5285 Fox Street Opportunity in - Bane-Clene are proteins that have unique shapes that identify them...

IntroductionThis Special Report has been produced byMasterBlend®‚ to alert you to one of the biggestopportunities the professional cleaning industry mayever have to “do well by doing good”.

As a professional cleaner you are probably awarethat allergies and other allergic diseases such asasthma and sinusitis affect very large segments of thepopulation, in fact, between 50 and 70 millionAmericans.

While there are many types of allergies, thebiggest risk factors for the development of allergicdisease are found in the indoor environment. Theserisk factors are dust mite and pet allergens.

Allergies are developed largely by overexposure tothese and other allergens. And people with relativelymild allergies can develop very serious, chronic andeven life threatening illnesses if they continue to beexposed to such contaminants.

Until now the emphasis has been on trying toeliminate these substances from the indoorenvironment, which has been an extremely difficultand sometimes impractical task. Instead, drugs andallergy shots and plain old misery have been theprimary ways that patients have managed theirillnesses.

But now there is a way to actually inactivate theseallergens so that the body does not recognize themand does not trigger an allergic reaction! Instead oftrying to eliminate dust mites, for example, or to havea family face the trauma of giving away a child’sbeloved pet, you can now provide a treatment thatwill “denature” the most dangerous indoor allergens,rendering them harmless.

What’s Inside:Introduction 1Section 1:

The Allergy and Asthma Crisis 2

Understanding Allergies and Asthma 3

The Relationship Between Allergic Diseases 4

Allergy and Asthma Triggers and Indoor Air Quality 4

Dust Mite Allergies 5

Pet Allergies 6

Can Allergic Illnesses be Controlled and EvenPrevented Through Environmental Control? 7

Doing Nothing Can Make Something Annoying Badand Something Bad, Worse 8

Four Principles for Managing IncurableAllergic Diseases 8

Five Reasons Environmental Control Often Fails 9Section 2:

The Anti-Allergen Technology That’s RevolutionizingEnvironmental Control 11

How Much Allergen Reduction is Enough? 12

How You Can Use MasterBlend’s ResponsibleCareSystem to Drastically Improve the Lives of AllergySufferers 12

Allergy Relief Treatment is Safe for You, YourCustomers, Children, Pets and the Environment 16

The Market and the Opportunity to Provide AllergyRelief Services 16

Marketing Guidelines for Allergy Relief Services 18

Symptom Relief Guarantee 20

Return on Investment/Doing Well by Doing Good 21

Other Recommended Environmental ControlProcedures 23

Resources 26

Scientific References 26

The New ProfitOpportunity inAnti-Allergen Services

The Craftsman’s Choice

5285 Fox Street

Denver, CO 80216

800-525-9644

Fax 303-373-4968

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

2 MasterBlend Solutions Line: 1-800-525-9644

This means that you will be able to provideimmense relief to allergy sufferers, including

helping to prevent the development of more seriousallergic diseases and even protecting people withoutallergies from developing them in the first place!

Best of all, this is a cleaning and treatment processthat in most cases utilizes the equipment you alreadyhave and requires no complicated training or largeinvestment. In fact, it is a service perfectly tailored tothe carpet and upholstery cleaning professional.

What you will need is knowledge, which is thereason for this Special Report. The first section of thisdocument will provide, in layman’s terms, enoughtechnical information about allergic disease so that youcan speak intelligently with your customers andanswer their questions.

The second section will describe the MasterBlendResponsibleCare® System, how Allergy ReliefTreatmentTM works, how to provide this service andmarketing information that can help you to informallergy sufferers about this dramatic new way you canhelp them manage their illnesses. And, how you candevelop this very exciting new profit center for yourbusiness.

This Special Report contains substantial amountsof technical information in layman’s terms. As youmight imagine, the amount of medical and technicaldata that is available on the subject of allergies isenormous and beyond the scope of this document. Forthose of you that would like even more and verydetailed medical information concerning allergicdisease, several excellent resources will be provided inthe Resources section at the end of this Report.

Section 1The Allergy and Asthma Crisis

It has been well accepted by the medical communityand government organizations such as the U.S. EPAand the Centers for Disease Control that allergicillnesses in America are reaching epidemic proportions.

These allergic illnesses include allergic rhinitis(nasal allergies), asthma, allergic conjunctivitis and otitismedia (middle ear infection). The symptoms of theseillnesses can drastically impact the lives of those whosuffer with them. Consider these alarming statistics:

• Well over 50 million North Americans sufferfrom allergies

• Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronicdisease in the United States

• Allergies are the most frequently reportedchronic illness in children

• Up to 40% of North American children sufferfrom allergies

• 20 million Americans suffer from asthma,including 6.3 million children

• There are two million Emergency Room visits,500,000 hospitalizations (half of which arechildren) and 5,000 deaths (including hundredsof children) due to asthma each year

• Asthma is the most common chronic childhooddisease. Nearly 1 in 13 school-aged children hasasthma, and the rate is rising more rapidly inpreschool-aged children than in any other age group

• Approximately 4.2 million children had anasthma attack in the last year

• Asthma is growing at a rampant pace, increasingfrom 7 million sufferers in 1980 to 20 millionin 2001

• Allergies are estimated to cost our economy$18 billion annually with asthma costs estimatedat $14.5 billion in 2000

• Approximately 14 million school days and anequivalent number of workdays are lost due toallergies and asthma

• Asthma causes over 11 million doctor’s officevisits each year

• Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeismdue to chronic illness and during the past 20 years,the number of school absences due to asthma hasmore than doubled

www.masterblend.net 3

• Asthma accounts for over 100 million restrictedactivity days each year

• Since 1980, asthma related hospitalizations anddeaths are up by 75%

• The number of people affected by allergies,asthma and other allergic diseases is growing by10% each year, which means that the total caseswill double approximately every ten years!

As you can see from these statistics, there is analmost unlimited market for allergy relief services,including a large percentage of your current customerbase. Given the serious nature of these illnesses and thedramatic impact you can have on helping those thatsuffer with them, the MasterBlend ResponsibleCareSystem will be an ideal way for you to really help yourcustomers while increasing both sales and profits.

Understanding Allergies and Asthma

What are Allergies?An allergen is a substance found in the indoor or outdoorenvironment that is normally harmless to most people.Inhalation is the most common route for allergens,including those found in the indoor environment, toenter the body. Other allergens enter the body throughingestion (food allergies), skin contact (dermatitis) orinjection (drug or bee sting allergies).

The first step in the development of allergic diseaseis a process called sensitization. Sensitization occurs whenthe body is overexposed to certain allergens, causingthe immune system to produce what are known as IgEantibodies in response to these specific allergens.

For reasons that medical science is not completelysure of, the body mistakes these harmless environmentalsubstances for materials that cause illness, specificallyinfection, and creates IgE antibodies in order to protectthe body from “sickness” when it encounters thesesubstances in the future.

In effect, the body programs itself to considerthese harmless substances as enemies to be defendedagainst. A person can become sensitized withoutexpressing allergic illness. Generally, continuedoverexposure to allergens and other environmentalirritants causes the illness to manifest and symptomsto occur. Allergic illnesses often multiply and lead tomuch more serious, chronic and debilitating onessuch as allergic rhinitis patients developing asthmaor sinusitis.

Allergens are proteins that have unique shapesthat identify them as allergens to the immunesystem. The allergen is like a lock and the antibody is likethe key that fits only that lock. These IgE antibodies existcontinuously in the body, constantly on the lookout forthe presence of the allergen they were created in responseto, sort of like keys floating around the immune systemlooking for the locks they were created to fit.

The way IgE antibodies identify allergens that haveentered the body involves a kind of confirmation process.The antibodies look for many copies of the allergenprotein shape or “lock” in order to confirm that this isindeed the invader that they were created to defendthe body against.

When these antibody “keys” find a repetitive patternof the allergen “locks” that they fit, the antibody andthe allergen bind together, setting off a chain reactiondesigned to protect the body from infection. Part ofthis process is that the body releases chemicals calledmediators, such as histamine, that cause what doctorscall an “immunologically mediated adverse reaction”or allergic reaction or attack.

In essence, allergic reactions are the body’s mistakenreactions to fight off disease when the “invader” isactually a harmless environmental substance. Theseallergic reactions produce symptoms including itching,coughing, wheezing, sneezing, watery eyes, inflammationand fatigue, which are unpleasant, distressing andfrequently debilitating, causing millions of missedschool and work days each year.

Allergies are not only annoying and uncomfortableto say the least, but many have been linked to a varietyof very serious chronic respiratory illnesses such assinusitis and asthma. Allergic reactions can be severeand even fatal, with thousands of deaths being causedby allergic diseases such as asthma each year.

Many people develop allergies simply throughoverexposure to allergens, especially when they are veryyoung (though some are genetically predisposed todeveloping allergies). While there are many other riskfactors, exposure to indoor allergens is now one oflargest and yet one of the most preventable andcontrollable causes of allergic illness.

The medical community has identified dust miteand pet allergens as posing the greatest risk for thedevelopment of allergies in the first place, continuedsuffering of those with allergic illness and a componentin the development of much more serious allergicdiseases such as asthma and sinusitis.

© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

What is Asthma?Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory, allergic disease

in which the body’s airways become sensitive toallergens. When the asthma sufferer is exposed tocertain triggers, the linings of the airways becomeswollen and inflamed, the muscles surrounding theairways tighten and the production of mucusincreases, further blocking the airways.

Asthma is often associated with allergy and riskfactors for developing asthma include sensitization toindoor allergens such as from house dust mites,animals and cockroaches as well as outdoorallergens, early exposure to tobacco smokeand a variety of other risk factors.

During an asthma attack, which canlast from a few hours to several days,breathing is difficult and symptomsalso may include wheezing,coughing and chest tightness.Asthma can even cause death.

Each asthmatic has different triggers that causeattacks. These triggers include indoor allergens such asdust mites, animal dander and cockroaches, certainfoods, strong fumes, irritants like cigarette smoke,smog, soot or pollen, respiratory infections, cold orwindy weather conditions, and emotions or exercisethat cause deep or rapid breathing.

One of the most important ways to control asthmaattacks is to determine and eliminate the specifictriggers for each individual. A health care professionalshould also be consulted to decide if allergy testswould be useful and which medications might help.

The Relationship Between Allergic Diseases

Medical science does not clearly understand the linksbetween allergic illnesses but it is clear that suchrelationships exist. People suffering from less seriousallergies such as allergic rhinitis, for example, are atgreater risk for developing much more serious illnessessuch as asthma and sinusitis. It is also clear thattreating the less serious allergic illness is animportant strategy for preventing the developmentof more serious illnesses or as part of managing themore serious illness once it has developed.

There are many diseases that are likely to have anallergic component including rhinitis, conjunctivitis,asthma, dermatitis, urticaria (wheals or hives) and

anaphylaxis. Again, the suspected link between allergicrhinitis with the development of asthma, rhinosinusitis,allergic conjunctivitis and otitis media is well established.To provide some idea of the magnitude of theseillnesses, rhinosinusitis affects over 14% of the U.S.population and causes over 58.7 million restrictedactivity days annually and otitis media (middle earinfection) is the most common childhood disease

requiring a healthcare visit.Asthma is also commonly associated

with allergic rhinitis, (also known as nasalallergy), which is an inflammation of themucous membranes of the nose withcharacteristic symptoms includingsneezing, itching, nasal discharge and

congestion. In fact, as many as 78% ofasthma patients have nasal symptoms and

as many as 38% of allergic rhinitispatients have asthma. Treating theallergic rhinitis in asthma sufferers

often helps treat the asthma condition as well.Researchers are not sure why allergic illnesses are so

closely related but suspect that the common passagewaysthey share (sinuses, throat and lungs) may be the reason.But whatever the case it is clear that such illnesses caneasily multiply and develop into much more seriousconditions if allergen exposure is left unchecked.

Allergy and Asthma Triggers and Indoor AirQuality

Once allergic disease is developed, asthma or allergyattacks can be caused by something that bothers thelungs, typically referred to as triggers. Triggers fall intotwo basic categories: allergens and irritants.

Allergens not only trigger allergy attacks but alsothe chemicals released during such attacks (calledmediators) can, in turn, trigger asthma attacks. Themost important triggers in indoor air are dust miteand animal (pet) allergens. These allergen proteins areknown by the following designations:

Dust Mite Fecal Matter: Der p 1 and Der f 1Animal Dander: Dog Dander Can f 1 and Cat SalivaFel d 1 (though all types of animals and birds mayalso cause allergy)

Irritants such as cold air, cigarette smoke, industrialchemicals, perfume, paint and gasoline fumes can alsotrigger asthma. People with asthma may have a wide


range of sensitivity to irritants, including cleaningchemicals. Therefore, it is very important to use cleaningproducts developed specifically for such applications,such as MasterBlend’s ResponsibleCare products.

These irritants likely trigger asthma symptoms bystimulating irritant receptors in the respiratory tract.These receptors, in turn, cause the muscles surroundingthe airway to constrict, resulting in an asthma attack.

There is no question that the quality of indoor air(as well as outdoor air) can pose a significant health risk.Consider that the U. S. EPA states that indoor airpollution is one of top five environmental risks topublic health and EPA statistics show levels of indoorpollutants 2 to 5 to up to 100 times moreconcentrated indoors than outdoors. And, theAmerican College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunologystates that, “50 percent of all illnesses are caused byor aggravated by polluted indoor air”.

The cleaning industry has long been aware thatlack of proper ventilation, improper design andmaintenance of HVAC systems, off-gassing of toxicmaterials, exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke,exposure to volatile organic compounds and biologicalagents and the plethora of contaminants in indoor airwe are exposed to at home and work have created aserious public health issue.

Given that Americans spend up to 90% of theirtime indoors, there is little question that indoor airpollution exacerbates allergic diseases, concentratesboth triggers and irritants and plays a significant rolein triggering allergy and asthma attacks. There are clearlinks that diesel exhaust and passive tobacco smokeexposure (found in both indoor and outdoor air) areboth potent risk factors for allergic disease, for example.

It is important to understand that the mostserious allergens in terms of the development andprogression of allergic disease cannot simply be“cleaned away” or removed by improved ventilation.

This is not to say that sound cleaning andmaintenance practices are not extremely important tocreating a healthy indoor environment in general termsas well as a specifically allergy safe indoor environment.For example, a specially designed cleaning program is anintegral component of the MasterBlend ResponsibleCareSystem of anti-allergen cleaning and treatment, but itshould be recognized that cleaning alone will notsolve the indoor allergen problem.

Let’s take a look at dust mite and pet allergies ingreater detail.

Dust Mite Allergies

Some sources indicate that dust mites are responsiblefor 25% of all allergies and are the most importantcause of asthma worldwide. These sources furtherindicate that perhaps 15-20% of the earth’s populationis severely allergic to dust mite allergen!

Physician organizations such as the AmericanAcademy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)states that dust mite feces are a major source of allergenfound in house dust. It is clear that dust mite feces isone of the most important and hazardous allergensfound in indoor environments.

Dust mites are actually arachnids and not insects.Related to spiders, dust mites are microscopic, eight-legged creatures that are 0.3mm in length (7,000 canfit on a fingernail) and are invisible to the naked eye.

Dust mites live on dead human skin cells, (whichcomprise up to 80% of house dust!) as well as fungiand bacteria. They also live off water vapor, whichwe provide for them by perspiration and respiration,emitting approximately one pint of moisture per personper night. This is why mites are found even in areas ofextremely low humidity and prevention strategies suchas reducing humidity levels in the home are generallyineffective.

Dust mites are found in virtually all homesregardless how clean, withthe principal source ofexposure in the home being the bedroom. Dustmites are found primarily in mattresses, sheets and blankets, pillows, stuffedanimals, carpets, curtains and upholstered furniture.The average bedroom can be infested by millions ofmicroscopic dust mites with up to 20% of the weightof an old pillow being dust mites!

In fact, while dust mites can be found throughoutthe home, 60% of them live in mattresses, making thebedroom the number one treatment priority.

The bedroom provides a plentiful supply of shedhuman skin cells, warmth and humidity, making itan ideal environment for dust mites to thrive andmultiply in. And, given that we spend up to one-thirdof our lives in the bedroom, we are also exposed tothis highly potent allergen for long periods of time,increasing the likelihood of developing or aggravatingallergic diseases.


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

A dust mite will produce 20 to 100 fecal pelletsper day. That’s 200 times its own body weight in

feces during its short lifetime! If dust mite pellets werethe size of golf balls, the average queen size bed wouldhave a pile of pellets 70 feet high! A female dust mitewill also lay 100 eggs during its approximately ten-weeklifetime, with a new generation being produced aboutevery three weeks.

During the night, most people toss and turn up to60 or 70 times. This expels dust mite feces into the airfrom bedding and pillows. These allergens can thenstay in the air for up to two hours. Once airborne,these potent allergens are inhaled where they can causeallergic illness in the first place and stimulate allergicreactions and asthma attacks in those that already havedeveloped allergic disease. Other activities such aswalking, vacuuming (with most vacuum cleaners) andchanging bed linens easily stir up dust mite allergens.

Dust mite levels are on the rise but no one isreally sure why. In 2002 the National Institute ofEnvironmental Health published the results of a three-year study determining that 47% of North Americanhomes have bedding containing enough dust miteallergens to cause allergies. Of these homes, 24% hadlevels that were five times greater than the threshold tocause allergic reactions.

It is speculated that this rise is due to constructionof “tight”, energy efficient homes and offices, whichreduces ventilation and increases humidity as well asthe popularity of cool water detergents and cold waterwashing (hot water washing kills dust mites).

Some authorities suspect the prevalence of wall-to-wall carpeting is also a factor in the increasing levelsof dust mites. This hypothesis was put to the test inSweden over 10 years ago. At that time in Sweden itwas thought that carpet contributed to the developmentof allergic illnesses. Installed carpet was banned frompublic buildings and its market share went from 40percent to 2 percent today. During that same timeperiod, allergic cases increased 600 percent!

Now Swedish authorities believe that the increasein allergies was due to poor indoor air quality.Unfortunately, this assessment comes a little late forthe Swedish carpet industry. As we know now, carpetlikely acts as a filter or reservoir that holds indoorpollutants until they can be removed from theenvironment by cleaning.

Still, physicians and medical organizations oftenrecommend minimizing the use of carpets and

upholstered furniture, something that you as acleaning and indoor environmental professional willneed to be prepared to refute.

Laurence Lee, a Certified Industrial Hygienist atArgus Pacific has even found high levels of dust mitesin office work places. It is being increasingly suspectedthat work environments are also causing andaggravating allergic conditions.

Pet Allergies

It is estimated that there aremore than 100 million petsin the United States and more than 70% of Americanhomes have a dog or a cat orboth. We are attached to ourpets for a variety of reasonsincluding unconditionallove, companionship,security and comfort toname a few.

However, according to the Humane Society ofthe United States, approximately 15% of the U.S.population is allergic to pets and other animals. Peoplewith pet allergies are allergic to a protein, which isfound in pet dander (dead skin flakes), oils secreted bythe sebaceous (skin) glands, saliva and urine.

There is a common misconception that people areallergic to pet hair or fur. It is not the hair itself thatcauses the allergic reaction. However, exposure to pethair can and does expose people to allergens carried onthe hair. This is because when an animal grooms itself,allergen-containing saliva is deposited on the hair.And, hair and fur can collect dust, pollen, mold andother allergens.

So, while the hair or fur is not an allergen in andof itself, it is easy to understand why the misconceptionconcerning “pet hair allergy” exists. Given that there isno allergy to pet hair, per se, there is no such thing as anon-allergenic pet, even short haired or hairless breeds.

Cat allergies are twice as common as dog, thoughbirds, rabbits, rodents and any animal with feathers orfur can create or trigger allergies. Pet droppings are alsoof concern, especially in the case of birds and rodents.

Pet allergen accumulates easily and persistently incarpets, mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture andclothing. It consists of very small, lightweight particles


and can stay airborne for long periods of time whendisturbed, being easily inhaled into the nose and lungsor landing on the lining of the eyes.

One would, of course, expect to find animalallergens primarily in homes where animals are present.Surprisingly, however, animal allergens are also found(in lesser amounts) in places where pets have never beenpresent such as workplaces, schools and other publicbuildings. It is likely that pet allergen is brought intothese environments on the clothing of pet owners.

Animal dander is sticky and can easily adhere toother surfaces. So while dander on smooth surfacescan be easily removed by simple cleaning, dander ontextile surfaces such as carpeting, upholstered furniture,mattresses and clothing can persist for long periods oftime. Most estimates are that even after pets have beenremoved from a home, pet allergens will still be presenteven after five to six months!

The number one recommendation of allergists tofamilies with pet allergy sufferers is to remove petsfrom the home. Anyone who has had to face thetrauma of giving up a beloved pet will understand whyit is estimated that between 75 and 90% of familieswith pet allergies do not take their physician’s adviceand remove their pets from the home.

The Humane Society estimates that one third ofpeople with cat allergies, perhaps the most potent petallergy, have at least one cat in the home! It’s clearthat the benefits of pet ownership clearly outweighthe allergic symptoms for the majority of pet allergysufferers.

Like dust mites, prolonged exposure to pet allergencan cause the development of allergies as well asaggravate existing allergic illness and stimulate theprogression of allergies into more serious allergicdiseases such as asthma. In fact, 20 to 30 percent ofasthma sufferers also have pet allergies.

Given that people are so unwilling to treat petallergies by removing the offending pets, and thatcontaining and controlling pet allergen is so difficult,a treatment regimen such as MasterBlend’sResponsibleCare System that renders pet allergen inertand unable to cause allergic reaction is ideal.

Can Allergic Illnesses be Controlled andEven Prevented Through EnvironmentalControl?

One of the major reasons people develop allergic illnessesis overexposure to various allergens, especially those foundin indoor air. This is due in part to the rapidly increasinglevels of serious allergens, especially from dust mitesand pets, found indoors combined with the fact thatAmericans now spend up to 90% of their time indoors.

The American Academy of Allergy Asthma andImmunology (AAAAI) states that it is important toimplement a system of controlling exposure to indoorallergens (known as Environmental Control or EC)before the expression or manifestation of allergicillness. EC is one of the four general principles ofpreventing and managing allergic disease recommendedby the medical community.

They go on to say that it is important to useEnvironmental Control in homes with young childrenin order to prevent sensitization, the first phase in thedevelopment of allergic disease, in non-atopic (thosewithout a genetic predisposition to allergic illness)children.

It is now clear that allergies can, in fact, becontrolled and even prevented by avoiding the triggersthat cause them. These same triggers can cause sufferersto develop additional and often more serious allergicillnesses as well.

With EC, efforts are made to reduce exposure toor eliminate the sources of the most important indoorallergens; dust mites and pets. Often, this approachis focused simply on reducing house dust, whichcontains these allergens when they are present. Thetheory being that a reduction in dust will equal areduction in allergen.

There are many ways that people implement EC.These include mattress covers, HEPA air cleaners,specialized vacuum cleaners and even some exoticpractices such as liquid nitrogen treatments. And therehave been many reports that these efforts have helpedsome people.

And while it makes sense to practice EC to theextent that one is able, the real truth is that, until now,there has not been a truly successful way to reduce themost serious allergens found in indoor air without alot of effort and expense and the very real possibilitythat no matter how diligent one is at implementingEC, results are uncertain at best.


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Doing Nothing Can Make SomethingAnnoying, Bad and Something Bad, Worse

Exposure to dust mite and pet allergen are widelyaccepted to be one of the most important causes ofallergic disease. And, continued exposure aggravatesallergic illnesses, which can lead to the development ofothers. Allergies are also risk factors for the developmentof more serious, chronic and even life threateningillnesses like asthma and sinusitis.

Why allergic illnesses tend to multiply is not yetclearly understood. Scientists suspect that the commonpassageways of the sinuses, throat and lungs may bethe reason. But in any case, there is a well establishedsuspected link between allergic rhinitis (nose) with thedevelopment of asthma (lungs), rhinosinusitis (sinuses),allergic conjunctivitis (eyes) and otitis media (ears).

Doctors now recommend that the most importantway to reduce symptoms, control and even prevent thedevelopment of allergies and asthma is to avoid orminimize exposure to dust mite and pet allergens.

One of the most important strategies fortreatment of established allergic illness is the use ofEnvironmental Control to minimize exposure toallergens that can lead to multiplication of allergicillnesses and the development of far more serious andeven life threatening ones.

“Exposure to allergens produced by house dust mites—found in nearly every indoor environment—can lead toasthma in children who are predisposed to developing thedisease.”

Institute of Medicine

“Indoor allergens play a major role in allergic diseasessuch as asthma and perennial allergic rhinitis. MostAmericans spend more than 20 hours indoors each day.”

“The Allergy Report”, American Academy of AllergyAsthma and Immunology

“20 million Americans are highly allergic to dust mites.”Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Four Principles for Managing IncurableAllergic Diseases

As we have discussed, people first become sensitized tocertain substances in the environment due to a variety ofconditions including overexposure to various allergens.During sensitization the body develops allergen specificantibodies and programs itself to have allergic reactionswhen exposed to these allergens. During this phase theallergic illness itself may not yet have developed orexpressed. The second phase is when the allergic diseaseactually manifests and produces symptoms.

Prevention is an ideal approach to allergic illnessesgiven the dramatic rise in such illnesses, that less seriousallergic diseases often progress into chronic, serious andlife threatening ones and the fact that allergic diseasescannot thus far be cured and can only be managed.Furthermore, prevention of allergic diseases is animportant way to attempt to manage the enormousindividual, social and economic costs of allergic disease.

Therefore, the medical community basesprevention strategies for allergic diseases on thefollowing three stages:

Primary Prevention:This focuses on blocking sensitization anddevelopment of the IgE-mediated response andtherefore allergic illness in the first place.

Secondary Prevention:This strategy attempts to block the expressionof the disease, despite sensitization.

Tertiary Prevention:This tactic seeks to control factors that increasesymptoms in persons who already have allergicillnesses.

Diagnostic TestingWhile this Special Report focuses on EnvironmentalControl as a prevention and management strategy forallergic illnesses, a medical diagnosis, including specificdiagnostic tests, is important to confirm the diagnosisof allergy, to differentiate the allergic disease fromother disorders, and to help develop appropriatetreatment plans.

While the professional cleaning industry canperform an important and valuable service for allergysufferers, we should do so in concert with the medicalprofession at all times. It is wise to always recommendthat customers work with qualified medicalprofessionals to treat their conditions.



© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

There are four general principles recommended formanaging (and in some cases preventing) allergicdiseases by the medical community:

diseases by the medical community:

Five Reasons Environmental ControlOften Fails

Reason Number 1: Source removal is impracticaland quite frankly, impossible.

It makes sense to get rid of dust mites, the source ofone of the most potent indoor allergens. But just howdoes one do that in the real world? We humans providethem with an endless supply of food and water. Andregardless how cool and dry (and how uncomfortablefor us) we keep the bedroom; we create a warm, moistmicroclimate every night for mites to thrive in.

Eradication of dust mites would require such highlevels of pesticide that such treatments would beharmful to humans. And, we always carry some miteson our hair and eyebrows that would be reintroducedto our bedding, starting the whole cycle again.

Remember, each mite lays 100 eggs during itsshort life and a new generation is produced every threeweeks. So even if it was appropriate to use pesticidesand mitacides on mattresses the thickness of a sheetaway from an allergic illness patient’s skin (which,naturally it is not!) such poisons would not eliminatedust mites.

In terms of pet allergies it is sometimes possibleto eliminate the source of the allergen. However, wehave already seen that in most cases the source of theallergen will not be removed from the home.

Reason Number 2: To have a positive effect,Environmental Control must drastically reducelevels of allergen.

For people with dust mite allergies, to have anyreal effect EC must reduce dust mite populations tobetween one tenth and one hundredth of what theywere before! And while it is not exactly known whatdegree of reduction would be required in terms of petallergen, it is reasonable to suspect that similarreductions are required.

So as you might imagine, an EnvironmentalControl program would have to be comprehensive anddiligently followed to produce outcomes that wouldresult in relief for allergy sufferers.

The bottom line is that whatever EC proceduresare being followed they must perform very effectivelyin order to make any meaningful reduction in theallergen load in a home. This inability to adequatelyreduce the amount of allergen, and thereforesymptoms, is often a cause of failure of EC efforts.

1. Environmental Control: This is a strategy that seeks to avoid or controlthe factors that contribute to the developmentor aggravation of allergic disease includingallergen sensitization (initial allergenoverexposure), continued allergen exposure, andenvironmental irritants.

2. Pharmacologic Therapy: There are many effective drugs now available tohelp manage allergic illnesses. However, theseare management tools and not cures. The bestresults occur when drug therapy is used inconcert with Environmental Control practicesand allergen immunotherapy when appropriate.

3. Allergen Immunotherapy: Allergen immunotherapy (also called allergyvaccine therapy or more commonly known asallergy shots) is the repeated, controlledadministration of specific allergens to patientswith IgE-mediated conditions. It can be usefulfor patients with allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis,or asthma. The objective of allergenimmunotherapy is to reduce disease severityfrom natural exposure to the allergens to whichthe patient is sensitive.

4. Patient Education The primary source of patient education islikely to be their physician. Allergy suffererswill also obtain information from a wide varietyof service and product providers, Internetsources and so on. It is important for cleaningprofessionals to be up to date on currentknowledge concerning allergies, especially inthe area of Environmental Control (which isthe purpose of this Special Report).

Reason Number 3: EC efforts must beconsistent and long term. Since we already know that we can’t eradicate the

source of dust mite allergen and that pet allergen canlinger for months and even years after the source isremoved (when it even can be removed), EC effortsmust be ongoing.

The sometimes drastic efforts of EC can be hardto sustain for months and years. EC can represent areal lifestyle change and in today’s busy world, it ishard to add much more in terms of tasks orcomplexity and sustain such activities consistently.

Reason Number 4: EC can be too complex tounderstand and implement correctly.

There are a lot of theories out there about what stepsto take, often proposed by those selling products forthat purpose. That doesn’t mean those products don’tprovide a benefit but it can be so confusing to allergysufferers that they give up on any EC efforts at all.

Reason Number 5: EC efforts can be expensive andfinancially out of reach for some people.

Many EC efforts involve relatively expensiveproducts such as air cleaners and HEPA vacuumcleaners not covered by insurance. For many people,such expenses are simply unaffordable.

To sum it all up, Environmental Control looksgood on paper but often fails miserably in the realworld where patients need it the most. Given that ECis one of medicine’s primary strategies for preventingand managing allergic illnesses this has been a realdisappointment to people suffering with these diseases.

Until now.

At last, Environmental Control can be an incrediblypowerful weapon to prevent and manage allergicillness with the development of MasterBlend’s Anti-Allergen Technology. This technology allows EC tobe highly effective, knocking indoor allergencounts down dramatically to levels that will providereal and significant relief to allergic illnesssufferers. Levels that can prevent the developmentof allergies in the first place. And, this technologyis simple, non-toxic, scientifically proven to beeffective and highly affordable.


Section 2The Anti-Allergen Technology That’sRevolutionizing Environmental Control

Remember that an allergic reaction takes place whenIgE antibodies in the immune system come intocontact with a repetitive pattern of shapes containedon the surface of allergen proteins. You might recallthat we used the example of keys floating around thebody looking for locks that only they fit. When these“keys” come together with these “locks” an allergicreaction is the result.

MasterBlend has developed a very simple andhighly effective way of changing the shape of theallergen proteins, making it unrecognizable to thebody as an allergen! In layman’s terms, the chemicalor molecular structure of the allergen protein is notchanged but the shape of it is. And it is this shapethat the antibody looks for in order to identify thesubstance as an allergen. So when you change thisshape, there is no repetitive pattern of shapes thatallow the body to identify the material as an allergenand therefore, there is no allergic reaction!

Another way of looking at it is that this newAnti-Allergen Technology disassembles the allergenlocks. The lock itself is not melted down or changedinto something else and nothing is added nor takenaway. In a very real way, the lock is still there. But asthe antibody “keys” roam the body looking for thelocks that only they fit, these allergen “locks” appear ascylinders and tumblers and shackles and cases and screwsand rivets and so forth. Because they do not appearas a “lock” to the body, the antibody “key” doesnot bind with them and there is no allergic reaction!

This breakthrough product is called Allergy ReliefTreatmentTM and is the cornerstone of MasterBlend’sResponsibleCare System of anti-allergen cleaning andtreatment. It is effective on dust mite, cat and dogallergen, the most hazardous allergens found in theindoor environment.

Allergy Relief Treatment does not kill mites (orpeople or pets or anything else for that matter!).It is not a pesticide or a mitacide.

Allergy Relief Treatment is a water-based solutionthat contains a powerful active ingredient derived fromnaturally occurring extracts found in certain fruit andvegetable seeds. This active ingredient has beenscientifically proven to reduce indoor allergen

concentrations below the levels that can causeallergy symptoms.

Allergy Relief Treatment provides an immediatereduction in allergen levels. In fact, most of the time,patients report a drastic improvement in symptomswithin the first three nights when the bedroom hasbeen completely cleaned and treated.

Even better, when properly applied, thistreatment will provide a residual effect for up tosix months! In homes where the source of allergiessuch as pets will not be removed or where allergysymptoms are very severe, treatments may be requiredevery three months.

Allergy Relief Treatment is applied followingcleaning with MasterBlend’s ResponsibleCare Systemproducts simply by pump-up or electric sprayer tomattresses, carpeting, upholstered furniture, rugs andwindow treatments that are safe to wet clean.

Allergy Relief Treatment can also be used to treatbedding in the washing machine. It is so effectivethat the treatment will remain effective for up tofour subsequent machine washings.

Allergy Relief Treatment is not tannic acid,which is sometimes recommended for a similarpurpose. Tannic acid can easily discolor many fabricsand even when it has been “decolorized” can makefabrics brittle and subject to strange discolorationwhen exposed to sunlight.

Allergy Relief Treatment is the foundation ofMasterBlend’s ResponsibleCare System of anti-allergencleaning and treatment, a system that is revolutionizingEnvironmental Control and providing unheard ofopportunities for the cleaning professional to trulyhelp their customers and prosper at the same time!

“This laboratory study has clearly demonstrated thepotential for Allergy Relief Treatment as an effectivedenaturant of the major dust mite allergen Der p 1protein.”

Dust Mite Allergen Denaturation: A Trial of AllergyRelief Treatment

Richard Thorogood, MI Bio., Auckland UniversitySchool of Medicine


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

“…Also, and more importantly from the allergensufferers viewpoint, binding to Der p 1 (dust mite

allergen) was reduced by the same proportion (100-1000fold), demonstrating that exposure to (Allergy ReliefTreatment) not only reduces the measurable concentrationof Der p 1 (dust mite allergen) but also destroys itsallergenicity.”



“(Allergy Relief Treatment) was shown to havedenaturing effects on Fel d 1 (Cat), Can f 1 (Dog),Der p 1 (Dust Mites), and Der f 1 (Dust Mites) in dustsamples containing these allergens.”

P. Brock Williams, Ph.D. Director of Research IBTReference Laboratory Lenexa, KS

How Much Allergen Reduction is Enough?

One of the drawbacks of many Environmental Controlefforts is that the reduction in allergen levels isinsufficient to prevent or reduce symptoms or stopallergic illnesses from developing. The active ingredientin Allergy Relief Treatment has been scientificallyproven to reduce indoor allergen concentrationsbelow the levels that can cause allergy symptoms.

“If an allergen denaturant (Allergy Relief Treatment) is tobe of value when used in the home, it must have thepotential to reduce dust mite allergen concentrationsbelow the level that can cause allergy symptoms. There isa threshold concentration of 10ug of Der p 1 (dust miteallergen) per gram of settled house dust, which is widelyaccepted to increase the risk of asthma symptoms in mite-allergic asthmatics. Having the capacity to denature 90%of Der p1 in house dust, Allergy Relief Treatment has thepotential to reduce allergen levels below the 10 ug-g-1threshold when house dust contains Der p1 concentrationof 100 uf.g-1. The average range of Der p1 allergen levelsin house dust in New Zealand are from 20-70 ug pergram of dust, whereas levels as high as 100 ug.g-1 dooccasionally occur.”



“Allergy Relief Treatment clearly has the potential to fillthe role of an effective means of reducing dust miteallergens in carpets and upholstery and has the potentialto become an effective aid for the mite sensitive allergysufferer to minimize allergen exposure.”



How You Can Use MasterBlend’sResponsibleCare System to DrasticallyImprove the Lives of Allergy Sufferers

The ResponsibleCare System consists of cleaners anda treatment specifically for the care of environmentsin the homes and work places of allergic illnesssufferers or those who are chemically sensitive or both.Treatment of such environments is a two-step process.

First, surfaces must be cleaned. As we havediscussed, it is very difficult to remove allergen fromtextile surfaces by cleaning. However, we do wantto remove the food source for dust mites as well asany allergen that can be released by cleaning.And, more importantly, cleaning removes the soilsthat might interfere with the application ofAllergy Relief Treatment.

All of the ResponsibleCare cleaning productsincluding Allergy Relief Treatment are hypoallergenic,non-toxic, dye and perfume free, contain no solvents,volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), phosphates orother hazardous materials and are biodegradable andenvironmentally safe and are derived from renewablefruit and vegetable seeds. They are also CaliforniaCARB compliant.

The products are virtually odor free and have beenspecially formulated for use around people with allergicillnesses and chemical sensitivities. They can be safelyand effectively used in homes with children and pets.Allergy Relief Treatment is so safe that it can even beused on pets!

Allergy Relief Treatment contains no benzylbenzoate and is not a pesticide or mitacide.

In addition to having no volatile organiccompounds (VOC’s), ResponsibleCare products donot contain delimonene, a popular “green” cleaningagent that also off-gasses and can sometimes leave asoil attracting residue.


And, unlike other “green” cleaning products thatachieve their non-toxic and green status at the cost ofcleaning ability, ResponsibleCare products areformulated to be outstanding cleaners with an alkalinepH (10.0 for Anti-Allergen PreSpray and 9.2 for Anti-Allergen All Fiber Rinse), so you can obtainoutstanding cleaning results even on heavily soiledcarpets and upholstery.

The Anti-Allergen cleaning products include aPre-Spray, All Fiber Rinse, Non-Fragrance OxidizingDeodorizer and the Allergy Relief Treatment. Inaddition, there is an Anti-Allergen Filter Enhancer usedto treat furnace filters and even vacuum cleaner bags.

Anti-allergy services primarily focus on thebedroom of the allergy sufferer(s). This is because thebedroom is the area of greatest allergen concentration(in terms of dust mites) and therefore exposure. Infact, 60% of the dust mites in the typical home arefound in the mattress.

The environment in the bedroom can be moreeasily managed in terms of Environmental Controlmeasures such as placing air cleaners, restricting pets,removing dust attracting clutter and so on. And, sincewe spend one third of our lives sleeping in the bedroom,it makes sense to concentrate EC efforts there. For thesereasons, when you are providing services to preventdevelopment of allergies, focusing on the bedrooms ofall members of the household is recommended.

MasterBlend’s ResponsibleCare System is designedto clean and treat mattresses, carpeting, upholstery,rugs, wet cleanable window treatments, baseboards,windowsills and bedding. While servicing thebedroom is the highest priority, significant benefitsmay also result from cleaning and treating other areaswhere allergy sufferers spend lots of time. These areasinclude the upholstered furniture and carpeting inrooms where time is spent watching television, readingand so on.

In homes where the source of allergies is a pet(s)that will remain in the home, all carpeted areas andupholstery that pets have access to should be cleanedand treated in addition to the bedroom. And naturally,the offending pet should never be permitted in thebedrooms.

It is worth at least recommending cleaning andtreatment of all carpeting and the most frequentlyused (i.e. couch potato) upholstery when treatinghomes of allergy sufferers. Factors such as the severityof allergies, customer budget and other factors will

influence this decision but the material cost of theResponsibleCare cleaning products require only aten to fifteen percent premium above normal cleaningprices and Allergy Relief Spray is generally pricedcomparably to carpet protector at 12 to 15 cents persquare foot. This means that prices for such animportant service are quite comparable to full service,high quality carpet cleaning and protection!

Let’s examine the ResponsibleCare System cleaningand treatment procedures:

Dust Mite Evaluation:The ResponsibleCare System includes a disposabledust mite testing kit to perform a scientific test todetect the presence of dust mites in home furnishingsand to evaluate the efficacy of cleaning.

This is a powerful demonstration that verifies theneed for anti-allergy services and involves collectingdust from one square foot of mattress or other homefurnishings by dry vacuuming. Wearing a dust mask,place a black cloth over a vacuum hose and extractthe dust from approximately one square foot ofmattress or other furnishing. This can be easilyaccomplished using a Turbine Hand Tool attached toa hot water extractor or a separate HEPA vacuumcleaner can be used for this purpose.

The visual demonstration of simply seeing thisextracted sample is often enough to make thehomeowner approve services even without completingthe test for dust mites.

There is a test tube containing liquid that comeswith the kit. A small sample of the collected dust isplaced in this test tube, shaken, allowed to stand forfive minutes and then shaken again. Then, using adropper supplied with the kit, three drops of thissolution are placed onto a designated spot on the testcard.

After five minutes theresults can be read in theoval window indicatingwhether or not dust mitesexist in concentrationsthat require cleaning andtreatment. There is also another line that confirms

that the test was carried out correctly.


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Pre-Vacuuming:All areas to be treated should be thoroughly

pre-vacuumed before wet cleaning. The preferredmethod for pre-vacuuming is using a high qualityHEPA filter vacuumcleaner or a turbine toolattached to a truck mountor portable extractor thatis placed outside theliving space. This is so theextractor’s exhaust is vented outside and not in the living space where it canspread allergens throughout the indoor environment.

Some companies report that a separate HEPA-filtration vacuum cleaner makes a more positiveimpression than vacuum tools attached to extractorsor truck mounts. In addition, it is recommended thattechnicians wear dust masks or respirators duringvacuuming. This is for their protection as well as tomake a value added impression on the customer.

Deodorization:If carpet or textile deodorization is required, applyAnti-Allergen Oxidizing Deodorizer to mattresses,carpet or upholstery prior to cleaning. Allow a shortdwell time and be sure to rinse the deodorizercompletely during the cleaning process.

Pre-Treatment:Pre-spray mattresses, upholstery, carpeting and anytextiles to be cleaned with Anti-Allergen PreSpray.Agitate the area with the appropriate tool (brush,groomer, towel) and allow ten minutes of dwell time.Be sure to test for colorfastness or color change in aninconspicuous area.

Because allergy sufferers may be sensitive to finelysprayed materials if you are using an in-line sprayer(Power Jet/Hydro-Force) be sure to spray at 100 PSIto prevent atomizing products in the home. Thecombination of high heat and pressure sometimescreated by truck mounts and in-line sprayers maycause an objectionable condition.

Extraction Cleaning:Use hot water extraction to clean pre-sprayed areas withAnti-Allergen All Fiber Rinse in the cleaning solution.If using portable extraction equipment, be sure toplace the machine outside the living space to preventthe spread of allergen laden exhaust within the livingspace. Use of low moisture, internal spray hand toolson upholstery and mattresses is highly recommendedfor speed drying and to reduce the potential forcleaning related problems. As always, test forcolorfastness or color change in an inconspicuous area.

Mattress Cleaning: This process starts with a thorough vacuuming of allsides of the mattress with a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaneror a turbine hand tool attached to a truck mount orportable extractor placed outside the living space.

Apply the Anti-AllergenPreSpray and allow adequatedwell time. Clean the topof the mattress using a lowmoisture hand tool usingAnti-Allergen All Fiber Rinsein the machine. Turn the mattress and repeat the process on the other side(if this is a mattress that can be turned as some of thenew mattresses are designed never to be turned).Clean all the sides as well. This can often be donewhile the mattress is still on the box spring or frame.Be sure to use a low moisture internal spray hand toolto leave the mattress as dry as possible. If cleaningbox springs, follow this same procedure.

Mattress Freshening:One procedure that will provide a tremendous valueperception to your customers is mattress freshening.If deodorizing is not provided, follow this procedureafter cleaning.

This procedure is especially effective whenmattresses have been deodorized. This is becauseResponsibleCare Anti-Allergen Deodorizer is anoxidizer that breaks down the cell walls of malodorscausing them to break down into their harmlesscomponent parts. However, in order to be effective,the deodorizer needs to come into contact with thesource of the odor, usually human sweat and urinein mattresses.

First, place the mattress in a plastic mattress bagfollowing deodorizing or cleaning. Then, use your


extractor’s vacuum hose to remove all the air from thebag. This will remove the air from inside the mattress,which will then compress. When the vacuum is turnedoff and air is reintroduced into the mattress,deodorizer will be drawn deep into the mattress’sfabric layers where it will come into contact with thesource of malodors. In this way, you don’t have tosaturate the mattress with deodorizer in order toaccomplish effective odor elimination.

This process also will “freshen” the mattress byexchanging the air trapped inside. Mattress fresheningis visually very powerful. Therefore, whenever possiblehave your customers present during this process.

Mattress bags are available at U-Haul for the veryreasonable price of about $4. Some technicians alsocarry shrink-wrap in order to cover small tears thateventually develop in the mattress bags.

Allergy Relief Treatment on Mattresses:Apply a wetting mist of Allergy Relief Treatment to allsides of the mattress using a pump-up or electricsprayer with the appropriate tip. Remember that awetting mist for a mattress requires significantly lessliquid than for carpet.

Mattress Turning:Turning the mattress should be part of your serviceoffering. Generally, mattresses require turning every sixmonths. Simply flip the mattress over from foot tohead. If the customer has another way they would likethe mattress to be turned, simply follow theirdirections.

It is also recommended that you obtain stickersthat you can apply to the mattress with your companyname and contact information as well as a space towrite in the date of service and the date of nextservice.

Be sure to let your customers know that turningthe mattress is part of your service and that you’ll turnit again on your next visit in six months.

Allergy Relief Treatment Application on Carpetand Upholstery:Apply a wetting mist of Allergy Relief Treatment to allareas using a pump-up or electric sprayer. Again, testfor colorfastness or color change in an inconspicuousarea and do not use on rayon fabrics!

Carpet Protector:Allergy Relief Treatment is compatible withScotchgard® Protector and DuPont Teflon®‚ and mostother carpet protectors on the market. Allergy ReliefTreatment will not affect the performance of theprotector nor will carpet protector adversely affectAllergy Relief Treatment. Simply apply protector firstand the Allergy Relief Treatment as the final step.

Speed Drying Cleaned and Treated Areas: Humidity is often an asthma trigger and so it is veryimportant to speed dry all cleaned areas. This isespecially true of bedrooms and in particularmattresses, which must be dry by bedtime. Therefore,you must always speed dry when providing anti-allergen cleaning and treatment services. Dependingupon temperature and humidity, mattresses areusually dry in about an hour.

Take the mattress off the bed and lean it against awall to dry. Be sure to put white butcher paperunderneath it where it is sitting on the floor. Usefoam blocks to keep it away from the wall that it isleaning on. Set up an air mover to blow across themattress to speed dry it as quickly as possible. The new axial type air movers such as Dry AirTechnology’s Gale Force are ideal for this application.If cleaning box springs, follow this same procedure.

Speed dry all cleaned and treated carpets andupholstery using normal drying procedures.

Launder Bedding:Have the homeowner launder bedding in hot water,using two cups of Allergy Relief Treatment in therinse for each load.

Pillows:Pillows may often be laundered and if so, this isrecommended with two cups of Allergy ReliefTreatment being used in the rinse cycle. It isrecommended that pillows be placed in allergenproof covers and treated every six months.

Baseboard and Window Sill Cleaning:Wiping down baseboards and windowsills with adamp cloth is recommended as part of an extrathorough cleaning as these are often areas that collectallergen laden dust.


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Allergen Impermeable Bedding Covers:Highly effective and comfortable allergen impermeablecovers are now available for mattresses, pillows andcomforters and are highly recommended. Weeklylaundering of bedding in hot water using two cups ofAllergy Relief Treatment every fourth week is alsorecommended.

Apply Anti-Allergen Filter Enhancer:If the home has a forced air heating system, sprayAnti-Allergen Filter Enhancer on the furnace filter,which will help trap and hold allergen proteins in thefilter without reducing airflow. Recommend to thehomeowner that filters be treated each time they arereplaced. This product can also be used to treatvacuum cleaner bags.

This cleaning and treatment application asdescribed provides a residual effect of three to sixmonths. In most cases, a complete cleaning andapplication of the Allergy Relief Treatment will berequired only every six months. In cases of severeallergies or very difficult environmental conditions,cleaning and treatment may be required at three-month intervals. In these rare cases, the cost of yourservices will be a small price to pay for the reliefyour customer will be experiencing.

The MasterBlend ResponsibleCare System ofhigh quality cleaning agents is not only animportant part of anti-allergen treatments but thesecleaners are outstanding for everyday use as well.Given the epidemic growth of allergic illness,chemical sensitivity, mystery illnesses such as chronicfatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and the litigiousnature of our society, use of any potential irritants inthe customer’s home must be questioned. And, as acleaning professional who may be exposed tocleaning chemicals every day for years on end itmakes sense to use the safest products possible.

Allergy Relief Treatment is Safe for You, YourCustomers, Children, Pets and theEnvironment

The safety of the productsis likely to be a very realconcern of your customers.You should know that allof the ResponsibleCarecleaning productsincluding Allergy ReliefTreatment arehypoallergenic, non-toxic,dye and perfume free,contain no volatile organiccompounds (VOC’s),phosphates or otherhazardous materials and are biodegradable and environmentally safe.In addition, the products are derived from renewablefruit and vegetable seeds.

The products are virtually odor free and have beenspecially formulated for use around people withallergic illnesses and chemical sensitivities. They can besafely and effectively used in homes with very youngchildren (who are at the greatest risk for developingallergic illnesses) and pets. Allergy Relief Treatment isso safe that it can even be used on pets!

Allergy Relief Treatment contains no benzylbenzoate and is not a pesticide or mitacide.

The Market and the Opportunity to ProvideAllergy Relief Services

No matter how you look at it, the market for allergycleaning and treatment services is enormous. It isundisputed that 50 million Americans suffer fromallergic illnesses and 20 million of us are asthmatics.Given that these illnesses sometimes co-exist we candeduce that there are between 50 and 70 millionsufferers of allergies and asthma.

In addition, some sources indicate that 25% ofall allergies are caused by dust mite allergen and that15-20% of the earth’s population is allergic to thewaste these creatures produce. Regardless of the actualnumbers, the medical community is in agreementthat dust mite and pet allergen are the most seriousindoor allergens we are exposed to and that preventing


or minimizing exposure to these substances is one ofthe main ways to prevent and manage allergic disease.

Naturally, within a group of this size there will beall types of allergies and various levels of severity of thediseases being experienced. The more severe the illness,the more likely the person is to try to educate themselvesand be willing to purchase services that might ease the“pain” they are experiencing. Therefore, the most likelyprospect groups are those with the most seriousillnesses such as asthma, sinusitis, repetitive otitismedia (inner ear infection) and so on.

At the same time, those with serious illnesses mayalso be more skeptical. Cleaning professionals havefound that the Symptom Relief Guarantee oftenreassures people that they are not going to be takenadvantage of and often convinces them to give thetreatment a try.

Don’t forget that people with moderate to evenserious allergic illnesses may not be as educated as youthink. In these cases, a bit of explanation about the wayallergies are developed and triggered, the way allergicdiseases lead to others and the way moderate allergies arerisk factors for very serious allergic diseases can help yourprospect understand the need for anti-allergen services.

Given these facts and that continued exposure toindoor allergens can create all types of worsening ofallergic disease, even people with mild to moderateallergic illnesses are also excellent prospects for allergytreatment services.

Families with children that have allergies andespecially the more serious illness asthma (there are6.3 million children with asthma in the U.S.) areoutstanding prospects. No one wants to see theirchildren suffer unnecessarily and these parents are notonly outstanding prospects but the word of mouthadvertising potential is enormous.

These numbers do not include the large numbersof people who would be interested in preventing theonset of allergic illness in themselves and their children.Given that young children are most at risk fordeveloping allergic disease from exposure to indoorallergens, parents of young children or expectant familiesalso make excellent prospects for these services.

Another group that is likely to be highly motivatedto purchase allergy treatment services is people withpet allergies that have chosen to keep pets in theirhome. This group is ideal for a regular maintenanceprogram that allows them to more easily live with thepets they are willing to suffer great discomfort to keep.

So far, the discussion has been largely focusedon the residential market. However, there isgrowing evidence that indoor allergens are increasingin the workplace and contributing to the developmentand exacerbation of allergic illnesses. Given the lowcost of Allergy Relief Treatment there is definitely anopportunity to provide anti-allergen services tocommercial clients at a very reasonable price to helpoffset what is likely to be a low sense of urgency.Workplaces that allow pets are excellent candidates fortreatment. Desk chairs, upholstered office furnitureand carpeting are all viable for anti-allergen cleaningand treatment.

In addition, given that many workers aresuspicious of anything used in their workplace that hasan odor, and, given that there may be allergic and/orchemically sensitive employees in commercial clients’buildings, use of ResponsibleCare cleaning agents is anoption to offer your clients.

Unfortunately, allergy treatment is likely to be agrowth industry for the foreseeable future. Many ofthe reasons for the increase in indoor allergen levels arenot even understood yet let alone being addressed inany meaningful way. It is estimated by the NationalCenter for Health Statistics that the number of peoplewith allergies increases 10% each year. This means thatthe market for these services is doubling every ten years.

Given that something close to 24% of the U.S.population suffers from some form of allergic illness itis certain that within your own customer base aremany likely purchasers of these services once theyknow that you offer them. And it follows that out often new customers between two and three of them willalso be viable candidates for allergy relief services.

Any way you look at it there is a large and viablemarket for you to provide with these services thattakes advantage of the equipment you already own,makes use of expertise and experience you already havewith only slight modifications to your procedures andrequires only a minimal investment in products to dothe job effectively. Allergy relief services are far lesscompetitive than carpet cleaning, establish you asmore of a professional, can lead to significant repeat,referral and supplemental sales and can significantlyadd to your income as well as bottom line profits.


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Marketing Guidelines for Allergy ReliefServices

Given the phenomenal size of the market for allergyrelief services and the fact that you can easily deliver real,significant and guaranteed relief to those with allergicillnesses makes the potential for marketing theseservices practically endless. Your company will developa unique marketing plan for allergy relief services thatwill reflect your operation, your market and theprospect groups that you would like to focus on.

Therefore, going into specifics about what such aplan “should” look like is an individual effort and so isbeyond the scope of this Special Report. However,what follows are some marketing guidelines that canhelp you as you develop your own plan.

Purchasing motivations are quite varied and likean iceberg, the greatest portion of why people buy lieshidden beneath the waters of the subconscious.However, it is generally accepted that the single biggestpurchasing motivation is to relieve current “pain”.It is also thought that the second biggest buyingmotivation is to prevent future “pain”.

Pain can be quite literal. No one thinks aboutwhether emergency room services are covered undertheir health insurance when they’ve just been seriouslyhurt. And, “pain” can often be subtler, such as thefeeling that perhaps one is not as good a parent as onemight be.

In terms of allergy relief services it is clear thatthere is real pain in the present. And, there is thepotential for future pain as allergic illnesses canmultiply and more serious ones can develop. Andthere is also potential pain in households where thereare currently no allergy sufferers, especially those withyoung children who are at the greatest risk fordeveloping allergic illnesses.

Clearly, where there is already allergic disease thebuying motivation and the attention that will be givento your message will be much greater. But neithergroup should be overlooked in your marketing efforts.

Your marketing plan may be quite conservative orhighly ambitious. But in either case, an excellent placeto begin is with your own customer base and thosethat contact your business for the services that youcurrently offer.

Given that nearly 25% of the U.S. populationsuffers from allergic illness you will have a largenumber of customers and new callers who will

immediately identify themselves as potentialpurchasers of allergy relief services if you ask thesimple question, “Does anyone in your householdsuffer from allergies or asthma?”

When you get a “yes” response to that questionyou will then have the opportunity to ask furtherquestions such as:

“Do you know specifically what you or your familymember is allergic to?”“Have you heard of Environmental Control?”“Are you taking any steps to reduce your exposure toindoor allergens?”“What results have you obtained?”These are just a few questions designed to elicit

information and create the opening for a conversationabout the ResponsibleCare System of anti-allergencleaning and treatment. You will also need to puttogether a brief presentation that you can use on thephone to explain these services once you have receivedpermission to explain this program.

In the home, MasterBlend has developed a verypowerful brochure that you can use during a face-to-face presentation to customers, which can also be usedas a mailing and a leave behind piece. It walks thecustomer step-by-step through the presentation so theycan easily understand your solution to their problem.

When speaking with people that do not haveallergy sufferers in the household there is still anopportunity to discuss allergy prevention, particularlywhen there are young children in the home or a babyon the way.

It will be very important that you can speakknowledgably about allergic illnesses in a general wayand more specifically about Environmental Controland MasterBlend’s ResponsibleCare System. Peoplewith allergic illnesses often know a lot about them andare grateful for someone to talk to who can empathizewith their problems and potentially offer solutions.

It is recommended that you study this SpecialReport carefully. There are many resources listed andmany good sources of information on the Internet thatcan supplement your knowledge and keep you abreastof new developments in the industry.

Also, utilize the marketing materials thatMasterBlend has developed and is continuing todevelop to support your sales efforts. Providing solidinformation to your customers is an important way toestablish credibility and to be seen as an authority inthe allergy relief field.


One of the most significant steps in the salesprocess can be the use of the dust mite test kit. This isa scientific test that will confirm the presence of dustmite allergen in concentrations high enough to requirecleaning. The test kit does not test for pet allergies.Surprisingly, many people with pet allergies don’tidentify their symptoms as “allergies.” Questionsconcerning whether or not pet owners have stuffynoses, sneezing, watery eyes and other symptoms willhelp establish whenether or not they are suffering frompet allergies.

The demonstration part of the dust mite test isquite powerful. Often homeowners will commit to theservice simply from seeing the amount of dustremoved from a square foot of their mattress. It is veryimportant that a black cloth be used for thisdemonstration in order to really highlight just whatsort of material is being removed.

Given that allergy relief services need to be providedevery six months (and in some severe cases every threemonths) these customers are ideal to offer maintenancecontracts. It is recommended that you develop such acontract and have it ready to sign whenever you aremaking an allergy relief services presentation.

If the customer chooses not to sign up for aregular program, the fifth month after services areprovided offers the perfect opportunity for a follow-upcall to schedule the next cleaning and treatment.

When offering services as a preventive measurethese same procedures can be followed. Given thatthere may be less of a sense of urgency when there isno active allergic illness in the household it may makesense to offer a cleaning package based on the hypo-allergenic non-toxic, green, environmentally friendlyand allergy preventive nature of the services. This willallow you to offer a very differentiated package fromyour competition and address the concerns of peoplewith questions about chemicals and toxins in theirhome, those that are chemically sensitive but notallergic as well as people aware of the potential fordeveloping allergies.

Remember that the key to successful marketing isto give people a reason to buy your services thatdifferentiates you from your competition. But, mostimportantly, this reason must be relevant to themand their needs!

It is also important to realize that advertising thesedays has a real credibility problem. Everyone knowsthat advertising is “the voice of the seller” and is not a

trusted source of unbiased information about aproduct or service. For this reason, referrals andtestimonials will be an extremely important part ofyour marketing effort. Referrals and testimonialsfunction as unbiased, third party endorsements of yourcompany and the services you offer and are far morecredible than advertising messages alone.

Referrals will be a vital part of your allergytreatment business. You will find that there are peoplewho will call you expressing their undying gratitudefor your help with their suffering. It is criticallyimportant that you ask these people for referrals thenand there. As we know, misery loves company and sosufferers often have a circle of friends andacquaintances that also have such illnesses. This meansthat there is no better time to ask for referrals thanwhen you are getting positive feedback.

In addition, consider other “referral points” whereyour prospects intersect in their daily lives. Somecleaners have found mattress retailers to be excellentfor providing referrals. Other possibilities are carpetretailers, businesses that sell allergy products as well asallergists and immunologists.

Individual doctors are more likely to be relativelydifficult to develop a relationship with. However, onepossible way to gain the support of physicians is byrelieving their patients’ symptoms with anti-allergenservices. If you are able to meet with your customers’doctors to explain the ResponsibleCare program andthey have had direct reports from their patients whohave obtained relief, you may find yourself with ahighly credible source of new customers.

Testimonials are also very important and there isno better time to solicit these than when a customer isreporting a positive experience. Up to a point, themore testimonials you can offer in your advertising, thebetter. You can increase testimonials by accepting themvia e-mail or offering to write up a customer’scomments and mailing them a hard copy with a self-addressed stamped envelope for them to sign and return.

Publicity is also a very important part of yourmarketing efforts. This new way of treating indoorallergens has a lot of media value. Don’t underestimatethe power of a feature story in your local paper orbeing part of a radio interview show in your market oreven the local news or other television programming.Publicity is credible in all the ways that advertising isnot and it is highly recommended that much of yourmarketing efforts focus on publicity.


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Another excellent source of referrals that iscredibility enhancing is making presentations to

school and PTA groups, church groups, allergy supportgroups (check with your local hospitals) fraternalorganizations (of which there are a mind bogglingnumber) and the like. MasterBlend is in the process ofdeveloping presentation programs that you can use forthis purpose.

The typical cleaning professional utilizes somecombination of truck signage, business card copy,brochures and direct mail pieces, telemarketing,newspaper, radio, television, Internet, word of mouth,public relations and other forms of marketingcommunications. It makes sense to add allergy reliefservices to your current advertising efforts whetherthese are added to whatever advertising you currentlydo or you create separate communications specificallyfor these services.

Allergy sufferers are easily identified. Affordable listsare easily available for direct mail as well as e-mailcampaigns by type of illness, income, zip code and ahost of other criteria. It is also a simple matter toquestion each of your customers or callers as to whetheror not someone in the household has allergies.

It is very important when marketing allergy reliefservices to avoid drastic scare tactics as this approachhas proven to backfire. No one likes to be manipulatedand scare tactics often have this flavor. What producesbetter results are messages based on the facts, whichare potent enough to gain the attention of anyonewith allergic disease. Further, marketing communicationthat understands the problems faced by allergic illnesssufferers that presents straight-forward, scientificallyproven ways to relieve and prevent suffering arerecommended.

Instead of the main focus being scary pictures ofdust mites (though these are useful as a component ofads) images that reflect the removing of the pain arerecommended. Allergic illness sufferers have manyrestrictions on their activities. They miss school, misswork, go to the doctor’s office and emergency room farmore frequently, miss out on all kinds of activities, feelpain because their children are suffering and so on.

There is some thought that images of peopleenjoying activities they used to miss out on, taking deepbreaths, getting a good night’s sleep, happy family scenesand so on are more effective than images of the “pain”they are already familiar with. Before and after imagesmay also work well. An example might be a child using

an inhaler with the next image being the inhaler beingtossed to the side with the child romping at play.

There are also many product sale opportunitieswhen providing allergy relief services. Each client forsuch services is highly likely to purchase a gallon ofAllergy Relief Treatment for use when launderingbedding. And where homes use forced air heating or thecustomer is willing to treat vacuum cleaner bags, a quartof Anti-Allergen Filter Enhancer is a natural add-on.

Other products such as mattress covers, pillowcovers, duvet covers, high efficiency vacuum cleaners,HEPA air cleaners and a host of other allergy reliefproducts are also sales possibilities.

Symptom Relief Guarantee

The marketing materials provided by MasterBlendinclude a Symptom Relief Guarantee. Naturally, it isup to you whether or not to offer this guarantee.However, cleaning professionals have found that thisguarantee dramatically increases sales in ways that faroffset the occasional refund.

The reason for the guarantee is simple. This is anew service that makes promises that have, until now,been very difficult for other products and services tofulfill. Given that people are naturally skeptical, a wayto overcome their resistance to trying the service isneeded and the Symptom Relief Guarantee has beenfound to be the most effective way of doing this.

The way the guarantee works is very simple. If thecustomer has their mattress and bedroom carpetingcleaned with the ResponsibleCare products and treatedwith Allergy Relief Treatment, you guarantee that theywill have a noticeable reduction in allergy or asthmasymptoms within three days. If not, you will refundthe Allergy Relief Treatment portion of your charges.


For this reason, make sure that you separate yourAllergy Relief Treatment fee from your cleaning fee.Given that your cost of Allergy Relief Treatment is only2 cents per square foot, this is an extremely affordableway to give customers confidence in you and yourservices and to get more jobs. And, you still get paidfor the cleaning portion of your work, which is thegreatest percentage of your charges. (See next section:Return on Investment/Doing Well by Doing Good)

There are several possibilities to consider whenoffering guaranteed services. The first is whether ornot the allergy sufferer has been diagnosed with dustmite or pet allergies. If this is the case, your serviceswill be highly effective. If your customer does notknow what he or she is specifically allergic to, there ismore of a chance that this treatment will not relievetheir symptoms.

And, sometimes people suffer from strange mysteryallergies and are willing to try anything. Allergy ReliefTreatment has proven successful even in some of thesecases. However, this might be an opportunity to discusswith your customer that this is a shot in the dark andyou might decide not to offer the guarantee in suchcases. But this is up to you.

The guarantee is offered in the marketing materialson your behalf. This means that MasterBlend feels thatthis is a very powerful way for you to build your anti-allergen business but you will support the guaranteeout of the overall profits of the cleaning and treatmentservices you provide to all your customers.

The overall numbers on guarantees are very much inyour favor. Typically, the rate of claims is extremely low.And, you have a product that is extremely effective andextremely profitable, making your financial exposurevery low. In effect, you are paying a very small amount(your guarantee refunds) for a much larger amount ofbusiness (the additional jobs you obtain by offeringthe guarantee and the cleaning portion of the work evenwhen the Allergy Relief Treatment portion is refunded).

While MasterBlend strongly recommends that youoffer this guarantee, it is naturally up to you.

Return on Investment/Doing Well byDoing Good

The MasterBlend ResponsibleCare System of anti-allergen cleaning and treatment is a perfect fit for thecarpet and upholstery cleaning professional. It requiresno new or unusual new equipment because whatmakes the system so revolutionary is in the productand not in any unusual or esoteric equipment.

If you own a truck mount or portable hot waterextractor, a turbine floor and upholstery attachment orHEPA-filter vacuum cleaner, pump-up or electricsprayers and basic carpet and upholstery cleaningsupplies you already have all the equipment you need.The one tool you most definitely need that you may notalready have is a low moisture upholstery tool. These areoften called internal spray tools and are necessary inorder to leave mattresses and upholstery as dry aspossible after cleaning. Such tools cost from about$135.00 for a good quality PMF Internal Spray DetailerTool to a $389.00 Dri Master® upholstery tool byHydraMaster®. And, there are many other such tools onthe market that will provide low moisture cleaning.

There are mattress cleaning franchises anddealerships being sold for many thousands of dollars.Given the size of the market and the income and profitpotential, those franchises might well be great values.However, MasterBlend is making available to you anincredible opportunity to provide this service for free.Training classes are held throughout the country andthere are no franchise fees or dealer agreements orroyalties or other costs.

Like any service you provide you do have to purchasematerials, but that’s it. There is no other opportunitytoday for the professional cleaner that provides so muchprofit potential for no investment other than a fewhundred dollars worth of materials to provide the service!

The following starter kit is what is recommended thatyou have in stock once you begin offering anti-allergencleaning and treatment services. The ResponsibleCareAnti-Allergen System Starter Kit includes:

Qty. Description Cost2 Gallons Anti-Allergen PreSpray 55.942 Gallons Anti-Allergen All Fiber Rinse 35.002 Gallons Allergy Relief Treatment 99.901 Gallon Anti-Allergen Deodorizer 34.506 Quarts Anti-Allergen Filter Enhancer 54.006 Dust Mite Test Kits 111.00

Total $390.34


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

PricingNaturally, what you charge for your services is up

to you. However, you might find it useful to have anidea of how cleaners around the country are pricinganti-allergen cleaning and treatment services as a guideto your own pricing structure.

Cleaning professionals have indicated that there isa loss in value perception when services surpass the$75 to $150 per man/hour rate. This varies dependingon what part of the country the customer is in andwhat type of services are being performed. And giventhat anti-allergen services are not just “cleaning” butare in a very real way medically related this limit mayextend upward. In any case, for most cleaningprofessionals, these are limits they can live with.

Carpet and Upholstery CleaningAnti-allergen carpet and upholstery cleaning uses thesame equipment and procedures that you’re alreadyusing. However, in order to safely clean around allergicillness sufferers and people with chemical sensitivities(often your clients will have both!), the specialResponsibleCare cleaning products must be used.Given that these products are more expensive thanpetrochemical based detergents it is wise to increaseyour cleaning prices by ten to fifteen percent.Remember that cleaning agents probably representonly five percent of the cost of cleaning.

You should also be aware that humidity is often anasthma trigger and that speed drying is an importantpart of anti-allergen services. In some cases, the allergicperson will actually have to leave the house duringcleaning. Therefore, factor air movers into your pricingif this is not already part of your normal cleaningprocedures.

Mattress CleaningIt is important to separate your prices for mattresscleaning and application of Allergy Relief Treatment.This is because your guarantee will only cover the costof Allergy Relief Treatment. This way, if and when youhave the occasional guarantee claim, it will be veryclear to all parties how much the refund will be. And,you still get paid for the bulk of the job, which wasthe cleaning portion.

Remember that mattress cleaning includesvacuuming with a HEPA vacuum or a truck mount orportable extractor placed outside the living space. Allsurfaces of the mattress are vacuumed and cleaned andtreated.

Mattress Size Cleaning Only Allergy Relief TreatmentPrice Charged Price Chargedto Consumer to Consumer

King $60.00 $15.00

Queen $55.00 $13.50Double $50.00 $12.00Single $45.00 $10.00

Some customers will want box springs cleaned aswell. Generally, the same price charged for mattresscleaning is charged to clean box springs.

Cleaning professionals have reported that thereason for what might be considered such reasonablepricing is that they are aware of the lifetime value ofanti-allergy customers. These clients are going torequire cleaning and treatment twice a year andmaking this an affordable service makes developingthis repetitive business much easier.

Another alternative is to price a maintenancecontract at very reasonable pricing and a “one-time”service at a slightly higher price.

Allergy Relief Treatment Application for Carpet andUpholsteryThe recommended price for the Allergy ReliefTreatment is comparable to prices charged for carpetprotector with most applicators successfully charging12 to 15 cents per square foot. Given that thematerials cost for Allergy Relief Treatment is justunder 2 cents per square foot, this treatment maybe the most profitable service you offer. And yet,this is still a highly affordable treatment option forallergic illness sufferers.

When applying Allergy Relief Treatment toupholstery, charges typically run 4.00 per linear foot.



© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Some companies are also offering unit pricingsuccessfully. In one example a bedroom is unit pricedat $150, which includes cleaning of the carpet andmattress with the ResponsibleCare System and anapplication of Allergy Relief Treatment on both. If youchoose unit pricing, be sure to specify the amount ofthat charge that is for Allergy Relief Treatmentapplication for guarantee purposes.

Again, for the price of full service, high qualitycarpet cleaning and protection you can offer aservice that can drastically improve the quality ofpeoples’ lives by relieving their allergy symptomsand even preventing the development of allergicdisease in the first place!

Other Recommended Environmental ControlProcedures

Environmental Control efforts are best made all atonce rather than piecemeal. Therefore, utilize all theefforts that can sensibly, reasonably and economicallybe afforded.

Given the highly potent nature of dust mite andpet allergen and the preventive nature of avoiding orminimizing exposure to these allergens, EC effortsmake sense any time there are allergic illness sufferersin the household, young children or people that areconcerned with maintaining good health.

If specific allergies have been diagnosed thenspecial steps can be taken to address factors specific tothat allergy.

General Recommendations:

High Quality HEPA-Filter Vacuum Cleaner: Thereare a wide variety of vacuum cleaners on the marketand even among HEPA-filter units the quality variesdramatically. Use of poor quality, non-HEPA-filtervacuums simply spreads allergen and can makesufferers sick for days. However, effective dust removalis one of the most important procedures in an ECprogram. Recommended HEPA-filter vacuum cleanerbrands include Miele, Nilfisk, Oxygen by Eureka,Sebo and Lindhaus. Recommend that patients consultvacuum cleaner retailers with experience in allergycontrol products.

Air Cleaners: HEPA air cleaners arerecommended by doctors especially for placementin bedrooms to remove airborne allergen. Becausethese airborne particles are generally very small, choosea purifier that can not only filter very small particlesbut that can also process an adequate volume of air.These types of air cleaners are rated by Clean AirDelivery Rate (CADR) and comparing these ratingscan help customers make an informed purchase.Recommended brands include Blueair, IQ Air,Panasonic, Sharp and AllerAir.

High Efficiency, Electrostatic or HEPA FurnaceFilters: Use of high efficiency furnace filters helpsreduce allergens and dust. When appropriate, treatfurnace filters with Anti-Allergen Filter Enhancer on amonthly basis.

Bedding Covers: Allergen impermeable covers are nowavailable for mattresses, pillows and comforters and allthese should be used. There are a wide variety ofbrands, materials and price points. In recent yearsthese products have been refined to be quiet,comfortable and highly effective.

Launder Bedding Weekly: Bedding should belaundered weekly in hot water (>130 degrees). Usetwo cups of Allergy Relief Treatment in the rinse cycleevery fourth washing.

Stuffed Animals: Remove stuffed animals and furrytoys from children’s bedrooms as these make idealbreeding grounds for dust mites.

Eliminate Tobacco and Wood Smoke: There shouldbe no smoking in the home, car or workplace ofaffected individuals. If wood must be used for heat,utilize airtight stoves or fireplaces if possible.

Reducing Humidity: This is often very difficult froma practical standpoint and studies disagree on whetheror not humidity reductions actually lower mite levelsappreciably. Controlling humidity in terms of moldgrowth is quite important and if possible, reduceindoor humidity to <50% RH.

Reducing Temperatures: Again, this is a strategyof dubious efficacy and can make life much more

uncomfortable with little positive result. Dust mitesare quite hardy and changing the temperature isunlikely to have real affect on mite levels in anymeaningful way.

Control Sources of Mold: Mold is the fourth mostprevalent indoor allergen after dust mites, pets andcockroaches. Therefore, controlling mold is animportant EC practice. The following are importantmold control tactics:

• Clean moldy air conditioners, swamp coolers,humidifiers and/or dehumidifiers

• Use air conditioning and dehumidifiers to reduceindoor humidity to < 50%, if possible

• Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens toremove moisture

• Clean moldy refrigerator drip pans• Immediately clean all moldy surfaces• Fix all water leaks and have all water damage

professionally remediated• Cover over dirt floors in crawl spaces to reduce

moisture seepage• Ventilate crawlspaces• Vent clothes dryers to the outside• Avoid walking through uncut fields, working

with compost or dry soil, and raking leaves• Keep windows and doors closed and avoid using

window or attic fans that draw in outside air

HVAC System: Many people report symptom relieffrom having their HVAC system professionally cleaned.

Reduce Clutter: Clutter provides places for dust andallergens to collect and makes cleaning more difficult.Reduce clutter especially in bedrooms to prevent dustbuild-up. Other options are to put household items indrawers, closets, covered boxes or plastic containers sodust can’t collect on them.

Cleaning Products: Many cleaning products can beirritants to people with allergic illnesses. Experiment tofind effective yet non-toxic, VOC and perfume freecleaners and clean in a well ventilated area. There aremany cleaning products now available specifically forpeople with allergic illnesses and chemical sensitivities.

Pet Specific Measures

Doctors’ number one recommendation to people withpet allergies is to get rid of the pet. However, in anestimated 75-90% of the cases, people do not followthis advice. Therefore, the following steps arerecommended in addition to regular anti-allergencleaning and treatment with MasterBlend’sResponsibleCare System and the general procedureslisted above.

• Indoor pets should be restricted to as few roomsin the home as possible and definitely kept outof the bedroom. The bedroom door should bekept closed at all times.

• Isolating the pet even to one room, however, willnot limit the allergens to that room. Air currentsfrom forced-air heating and air-conditioning willspread the allergens throughout the house.Homes with forced-air heating and/or air-conditioning may be fitted with a central aircleaner, which may remove significant amountsof allergen. It is recommended to run such a unitat least four hours per day.

• Keep pets off of all upholstered furniture.• Due to allergens that collect on animal’s fur and

in saliva, allergic people should not pet, hug orkiss their pets.

• Place litter boxes in areas unconnected to thehome’s air supply such as a closet or pantry.Allergic individuals should keep away fromthis area.

• More frequent washing of animals isrecommended though the science is stillinconclusive on whether or not this reducesallergen loads.

• Close forced air heating and air conditioningducts in the patient’s bedroom.


Cockroach Specific Measures:The first step in dealing with cockroaches should beeliminating or minimizing cockroach presence in thehome. This can be notoriously difficult and pesticideswill need to be carefully used for this purpose.

Cockroach allergen can linger for years even afterroaches have been eradicated. For this reason, thefollowing steps are recommended.

• Keep food or garbage in closed containers• Wash dishes after every meal• Keep cupboards free of open food containers• Take out garbage regularly• Don’t store paper bags, newspapers, or cardboard

boxes as they provide hiding places forcockroaches

• Use boric acid traps or hydromethanon but avoidusing poisons around very young children

• Repair leaks under sinks as wet environmentsprovide an ideal breeding ground for cockroaches


© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

Resources

MasterBlend5285 Fox StreetDenver, CO 80216800-525-9644www.masterblend.net

Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers ofAsthmatics, Inc.2751 Prosperity Ave. Suite 150Fairfax, VA 22030800-878-4403www.aanma.org

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma andImmunology611 East Wells St.Milwaukee, WI 53202800-822-ASMA414-272-6071www.aaaai.org(Note: The Allergy Report available on their website isan invaluable source of technical information onallergies and asthma!)

American Association for Respiratory Care11030 Ables LaneDallas, TX 75229972-243-2272www.aarc.org

American College of Allergy, Asthma andImmunology85 West Algonquin Road Suite 550Arlington Heights, IL 60005800-842-7777847-427-1200www.acaai.org

The American Lung AssociationFor the affiliate nearest you call 800-LUNG USAwww.lungusa.org

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America1233 Twentieth St, NM Suite 402Washington, DC 20036800-7-ASTHMAwww.aafa.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1600 Clifton RdAtlanta. GA 30333800-311-3435www.cdc.gov

Health CanadaPopulation Health Approach, Health CanadaTunney’s Pasture PL 1910A1Ottawa, Canada, K1A 1B4Fax: (613) 952-6032 http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/index.html

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute(National Asthma Education and Prevention ProgramP.O. Box 30105Bethesda, MD 20824301-251-1222www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

National Institute of Allergy and InfectiousDiseasesBuilding 31, Room 7A-50National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD 20892301-496-5717www.niaid.nih.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyIndoor Environments Division401 M St. SW (6604J)Washington, DC 20460202-233-9370Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse800-438-4318www.epa.gov/iaq/

Scientific Resources

See the MasterBlend website at www.masterblend.netfor additional scientific research supporting theResponsibleCare system of anti-allergen cleaning andtreatment.


MasterBlend® is a manufacturer of premium performancecleaning solutions and equipment sold to cleaning andrestoration professionals worldwide. We specialize in thedevelopment of innovative products to provide opportunities forour customers to offer significant new services and generate newsources of income and profits. Such products include theResponsibleCare SystemTM, the first anti-allergen cleaning andtreatment procedure that requires regular cleaning of carpet andother home furnishings by professionals.

MasterBlend is not some giant conglomerate involved indozens of different businesses. Instead, we are a team of peoplewith over 100 years of combined hands-on experience that istotally focused on the cleaning and restoration industry. As such,we are in touch with the needs of cleaners and restorers like youand are constantly developing new products to meet those needs.

As President of MasterBlend I am personally dedicated todelivering to you the highest quality and performance cleaningand restoration products. But we don’t stop there. We are alsocommitted to developing ground breaking new products andadditional ways for you and your company to prosper and grow.

MasterBlend is here to serve you. You have my word and ourguarantee on that. We welcome your ideas, questions andcomments. Your success is important to me. If there is any way Ican be of service, call me directly at 800-525-9644 or e-mail meat [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.

Aaron GroseclosePresident, MasterBlend

28 MasterBlend Solutions Line: 1-800-525-9644 • www.masterblend.net

© M

aste

rBle

nd 2

003

5285 Fox Street Opportunity in - Bane-Clene are proteins that have unique shapes that identify them...

Documents

Transcript of 5285 Fox Street Opportunity in - Bane-Clene are proteins that have unique shapes that identify them...