sleeping area of any family member.  Even tiny babies can sleep in an anti-allergy Allersafe Baby Sleeping Bag.  The 2.5 Tog sleeping bag is available in two sizes 0-6 and 6-18 months.


The Cot Bed 4.0 Tog is available for £24.99 with free P & P from allersafe.co.uk

Cleaning Up Student Digs

My daughter Megan is in her final year in University and lives in a shared house in Manchester.  As with most student housing, the landlord is more interested in taking the monthly rent cheque, than ensuring the comfort and safety of his tenants.  The house is old, poorly insulated and damp.  There is no double glazing or ventilation, so every time someone showers, cooks...or even breathes, condensation forms.

Recently I received a phone call from Meg in a state of utter disgust.  She decided to re-arrange her room and was horrified to discover that the wall behind her bed and wardrobe was covered in thick, black mould.  The damp in her room had saturated the wallpaper causing it to be a haven for fungus. Meg is asthmatic and has always been worse after sleeping in her room, clearly lying just inches away from the wall and breathing in mould and mildew spores isn't good for one's lungs.

Once the mould was discovered, Meg was able to don her rubber gloves and scrub at it with a bleach solution until it was virtually gone.  But the underlying problem of the damp room still existed.  The landlord told her to leave her window open all day...not the best advice given that their house has already been burgled through one of her housemate's open windows just a few weeks ago.

I do believe however that we may have a solution to the problem of dampness and condensation in her room.  As if by some cosmic action, timed to perfection, I was contacted to see if I wanted to try a Unibond Humidity Absorber.  I gratefully accepted the offer on behalf of my daughter in need!

Everyday activities can create up to 12 litres of unwanted moisture in the air each day.  In areas with poor circulation, this moisture condenses.  This leads to peeling wallpaper, mould and mildew, damp and increases allergens in the air.  The Unibond Humidity Absorber absorbs up to 30% of the excess moisture, converting it into a salty solution and neutralising odours and combating air borne allergens.  It uses a special 2 in 1 power tab that is placed into the top of the device.  Its active ingredients convert humidity into a solution that collects in the tank below and can be poured away easily.  One tab lasts for 6-8 weeks.

We were sent the large Humidity Absorber which is suitable for a room up to 20 metres squared.  It comes with two 450g power tabs.  A smaller version is available containing two 300g power tabs which is suitable for smaller rooms up to 10 metres squared.

The device itself is not an eye sore and can sit quite discreetly on a window sill doing its job, sucking the moisture out of the room.  It is a surprise to see water droplets forming within 24 hours and every drop in the tank is a drop that isn't causing dampness in Meg's room.  As a parent to a university student, I think this is a very reasonable method of combating the problem of a damp room.  Hopefully Meg will be able to sleep better and breathe easier in her room now.

The Large Humidity Absorber is £19.99, the small one is £13.99 with the refill tabs costing £9.99 and £7.99 respectively.

I received the product in order to do this review, but the opinions are all mine!