Menthol Crystal Idea for Car & Site f/Essential Oil

[Guest guest]

Put sachets of menthol crystals in your cars. Use dryer sheets to

put the menthol crystals in, tie them up with string, and leave

them in the car.

In the summer, the heat build-up in the car will cause the menthol

crystals to melt and diffuse into the air. The car will smell unpleasantly strong when you get in each time, but it is very effective in keeping any more mites from getting

a foothold in your car and in helping rid the ones that are there.This URL is to a site for essential oils that kill mites:http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20020022043.html==========================

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Title:

Method for killing house dust mites in clothing and other soft materials

Document Type and Number:

United States Patent Application 20020022043

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

The present inventor has found, surprisingly, that exposing woolen or

other fabrics to the vapors of certain pleasant-smelling plant oils,

including wintergreen oil, lavandin oil, Ylang-Ylang oil, and others,

kills house dust mites in those fabrics. In one aspect of the present

invention, a method for killing house dust mites which are living in or

infesting a fabric substrate is disclosed. The method includes the step

of exposing said mite-infested substrate to a vapor of at least one

plant oil. The plant oil is selected from the group of Anise, Balsam,

Basil, Bay, Birch, Cajeput, Camphor, Caraway, Cinnamon, Clove,

Coriander, Dill, Fennell, Fir, Garlic, Lavender, Lavendin, Lemongrass,

Marjoram, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Spearmint, Tea

Tree, Thuja, Thyme, Wintergreen and Ylang-Ylang. In a preferred method,

the exposing step comprises placing the mite-infested substrate in a

closed drawer or other closed container along with a volume of the

selected plant oil. The plant oil can be applied to the substrate in a

variety of manners as can be understood from the following detailed

description.

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Inventors:

, D. (Ridgefield, CT, US)

Plaque It!

Sponsored by:Flash of Genius

Application Number:

09/751325

Publication Date:

02/21/2002

Filing Date:

12/28/2000

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Referenced by:

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Primary Class:

424/725

Other Classes:

424/403

International Classes:

(IPC1-7): A61K035/78; A01N025/34; A01N065/00

Attorney, Agent or Firm:

DARBY & DARBY P.C. (805 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10022, US)

Claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A method for killing house dust mites infesting a fabric substrate,

said method comprising the step of exposing said mite-infested

substrate to a vapor of at least one plant oil selected from the group

consisting of: Anise, Balsam, Basil, Bay, Birch, Cajeput, Camphor,

Caraway, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Dill, Fennell, Fir, Garlic,

Lavender, Lavendin, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pine,

Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Thuja, Thyme, Wintergreen and

Ylang-Ylang.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the exposing step comprises

placing the mite infested substrate in a closed container along with a

volume of the selected plant oil.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the plant oil is saturated into a

piece of cotton or a piece of a toweling.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein the plant oil resides in an open

dish within the closed container.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the exposing step comprises

spraying the plant oil on the substrate.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the fabric substrate is one of a

clothing, a bedding material, an upholstery, a carpeting, and a toy

made from fabric.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention pertains to a method for killing house dust mites in soft materials such as clothing. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]

It has been known for many years that common house dust is an important

cause of asthma, rhinitis and eczema in allergic individuals. The mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and

related mites are the major sources of house dust allergen in temperate

climates including the United States. Dust mites are eight-legged

arachnids, relatives of spiders. They live in close association with

humans, their main food source being the shed scales from skin. A major

protein allergen present in the fecal particles of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der p I, can cause acute asthma symptoms when present at levels greater than 10μg per gram of dust. [0003]

Dust mites are photophobic, and live within soft materials such as

pillows, mattresses, blankets and clothing. One study revealed 20,000

live dust mites in a jacket. Another study showed mean Der p I

levels of 15.9 μg/gm in all clothing and 21.0 μg/gm in woolen garments.

Hot water washing, dry cleaning, freezing and prolonged sun exposure

can kill mites in fabrics. These methods are not practical for all

fabrics, or may not be practical to do frequently. [0004]

Since mites are not insects and are not even closely related to

insects, it is not surprising that many insecticides do not kill mites.

Chemical miticides exist which can kill some types of mites, but most

of these have been developed for agricultural use, to kill plant-eating

mites which infest growing crops or stored grain, and which constitute

different mite species. Use of a chemical substance indoors, and

particularly on clothing or carpeting in close contact with the user,

obviously requires that the chemical be safe and pleasant. [0005]

Despite advances in treatment, morbidity, mortality and costs related

to asthma and other allergic diseases continue to rise. Since house

dust mites are a major cause of these conditions, there is a need in

the art for a safe and effective way of killing mites in clothing and

other fabrics. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006]

The present inventor has found, surprisingly, that exposing woolen or

other fabrics to the vapors of certain pleasant-smelling plant oils,

including wintergreen oil, lavandin oil, Ylang-Ylang oil, and others,

kills house dust mites in those fabrics. [0007] In one aspect

of the present invention, a method for killing house dust mites which

are living in or infesting a fabric substrate is disclosed. The method

includes the step of exposing said mite-infested substrate to a vapor

of at least one plant oil. The plant oil may be selected from the group

of Anise, Balsam, Basil, Bay, Birch, Cajeput, Camphor, Caraway,

Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Dill, Fennell, Fir, Garlic, Lavender,

Lavendin, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary,

Rue, Sage, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Thuja, Thyme, Wintergreen and

Ylang-Ylang. [0008] In a preferred method, the exposing step

comprises placing the mite-infested substrate in a closed drawer or

other closed container along with a volume of the selected plant oil.

The plant oil can be applied to the substrate in a variety of manners

as can be understood from the following detailed description. [0009]

These and other features and aspects of the present invention can be

better appreciated from the following description of certain preferred

embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0010]

I discovered that exposing woolen clothing or other soft fabrics

infested with house dust mites to the vapors of several plant

oils—including the oils of Anise, Balsam, Basil, Bay, Birch, Cajeput,

Camphor, Caraway, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Dill, Fennell, Fir,

Garlic, Lavender, Lavendin, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Peppermint,

Pine, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Thuja, Thyme,

Wintergreen and Ylang-Ylang—kills the mites in such clothing as well as

their eggs. [0011] The oils used are aromatherapy-grade oils

produced by steam distillation of the specific plant, and readily

available commercially from many suppliers. These oils release vapors

spontaneously, and thus can be placed in contact with the mite infested

substrate in many ways, e.g. placing a few drops of the oil on an

absorbent material such as a paper towel or piece of cotton, which is

then placed in a closed container, such as a closed drawer or a sweater

storage box, containing the infested fabric. Alternatively, several

drops of the oil may be placed in a plastic or glass dish within such a

closed container. Application may also be effected by spraying a mist

of the oil onto the substrate by means of a simple atomizer, and then

placing the treated object into a sealed container that allows the

accumulation of the oil vapor. In the case of substrates which can not

be placed within closed containers for treatment, such as carpets, the

vapor of the oil may be contained long enough for it to have its

desired effect by placing an impermeable barrier such as plastic

sheeting over the carpet which has been sprayed with the oil, and

leaving such barrier in place for a sufficient time to kill mites, such

as, for example, 24 hours. Additional methods of dispersing the vapor

of the oils include the use of a packet containing a solution or gel of

the plant oil having on at least one surface of the packet a permeable

membrane through which the vapor volatilizes either spontaneously or

with the help of electric heat, as in an air freshener. All of these

methods have proven to be effective. [0012] The substrates

encompassed by the methods of the present invention include without

limitation clothing, carpeting, bedding materials, upholstery, toys

made from fabrics, and other soft fabrics. [0013]

The present invention is further described in the following working

examples, which are intended to illustrate the invention without

limiting its scope. EXAMPLE 1 [0014] The

ability of various plant oils to kill house dust mites was assessed by

placing three drops of the oil being tested into a Petri dish

containing D. pteronyssinus cultures.

Cultures were examined microscopically 3, 8, 24 and 48 hours later. It

was discovered that the vapor of some oils killed all mites by 8 hours,

while others had no effect even after 24 hours of exposure. The

following table lists those oils found to be capable of killing all of

the dust mites (+), those which killed some but not all (+/-), and

those which did not kill them (-). [0015] Anise + [0016] Atlas Cedarwood +/- [0017] Balsam + [0018] Basil + [0019] Bay 1+ [0020] Bergamot +/- [0021] Birch + [0022] Cajeput + [0023] Camphor + [0024] Caraway + [0025] Cardomom +/- [0026] Cedar - [0027] Cilantro - [0028] Cinnamon + [0029] Clove + [0030] Coriander + [0031] Cypress - [0032] Dill + [0033] Elemi +/- [0034] Erigeron +/- [0035] Eucalyptus +/- [0036] Fennell + [0037] Fir + [0038] Garlic + [0039] Juniperberry +/- [0040] Lavender + [0041] Lavendin + [0042] Lemon +/- [0043] Lemongrass + [0044] Marjoram + [0045] Nutmeg + [0046] Orange +/- [0047] Oregano +/- [0048] Palmarosa - [0049] Peppermint + [0050] Pine + [0051] Rosemary + [0052] Rue + [0053] Sage + [0054] Spearmint + [0055] Tea tree + [0056] Thuja + [0057] Thyme + [0058] Wintergreen + [0059] Ylang-Ylang + EXAMPLE 2 [0060] A wool sweater was cut into sections, which were inoculated with dense cultures of D. pteronyssinus mites.

These sections, and open Petri dishes containing the mite cultures,

were placed in two 15-liter plastic sweater storage boxes. Into one box

was placed a 0.11 oz packet of 11.49% lavandin oil. The second was left

as an untreated control.

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