Is your hotel room "Pure"?

I've written often about the challenges traveling with asthma, allergies and food allergies.
Pure Solutions has stepped up to the fore to work towards filling in the gap for those of us with allergies and asthma that travel. In conjunction with participating hotels, Pure Solutions aims to bring an allergen-friendly hospitality experiences to those of us with respiratory issues, allergies, or even the frequent traveler who would like a deeper cleaned room for their business stay.

The Pure Room takes the following steps to ensure a comfortable night's rest (italics from company press materials):

* Tea Tree Oil, to further maintain the sanitized conditions, a cartridge of tea tree oil is installed. Tea tree oil, a natural product, is known for its antimicrobial and disinfectant properties. The tea tree oil in a particle form is in a canister placed inside the a/c and heating units, where it vaporizes microscopically into the room. The molecules are virtually odorless; however, the canister can be removed if the guest so requests.

* PURE Clean^TM, our exclusive solution designed to disintegrate bio films and maximize the removal of dirt, bacteria, and mold on carpets and upholstery. Based on a peroxide solution, Pure Clean is placed on every surface, including carpets, walls and blinds.

* High Ozone Shock Treatment, penetrates every nook and cranny of your guest room to eliminate mold and bacteria, leaving your room smelling fresh and clean. This is a one-time treatment during the initial conversion of a regular hotel room to a Pure room. This is not done regularly and shouldn't impact any asthmatics with ozone sensitivities.

* PURE Shield^TM, a bacteriostatic barrier that repels microorganisms, offering long-term protection against mold and bacteria growth on treated surfaces. This "barrier" is wiped on all surfaces like Pledge but without the smell to ensure that the icky elements of an oft-used hotel room are kept to a minimum.

* Electronic Air Purifier, FDA-listed as Class II Medical Device, eliminating 98-100% of bacteria and viruses to give you 24-hour protection from airborne pollutants

* Allergy-Friendly Bed Encasements, including soft, breathable, and washable mattress and pillow covers to protect you from dust and dust mite allergens

According to Pure, the main potential benefits of the above steps are improved air quality, a decrease of airborne irritants and a decrease of cleaning agent odors, pet odors, smoke odors: all odors actually.

How much extra does all of the Pure technology cost? Between $15-20 on top of your room rate, so even if you get an AAA rate at a hotel then your fee would only be $20 more. Twenty dollars for the possibility of staying in a hotel room and not waking up with a tight chest or puffy eyes sounds like a great deal to me.

I had a chance to stay in a Pure room at a Sheraton in Tarrytown, NY (home of Washington Irving). I rolled around the bed and stayed in it or on it for over 12 hours. I sat on the furniture. I fluffed up the pillows. I snuggled with the sheets and took lots of deep breaths.