One of the most common causes of indoor allergy symptoms is the house dust mite. It's estimated that up to 85% of asthma cases?eczema and hay fever too?are caused by the fecal matter and cast-off skins of these little critters. These allergy triggers are only a couple microns in size ? invisible to the naked eye. They are abundant in almost all homes, with infestations prevalent in bedrooms and in bedding ? the dead skin cells we naturally exfoliate every day are the food source for these microscopic creatures. Protective measures can be taken to at least limit one's exposure to dust mite populations and to reduce their effect in the home. Here are 10 steps that will help keep your allergy symptoms at bay.
1.) Encase your mattress and pillows with a zippered hypoallergenic allergen barrier that blocks any particles larger than 1 micron in size and that fully encases the mattress and pillow. Doing this will eliminate new mites from populating these areas and will lock in dust mites that are already living there, keeping you free from their allergens.
2.) At least once every week, wash your sheets in very hot water. The water should be at least 130'F. If your bedding is made of fabrics that cannot be washed in hot water, you can put it in the freezer for one to two days, which will effectively kill dust mites. Every 2 to 4 weeks, you should also wash blankets and mattress pads.
3.) It is recommended that severe allergy sufferers also completely cover their box springs and their comforters or duvets with allergen barrier encasements as dust mites can infest these two areas as well.
4.) Keep the temperature in your home and especially in your bedroom below 70'F if possible and the humidity below 50 percent because dust mites thrive in warm, humid climates. Leaving your sheets unmade each morning allows them to dry out (nighttime perspiration) and keeps the bed cooler because less heat is being trapped beneath the sheets. In addition, dust mites are photophobic, afraid of the light so are less likely to settle in an unmade bed exposed to sunlight.
5.) While encasements keep dust mites from entering your mattress and pillows, allergens and dust may still accumulate on the surface. It's important to wipe down encasements each time that you change your sheets or remove them to be washed. You should also wash your encasements in hot water every 8 weeks or so.
6.) Always vacuum beneath your bed and mattress. Damp mop any hard flooring and use a damp rag to dust. Sweeping a dry floor may only stir up dust and allergens.
7.) If it's in your budget to do so, remove carpeting, especially in the bedroom, and replace with hardwood flooring. Replace drapes and cloth blinds with wood or vinyl blinds. If you prefer to have carpeting, make sure to vacuum weekly.
8.) Wash children's soft-cloth toys in 130'F water if possible, otherwise place them in the freezer for a full 24 hours to kill off dust mites, if they are non-washable.
9) Dust mites also consume the dead skin cells that Fido and FiFi exfoliate, and pet dander itself is yet another common allergen trigger that affects many people. If you or your children suffer from allergies or asthma, don't allow cats or dogs or any other pets in the bedroom.
10) Not only can cigarette & fireplace smoke be carcinogenic, they also can exacerbate any respiratory condition. Don't smoke in the house and if you have a fireplace in your bedroom, don't use it.
~ Ben Anton, 2007
Dust mites are regarded as one of the most difficult pests to remove. They are extremely tiny and is rather invisible to be removed. As the name suggests, dust mites are present as a result of large amount of dust within the house. Dust mites grow on dust and cause massive problems for the people in the house. Hence, controlling dust mites is very important to keep the house clean and healthy.
Dust mites are present in the home as a result of cleanliness of the house. If the house is not consistently cleaned, vacuumed or dusted, dust mites creep into the house. A large number of dust mites can cause diseases like asthma or make it worse if a member already suffers from the disease. Dust mites look like tiny spiders or ticks and grow abundantly in hot and humid climate. To keep these dust mites away from the house it is necessary for the individuals to perform the following tasks:
1) Dust consistently. All panels, counters, beddings, sofas, floorings, ceilings and even the far off corners must be consistently cleaned with soft cloth or even a wet cloth in order to get rid of the dust mites. Especially using a wet cloth is the preferred option.
2) It is recommended to wash bed linen in warm water. It is possible that normal water may not be good enough to destroy the mites present in every fold of the linen. Warm water has the advantage and the mites cannot sustain the extreme heat and get killed immediately.
3) If people stay in areas with high humidity levels they must use de-humidifiers to control the humidity levels at home. The humidity level at home must be below 60%.
4) It is essential to keep furry animals like pet dogs and cats out of the bedroom, as they are great carriers of dust mites.
5) If the air gets polluted too much, individuals must use air cleaners to remove dust and dust mites.
6) It is essential to use bed covers and pillow covers to keep away the dust and dust mites.
The above are just a few of the most common tasks to keep dust mites away from the homes. Once dust is removed or reduced, dust mites themselves would not be existing within the home.
Both Ben Anton & Richard are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ben Anton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Software, Home and Writing. Want to learn more about how to in your home? Visit the CleanRest website to view a large selection of allergen. Ben Anton's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.
Richard has sinced written about articles on various topics from Online Marketing, Skin Care and Hoodia. Searching for more ? Richard has a website with more information about controlling home pests at. Richard's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.