Ultra-Fresh -  An Overview

What is Ultra-Fresh?

Ultra-Fresh is a range of treatments that is applied to textiles, polymers and other materials to control the growth of bacteria, mould, mildew, dust mites and unwanted, musty odours.

Background
Ultra-Fresh has been marketed for over 50 years by a Canadian company, Thomson Research Associates, Inc. The company came into being when its chemists were looking for a way of reducing odour in socks. They found a product that would last through multiple washings. Starting from this single product, the Ultra-Fresh range of antimicrobials has widened significantly. Ultra-Fresh can be applied to a wide spectrum of manufactured products including flooring, furniture, furnishings, bedding, apparel and general textiles.

The Ultra-Fresh used by MiniJumbuk
MiniJumbuk’s Ultra-Fresh imparts antibacterial, antifungal and anti mould properties to the bedding as well as effectively controlling dustmites. MiniJumbuk products treated with Ultra-Fresh therefore keep fresher for longer and resist deterioration caused by mould, mildew and bacteria. The result is longer life than untreated bedding, effective protection against odours and lasting hygienic freshness thereby creating a healthier home environment.

Dust Mites
Dust mites are eight legged creatures and are related to spiders. They are extremely tiny.  Approximately 20 can fit on the head of a pin. They thrive in, and infest places like mattresses, bedding, soft furnishings, furniture, clothing, carpets and even soft toys.
Dust mite faeces contain allergens, these being recognised as one of the major triggers for asthma and other respiratory ailments.

Control of Dust Mites with Ultra-Fresh
There have been well over 20 independent studies on the effectiveness of Ultra-Fresh in effectively controlling dust mites. Tests showing the effectiveness of Ultra-Fresh in MiniJumbuk products are detailed  here. Two other projects are worth mentioning in more detail:

• In 1990, the International Wool Secretariat in England conducted a study in Germany on wool. A range of treatments was assessed for effectiveness against dust mites. The treatment with the best result was that of Ultra-Fresh. The control (untreated) wool sample contained almost 50,000 dust mites but, after treatment with Ultra-Fresh, only 262 remained. This proved Ultra-Fresh treated wool was more than 99% effective in reducing and controlling dust mites.
• In 1996, a study at Queens University, Canada, also on wool, indicated that after treatment with Ultra-Fresh no dust mites remained whereas the untreated (control) sample had almost 15,000.

House Dust Mites and Asthma
As noted above, dust mites produce allergens that have been directly linked to the onset of asthma in many people with asthma. These allergens are associated with faecal pellets which are expelled by the mites at a rate of about 20 per day. Once in the environment, the dust mite allergens are long-lived. According to the National Asthma Council 2 million people in Australia suffer with asthma and about 6 million with allergies. Ultra-Fresh has been designed to keep manufactured articles free of bacteria and fungi (mould). Mould assists in decomposing skin cells and through this making them digestible to dust mites. Therefore products that are free of mould assist in the management of dust mites by creating environments that will not sustain their existence. The dust mites will not be able to survive resulting in no production of allergens.

Australian Case Study in Mattresses
In 2002, a study was undertaken to determine the quantity of dust mite allergens and dust mites on Ultra-Fresh and non-Ultra-Fresh treated mattresses. The measurement of Group 1 allergen (Der p1) from the dust mite species Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
was used as an indicator of the number of dust mite allergens in these items. This study was conducted at Wright State University, Ohio, USA by Dr. L. Arlian and demonstrated that Ultra-Fresh successfully reduced dust mite allergens by more than 90%. (See graph below).