Sleep Healthy

It's all in the DEETails

Guest blogger: Michael Earnheart, RI Showroom Mgr., 06/25/10

 

Longer, sunlit days, lemonade, children laughing and playing out of doors all add up to the brilliance of summer. However, if there is one thing we can collectively do without during this sun-soaked season is the mosquito bite.

 

I don't know about you, but I use enough insect repellent during the summer that I should be considered for some kind of tax write-off, this rivals my use of sunblock. Yet, I am fine with paying for it in order to prevent bites. Mosquitoes can carry a variety of nasty things with them, including West Nile Virus, malaria, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEC).

 

As bad as this sounds, what is even more disconcerting is the active ingredient in most insect repellents. It is called DEET, a chemical compound developed by the United States Military following its experience with jungle warfare. It came on the market for civilian use in 1957, but was originally used as a pesticide on farms fields.1

 

While DEET remains the gold standard for insect repellent in the most wide-arch of circumstances, it is important to understand that it can cause reactions in high dosages with people that skin sensitivity. Rashes, swelling, blisters and tenderness are reported. It has also been reported, but not conclusively linked to seizures.2

 

“So, what are my alternatives?” you ask. There are a lot of insect repellent brands on the market, a heavy hitter competitively is the active ingredient Picaridin, it is structurally based on the chemicals in pepper. It has been available in the US since 2005. It appears to interfere with the ability of the mosquito to smell its prey, but is not as effective on non-scent reliant varieties of mosquitoes. Fortunately, the A. aegypti, one of the prominent disease-carrying mosquitoes is repelled by this solution. Picaridin is also significantly less irritating to the skin, so for those with skin sensitivity may find this a great alternative. Oil of lemon eucalyptus and soy oil perform on par with DEET products, lasting up to seven hours. As with any product, it is necessary to follow precautions and read the directions thoroughly before applying to children, especially infants.

 

As with most bad things, prevention is the best solution to a problem. Keep yourself well-covered while out of doors, check your mosquito forecast and remove still water from your property, as this is where mosquitoes breed!

 

All of us at The Clean Bedroom wish you all a scratch-free, sun-filled summer!

 

He Sells Sheet Sets by the Seashore

Guest Blogger: Michael Earnheart, RI Showroom Manager, 06/16/10

Despite the wash of gray that remained present for the majority of time the Rachel, the Kittery, ME Showroom Manager was down in Rhode Island, we made the sun shine indoors.

Rachel traveled down to Wickford, RI to train me! Rachel loves to laugh and I love to tell jokes. It was a perfectly copacetic relationship! In addition to a bright and cheery personality, Rachel brought with her an incredible amount of knowledge that was easily digestible to a novice purveyor of fine bedding.

We went over the mattresses we offer, my personal favorite being the Savvy Rest as firm as possible! The benefit of this mattress is the ability to have the three latex layers cut in half and as firm or as soft as desired. The assembly was pretty easy, when Chris and I put it together last week it reminded me of constructing a giant, three-layer pound cake. Now both people in the bed can be happy, sleeping just the way they want!

One of the most interesting things I have learned about is the European Dowel Foundation underneath our Green Sleep Vimala Natural Rubber Mattress. Incorporating two-independently operating sleep zones, the foundation offers appropriate support on areas of the body that need it most – to further this, the polymer anchors are adjustable, truly offering you a custom sleep experience, absolutely brilliant!

Coyuchi is a fun name to say and they offer some seriously stunning linens. Although recently redoing their colour pallet, I still found the Coyuchi Organic Cotton Percale Sheets in ivory to be really wonderful.

What sleep experience would be complete without a pillow? We have lots and lots of pillows; we have shredded latex pillows, millet pillows, solid latex pillows my favorite is our Suite Sleep All-Natural Kapok Pillow. While I am well aware that a pillow is a very, very personal choice, I like this particular pillow so much because it is adjustable! You can add or remove kapok to adjust the firmness and fullness based upon your sleeping preferences and so it pairs perfectly with those who want flexibility and I love flexibility. Also, a pretty neat fact: Kapok is the material inside of life belts! However, The Clean Bedroom does not recommend the use of this pillow as a flotation device!

This is just a small sampling of what I have learned through my reading and Rachel's dutiful instruction.

Now that I have had the chance to share with you what I like and what I know, why not come over to Wickford, RI and tell me what you like?

A Welcome Start

Guest blogger: Michael Earnheart, Showroom Manager

We went to war over the past weekend. We went to war with cardboard. Thankfully, our muscle, a deceptively roomy Audi Allroad Wagon and our friends at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Center helped us come out on top. "I never want to see another piece of cardboard again," said Chris. We laughed. Ted, Chris and I spent the days working, but constantly smiling.

My name is Michael Earnheart and in an earlier blog post I was introduced to you as The Clean Bedroom’s new showroom manager in Wickford, RI. Being here this past week has allowed me to reflect on several things and discern some gratitudes.

I am very pleased with the shape Wickford, RI is taking. It is most satisfying to see something transform from an idea, into reality and I am confidant that this sentiment is shared universally. I am still learning a great deal about this industry and eager to take in as much as a I can. Ultimately, it is my commitment to learning about what we have to offer and why the alternative choice, should be the primary choice. I find myself grateful for the hospitality of the community, the overt friendliness of our neighbors and the "Normal Rockwell" charm of this village.

I have already been afforded the opportunity to meet two wonderful families, both whom happily purchased from us and were pleased with the level of knowledge, the opportunity to try the product and offerings of a vast array of options to suit their specific needs.

My commitment to the green movement stems from other aspects of my life. From how I do my laundry, to how I clean up, to the food I eat, I am expunging harmful chemicals and compounds from my life as much as possible and I am certainly not alone.

I am looking forward to breathing in the sea air each day and sharing my positivity with all that I meet.

Thank you everyone for such a kind welcome.