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I've been reading this forum for a while and am still trying to decide if a latex foam bed is right for use. My one concern with foam is that, at least for the open-cell viscoelastic Tempurpedic stuff, the resident dust mite population can hit 4-8 times the level of a standard spring air mattress. There is no data on latex foam and dust mites that I can find. The main factor though is the cell structure of the foam. Does anyone know if there are latex foam mattresses that have a more closed cell matrix? I imagine the trade off is decreased air circulation....correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks E |
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Dust mites do not eat cotton, they survive on human/animal dead skin cells and moisture, this is why they also live on our bodies and follow us wherever we go. Closed cell foam is actually the exact opposite of what you want when it comes to mites as with no airflow there is much more humidity build up. Dust mites like any other living organism we know of requires water to survive, this is why dust mites do not live inside the ventilation units of homes simply because the environment is too arid. Another misconception with most polyfoam in general whether it be the standard stuff used in coil mattresses or Tempurpedic is that there is a big difference in the cell structure, it is all open cell foam. Most all flexible polyurethane foam made is open cell foam, typical application being upholstery, closed cell foam is by nature not something you would want to use as an insulation material unless someone wants a rock hard mattress. Rigid polyurethane foam is closed cell, it has no comfort to it, and it feels very pneumatic because there is air trapped inside it. It is closed cell because it is typically used as an insulating material (like spray foam), the trapped air provides the insulation. Both flexible and rigid polyfoam are made of the exact same material and can be the exact same density. Most modern mattresses are highly susceptible to dust mite growth as well as any bacteria/mould/mildew/fungus. This is precisely because open cell or not synthetic materials do not breathe very well. Latex foam primarily only breathes better than other foams because of the pincushion structure to it. This increase in airflow helps to ventilate excess heat and humidity providing a climate that is less friendly to anything that normally wants to live in your mattress. 100% natural latex foam, especially dunlop rubber that has not been overly processed also contains natural proteins in the material that provide a natural resistant to many kinds of bacteria and mould, as well as reducing dust mite populations. Pure sheeps wool with a high lanolin content also has very good anti mite properties, because of its ventilation and the fact it does not trap moisture inside like polyester fibres, it is also very beneficial to have as a top surface layer of any bed. |