City Targets Mattresses in War Against Bed Bugs

The Department of Sanitation changed the rules for the way New Yorkers dispose of mattresses and box springs to limit the spread of the insects.


By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — The Department of Sanitation has changed its rules for how New Yorkers are to dispose of mattresses in response to the bed bug epidemic in the city.

The DSNY is requiring that people putting mattresses or box springs on the sidewalk for collection cover them with a plastic bag to help prevent an increase in bed bugs, the agency said in a statement.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images - FILE)

Under the new policy, residents who don’t dispose of their mattress properly will incur a $100 fine. The DSNY won’t put the new rule — and the accompanying fine for not following it — into full effect until Jan. 3rd, 2011.

"There has been a rise in bed bug-related complaints within the City, and bedding is the prime nesting place for most bed bugs," Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty said in the statement.
"With this new rule, ...we will safeguard our workers and help to mitigate the spread of bed bugs throughout the City."

Council member Gale Brewer, who introduced a bill in 2008 to put the new mattress disposal rule into action, was supportive of the DSNY's efforts to curtail the spread of bed bugs throughout New York City.

"I appreciate the efforts made by the Department of Sanitation to address the bed bug epidemic that our city has been grappling with, an issue I have been working on since 2006," Brewer said in a statement.

If residents leave their improperly discarded mattress in front of a building that is not theirs, the property owner will receive a fine. But, as with all summonses the DSNY gives out, the owner would go before the Environmental Control Board and be able to dispute the fine, Sanitation Department spokesman Matt Lipani told DNAinfo.

Lipani emphasized that if someone dumps a mattress in front of a residence that isn't theirs, that constituted illegal dumping.


Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20101204/manhattan/city-targets-mattresses-war-against-bed-bugs#ixzz17CaxeDVU

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Deal of the day: Down comforters

By Eve Tahmincioglu, Career and labor reporter

Wouldn't it be nice to curl up with a warm down comforter after a hard day of Black Friday shopping?

JCPenney is offering a doorbuster deal on reversible comforters of any size for $32.99 from 4 am to 1 pm Friday, and Kohl's is offering similar down comforters for $39.99 from 3 am to 1 pm. The comforters' regular retail prices range from $130 to $200 depending on the size.

If you want to cybershop after turkey dinner tonight, the same comforters are on sale right now on JCPenney's site for between $80 to $100; and for under $80 at Kohl's.

Stay warm tomorrow, power shoppers.

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Sealy, Mattress King donate beds to Salvation Army

Stearns & Foster®, owned by Sealy®, North America's No. 1 mattress brand, announced this holiday season it will team with retail partner, Mattress King and The Salvation Army® to provide new mattresses and furniture to The Salvation Army residential shelters in Little Rock, Ark.

Of the nearly 30 million Americans who receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year, many of those in need who rely on The Salvation Army's residential shelters will sleep easier this holiday season knowing that they will have a safe and comfortable place to rest their heads.

For every Stearns & Foster mattress sold by participating retailers between November 22, 2010 and January 3, 2011, Stearns & Foster will make a donation toward new mattresses designed specifically for The Salvation Army, with a total value of up to $1 million.

Participating Stearns & Foster retailer, Mattress King, will also support their local Salvation Army by participating in a retailer gift-matching opportunity and making a $50 cash donation to The Salvation Army in Little Rock, Ark. for every Stearns & Foster sold between November 22, 2010 and January 3, 2011. Mattress King customers will also be able make cash donations in Salvation Army kettles at the store.
"The Stearns & Foster brand has a wonderful history of philanthropy and we are thankful for the opportunity to work with The Salvation Army to help people fulfill a very basic need - a safe and restful sleep," said Jodi Allen, Chief Marketing Officer, Sealy. "Stearns & Foster founders, G.S. Stearns and Seth Foster both came from humble beginnings and we commemorate their efforts this holiday season with these donations."

Stearns & Foster is remembered, according to the Ohio state Historical Marker, "for its commitment to public service and their business leadership throughout the last century."

Dating back to 1846, the brand's founder, George S. Stearns has been credited for his service to the community, for building the first church, library and school in Wyoming, Ohio. One of the ways Stearns & Foster continued his legacy was contributing drinking water and mattresses during Ohio's great flood of 1937.

Nationwide, The Salvation Army's residential shelters provide support to men, women and children at the point of need, with programs operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Families who are in need of assistance are able to visit their local Salvation Army residential shelters to receive a variety of support services, including food, counseling and financial assistance.

"We are forever grateful for our corporate partners that come along side us to help those in need," said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary for The Salvation Army. "Sealy's creative strategy will certainly help us provide more people with a good night's sleep at our programs across the country. And sleep is something we all need."

For more details on Sealy's Stearns & Foster Gift of Sleep visit StearnsandFoster.com.


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Biting back against bedbugs: Totowa company sees problem as an opportunity

BY ANDREW TANGEL

STAFF WRITER

As bedbugs infest news coverage and crawl into the public consciousness, a Totowa business has found an opportunity for profit.

TYSON TRISH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Totowa business is capitalizing on the bed bug hysteria of the day. Precision Custom Coatings LLC is making covers that will keep bed bugs out of mattresses. The mattress covers help hotel operators salvage at least the mattresses in the case of infestations. Shaile Dusaj is the company's point person for the covers.

Precision Custom Coatings LLC, which produces fabric interior linings for products from shirts to cars to climate-control systems, has begun producing bedbug-proof mattress coverings.

Precision started producing the encasements — which aim to keep the blood-sucking pests from colonizing mattresses and box springs — in mid-2009.

"It's a problem for some people. It's an opportunity for us," said Shaile Dusaj, Precision's director of industrial sales.

By this time last year, the company's three factories in China were shipping 40,000 encasements a month to Precision's customers, which then repackage them under their own brand names and distribute to retailers, Dusaj said.

Now the company is shipping about 160,000 encasements a month, mostly to the United States but also to Australia, Thailand and Japan.

"It has just exploded," Dusaj said of demand.

It's unclear to what extent bedbugs have become more of a problem. The bugs had been considered eradicated but have resurfaced at high-profile locations such as the Niketown store in Manhattan.

While the demand has grown, Dusaj said Precision's three factories outside of Shanghai are running at only about one-third of capacity.

Precision began producing the encasements last summer after its customers expressed interest in the products, the components of which Precision already made, Dusaj said. The company had produced similar coverings marketed to sufferers of dust-mite allergies.

The bedbug-proof encasements are made from polyester fabric laminated to a polyurethane film, along with a fine-tooth zipper that closes tightly, covering the entire mattress.

"The encasement is a proven non-chemical tool to reduce the potential harborages for the bedbugs," Changlu Wang, a Rutgers University entomologist, said, using the technical term for where bedbugs live.
While one could argue encasements can lead to more dispersed infestations, Wang thinks they are a good part of a pest-control strategy.

In cases of outbreaks involving non-encased mattresses, the cases can trap the bedbugs after investgations.

"They sense the presence of the host. They want to bite, but they cannot bite through," Wang said.

"They can multiply inside," he added, "but they cannot get out. Eventually they will starve to death."

In 2009, Precision sold about 200,000 encasements, contributing 1 percent to the company's annual revenue of about $120 million, said Scott Tesser, Precision's president. Precision sells its products to businesses that distribute to retail stores and hotels.

So far this year, Tesser said, the company has sold more than 600,000 units. At this rate, he said, encasements would contribute up to 7 percent to the company's sales this year.

Tesser expects Precision's mattress encasement sales to at least double next year, but it's unclear how strong demand will remain in the long term.

"I'm not sure how long the window stays open," Tesser said. "I'm sure at some point the 'epidemic' gets under control. Does the consumer feel the same need to purchase a mattress encasement? I don't know. But I'm certainly anticipating this current scenario will last through 2011."

E-mail: tangel@northjersey.com

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best way to buy a mattress | Do You Have Bed Bug Infestation And Not Know It?

Best Way to Buy a Mattress - Steps and Considerations to Take When Mattress Shopping

Is it time for you to buy a mattress? Perhaps your old one needs replacement, or maybe you're upgrading from a full sized bed to a queen sized, or maybe you now have a partner to share your bed with. Whatever your reasons are for looking for a new mattress, always keep in mind that mattress buying isn't a minor decision. You are going to be sleeping on your mattress every night, and the quality of your sleep will affect your temperament for the entire day. So you should definitely be careful in searching for the right mattress to buy.

Here are some steps to follow:

1. Evaluate Your Needs

Check your needs. Do you have an existing mattress? If so, what problems do you have with it? Is it the size? Is it too firm? Is it too soft? Whatever observations you have regarding your current mattress can help guide you to getting a better mattress. Also, consider any special needs. Do you prefer a more luxurious feel when sleeping? You might appreciate the mattresses with velveteen surface covers rather than the usual cotton covers. Do you and your partner have different firmness preferences? You might want to consider the air mattresses with adjustable firmness/softness levels.

2. Research

Once you know your own needs, it's time to know what the industry offers. Do research on the different types of mattresses and know what their advantages and disadvantages are. Check out consumer reviews and expert recommendations. Find out which mattresses are most recommended for your specific situation, given all your needs and special preferences. Find out which mattress manufacturers produce the best mattresses. Find out how much you should pay for the mattress of your choice. Only a good research can help you prepare for your final purchase.

3. Compare

How do you shop? Do you go to a store and get the first item you see? In shopping for a mattress, always compare different options. Don't pick out one product, see if it matches your needs, and then buy it. For all you know, another mattress out there meets your needs, provides additional features, and offers a better price.

Different Factors to Consider

Now, in your research and comparison, which factors should you pay the most attention to?

1. The size of the mattress

The first thing to consider is the size of the mattress. This should be the first factor that narrows down your many options. Here are the available mattress sizes.

· California King 72x84 inches
· King 76x80 inches
· Queen 60x80 inches
· Full 54x75 inches
· Twin 39x75
· Extra long twin 39x80

2. Spring or foam?
Next, decide whether you prefer a mattress that uses coil springs as the core or foam as the core.

3. Memory foam or latex foam?
If you decide to go for a foam mattress, you need to further choose between memory foam and latex foam.

4. Soft or firm?
Different innerspring, memory foam, and latex foam mattresses also provide different softness and firmness levels. For example, one model of a memory foam mattress will appear in around three different versions: soft, firm, medium firm. This way, you can get that model with all its features but with the firmness level you prefer.

Need a mattress buying guide to help you buy a mattress? Here are some mattress reviews that will help.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Patric 

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