Frequently asked questions

How to buy a ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites bed cover ?
How to pick the right size ?

It is essential to know the exact dimensions of your bedding elements, because ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites bed covers are full covers, that completely enclose bedding elements. If you have any doubt about those dimensions, do not hesitate to measure them yourselves. If you want to buy a mattress cover, think about measuring its thickness (height).


NEVER BUY A COVER SMALLER THAN THE BEDDING ELEMENT TO PROTECT ! The textile is not stretchable and pulling on stitches can lower the cover’s efficacy.

My mattresses thickness is 21 cm. What size should my cover be ?

Once you have measured your mattresses thickness (height), add 2 cm to it. If your mattresses thickness is 21 cm, consider a thickness of 23 cm. Because you should always buy a size up, you should buy a thickness of 27 cm for a Noxaalon® cover, and of 28 cm for a Texaal® cover. If you have any doubt, we are at your disposal by phone at 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries).

Advice : when you measure your mattresses dimensions, do it at its ends, where it is thicker.

I cannot find the sizes I am looking for.

As a manufacturer, ProtecSom® offers tailor-made solutions. To calculate the price of your cover, the section « Tailor-made cover » is at your disposal. A manufacturing delay of 48h adds to the standard delay. You can always contact us by phone at 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries).

How to place an order ?

You can place an order :

  • On our website : http://shop-allergy-en.protexom.com/.
  • By phone, at 02 33 88 70 94 in France or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries).
  • By mail. Our brochure « Dust mites Allergy » includes an order form. You can return it to the following addresses:

FRANCE

Protec’Som

Libre Réponse 67032

50700 Valognes

(postage prepaid)

 

INTERNATIONAL

Protec’Som

Espace d’Armanville

BP 46

50700 Valogne

  • Through a pharmacy or medical supplies retailer, who can contact contact us at 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries)
How can I pay ?

You can pay by wire transfer, by cheque or bank card (CB, Visa, MasterCard, American Express).


Payment with bank card are effected in partnership with the Crédit mutuel’s secured site (CM-CIC P@iment) to protect the exchange of information. For more details on bank card payment, visit the section « Secured payment ». For more details on payment terms, visit the section « General terms and conditions of sales » on our website.

Can we pay in instalments ?

You can pay in 2 instalments with no fees for every order above 100€, and in 3 instalments with no fees for every order above 150€. This may be done by cheque or bank card.  A first contact by phone at 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries) is necessary to record your demand and inform you on the procedure.

What is the delivery time ?

Every order is treated within a maximum of 48 business hours. Several delivery modes are available to you :

  • Colissimo Suivi (La Poste), in 48 to 72h for Metropolitan France (excluding weekends and public holidays. For other countries please contact us).
  • Chronopost, in 24h for Metropolitan France (excluding weekends and public holidays. For other countries please contact us).

For more details on shipping costs, visit the section « General conditions of sales » on our website. Where you can find shipping costs across countries.


Delivery being carried out by la poste or another private company, ProtecSom® cannot guarantee a date or precise time for the delivery of your parcel.

In France, are anti-dust mites covers reimbursed by the French social security ?

Anti-dust mites covers are not reimbursed by the French social security. Hence, they are only rarely covered by insurances.

I would like to order fabric by the meter. Can I order 3,5 mètres ?

You can buy on our e-shop full meter only. For every specific order, contact us by phone 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries).

I already have a ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mite cover
Is it necessary to buy a new mattress before installing my cover?

ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mite covers are complete covers, that completely enclose bedding elements. They form an impenetrable barrier for dust mites allergens. The wear condition of your bedding elements has no importance. So, it is not necessary to buy a new mattress. However, before installing your cover, vacuum your mattress carefully (by means of a vacuum cleaner equipped with a filter HEPA) while making sure to ventilate thoroughly the room where it is located before, during and after this operation.

How to install my anti-dust mite cover?
  1. Before installing your cover, we recommend you machine wash it once.
  2. Don’t forget to thoroughly ventilate the room before, during and after the installation. You can also use a mask of filtration FFP2 during the installation.
  3. Strip bare your mattress, duvet, and pillow.
  4. Shake vigorously your pillow and duvet outside. We recommend to wash them at 60°C or to put them into the freezer for 24 hours to get rid of dust mites. Do not forget to vacuum them out after putting them into the freezer, to eliminate all dust mites’ wastes.
  5. Vacuum your mattress carefully.
  6. Enclose each element in its encasing then properly stagger the flap under the zip and zip it up.
  7. Put your usual sheets on top of ProtecSom’s covers.

We deliberately chose to reduce the openings to a strict minimum (zip on one side carrying over 25 cms on 2 other sides for the mattress’s covers), because openings are a potential source of allergens leakage. The fewer openings there are, the more efficient your cover is. Get help to put your mattress in the encasing, it will be easier. You will find included in your parcel a user manual, containing installation tips. We are also at your disposal by telephone in 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or in 33 (0) 2.33.88.70.94 (other countries) for any questions you may have.

Do I have to wash my cover before its installation ?

Before installing your cover, we recommend you first machine wash it. It will allow for Noxaalon®’s covers to become supple and Texaal®’s covers to begin to shrink (shrinkage margins are included during your cover manufacture).

There is no contraindication to the use of common laundry detergent. The use of household bleach and solvents is on the other hand to be banned. Anti-dust mite covers must not be washed with a fabric softener.

My Texaal® Cotton cover is bigger than what I ordered. Is it normal?

Shrinkage rates of Texaal® Cotton after washes are known, a 1 to 4% margin is therefore included in the manufacture of our covers. To facilitate the cover installation and guarantee its efficiency, 3 cm margins are also added on its length and width

What precautionary measures to take besides the use of an anti-dust mite cover ?

Anti-dust mite covers are part of a set of measures taken to fight dust mites allergy. Their use alone is not sufficient and must be supplemented by the implementation of additional evictions measures:


  • Air the room every day for at least 15 minutes;
  • Maintain the temperature of the room at 19°C maximum;
  • Maintain humidity level between 40 % and 50 % (use a hygrometer) and avoid plants in the room;
  • Avoid dust traps: trinkets, stuffed animals, rugs, carpets …;
  • Regularly vacuum carpets and curtains, get rid of them if you can;
  • Avoid the presence of pets in the room;
  • If possible, replace heavy wall hangings by fine and washable textiles and carpets by a washable ground;
  • Prefer a slatted bed (metallic or wooden) to a boxspring bed;

Regularly wash your bedding elements.

How to wash my anti dust mite cover ?

You can wash your anti dust mite cover in a washing machine. The wash can be done at 60°C. All of Protecsom covers are designed for frequent washes up to 60 °C (100 wash/dry cycles for Texaal® covers and 50 wash/dry cycles for Noxaalon® covers). Protecsom’s covers are suitable for tumble drying.


Noxaalon covers have to be washed with the zip closed ; Texaal covers have to be washed with the zip opened. You will find this information on the composition label of your cover.


The use of household bleach or any other type of bleaching agent is to be avoided.

We also advise against the use ethylene-perchlorure or petroleum solvents (mineral spirits). Do not bring your cover to dry cleaning establishments ( they use chemical that can be allergenic). You can find these maintenance recomandations in the packaging of your covers.

How often should we wash our covers ?

Two washes per year are enough for anti dust mite mattress covers used under a fitted sheet. Anti dust mite duvet and pillow covers have to be washed once a month. Consider also washing  your classic sheets (fitted sheet, duvet and pillow covers) once a week. You can find these maintenance recommandations in the packaging and the notice of your covers.

I would like to exchange my cover ? How can i do ?

You have 14 days after the reception date to return the products in  perfect condition and to ask us for a refund or exchange.

For hygenic reasons, opened products cannot be returned. You can contact us by phone at +33 (0)2 33 88 70 94 (in France) or through our contact formular at contact@optimhal-protecsom.com ; In most cases, only the shipment costs will be at your charge. When changing dimensions between exchanged covers, do not forget to include the price difference. The exchange is made as from the reception of your parcel by ProtecSom.


Tailor-made products can not be refunded or exchanged. No return will be made without prior contact  in which we will give you a return number.

My cover ripped appart. What should I do ?

You can contact our customer service by phone at  +33 (0)2 33 88 70 94 (in France) or through our contact formular at contact@optimhal-protecsom.com so that we can process your request.  In case of a manufacturing defect, you will automatically benefit from the  guarantee (lifetime  guarantee for any manufacturing defect for Texaal covers and 10 year guarantee for any manufacturing defect for Noxaalon covers). Protec’som will cover the shipment costs. If your cover can be  repaired, we will return it fixed to you within 48 to 72 hours after the reception of the parcel. Covers are repaired in house in  our sewing workshop.


If your cover can not repaired, we will proceed to  exchange it  with a new one.

I just found out that I am allergic to dust mites
What are dust mites ?

House dust mites are microscopic arachnids, invisible to the naked eye (between 170 and 500 microns). Dust mites account for 60% of all allergies. Mites alone are not the allergen, proteins contained in its dejections and particles from their corpses that cause allergic reactions.

Where can I get more informations on dust mites allergy ?

To obtain more information, you can visit our website www.protecsom.com or call us at 02.33.88.70.94 (France) or +33(0)2.33.88.70.94 (other countries). You can ask us to send you our explanatory booklets, delay is usually around 48h.

You can also reach out to the Asthme et Allergies a partner organization.

Why protect my bedding with a ProtecSom® anti-dust mites cover ?
The ISO 13485 medical quality

ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites covers are full barrier covers :

  • They fully enclose bedding elements (mattress, overlay mattress, duvet, pillow, bolster) forming a mechanical impenetrable barricade for dust mites’ allergens, that remain trapped, and therefore cannot reach the allergic patient.

They cut the dust mites’ food supply (skin flakes, dandruff,…). They also limit the colonisation of the beddings by dust mites.

ProtecSom’s choice : Texaal® and Noxaalon®

The laboratoire ProtecSom® is the only manufacturer of anti-dust mites covers proposing a large choice of range (Texaal® CotonTexaal® PolyesterNoxaalon® en Evolon®Noxaalon® Bamboo). You can then choose your protection according to your use and your budget, with the assurance of an absolute filtration efficacy, whatever the range.

Protec’Som’s anti-dust mites covers are not chemically treated, nor laminated, for optimum comfort and efficacy.

  • Do your different range have the same efficacy ?

A study from 2013 showed that ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites covers form a impenetrable barrier for allergens. Each range of ProtecSom®’s covers benefit from this absolute filtration efficiency. The only differences between ProtecSom®’s covers range are the textiles used and therefore their comfort and durability.

Certifications

ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites covers are class 1 medical device according to the European directive 93/42/CEE. They are designed for patients allergic to house dust mites and contribute actively to the reduction of symptoms linked to dust mites allergies. When used, they improve patients’ quality of life.

They are manufactures under the ISO 13485 process (norm for the fabrication of medical devices) ensuring the following features :

  • Efficacy of the device : medical utility of the device is continuously demonstrated (studies …)
  • Innocuity of the device : the device presents no risks to the patient (no chemical substances)
  • Continuous control and traceability : permanent controls are performed to ensure the conformity of each batches to the efficacy and innocuity standards defined when first place on the market.
  • Sincerity of the information provided to medical professionals and to patients : all information provided is conform to the information contained in the devices’ technical files.
  • Moreover, an annual audit is performed by an independant organism. The ISO 13485 certification can be suspended in case of a major non-conformity majeure, additional proof of quality throughout the lifetime of the product. More details on the ISO 13485 certification.

Oekotex : ProtecSom®’s covers innocuity is validated by an Oekotex 100 class 1 certificate, homologation particularly for contact with babies skin.

Durable efficacy and comfort
  • Are your covers chemically treated ?
  • ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites covers are not treated with chemicals, acaricide or not. Indeed, the use of an acaricide do not directly and immediately fight against dust mites allergy.  There are two reasons to this observation :
    • the treatment fades with each wash and is therefore not durable.
    • You are not directly allergic to dust mites, but rather their corpses and dejections. Killing dust mites do not prevent allergens from provoking allergic reactions by entering your respiratory tract.
  • Are your covers laminated ?
  • Protec’Som was the first laboratory to develop and market in France and Belgium non-laminated anti-dust mites covers. None of the range we offer is coated with polyurethane (laminated) for comfort. Laminated covers are noisy and increase the sleeping patient perspiration because of their high vapor resistance value (see below).
  • What are vapor resistance values ?
  • The measure of the vapor resistance correspond to the measure of the barrier to water vapor, and therefore to sweat evaporation. The higher the value, the bigger the barrier. A product with good breathability has a low vapor resistance value that should not exceed 5m².Pa/W.Values for ProtecSom’s anti-dust mites covers are :
    • Texaal® Coton : 3.1 m². Pa/W
    • Texaal® Polyester : 7.8 m². Pa/W
    • Noxaalon® en Evolon® : 2.4 m². Pa/W
    • Noxaalon® Bamboo : 2.2 m². Pa/W

  • What are the main differences between the ranges of anti-dust mites covers ?
  • ProtecSom®’s anti-dust mites covers have equal and complete allergen filtration efficacy. They are manufactured with different textiles affecting the covers’ lifetime and comfort.A table summarizes the major differences between our covers ranges, can be found in the  « Ranges comparison » section of our eboutique.