Stop Sneezing: No Drugs, No Drowsiness

If the first cold snap nixed what made you sneeze all fall, then why are you still sniffling? When it comes to allergies, what’s indoors can be just as bad, if not worse. The dust mites that love to live in your bed, your pillow, and other soft places you’ve been can also trigger allergies that leave you with a drippy nose and puffy eyes (the only good news is that mites don’t snore). These mites feed on skin cells that slough off you and into the fabrics you rub against, and it’s the mite poop you are allergic to.

But you may be able to turn your allergy symptoms down a notch by turning up the heat when you wash your bedding. Set your washer temp on "hot," and put the rinse cycle on "extra."

When bed sheets were washed in either super hot (140 degrees Fahrenheit) water or in steam, 100% of household dust mites in that bedding were killed. Not bad. Hot cycles worked best with dog dander, too, as did an extra rinse cycle.

If your washer doesn't have a temperature gauge, choose the hottest setting, and measure the water with a meat thermometer. Also, put something extra between you and the mites: Cover your pillow and mattress with cases that look and feel like regular linens but have a pore size of 1 micron. These keep the offenders at a distance between washes.