Dust mites are tiny creatures that are available in million all over your home. Its numbers usually depends on your hygiene and location of your home. Dust mites will be available on your bed, curtains, furniture, carpets and almost every corner. They leave certain kind of waste that is highly allergic. Dust mite debris can trigger a range of health complaints and allergic reactions such as breathing difficulties, coughing, nasal congestion, itching and watery eyes. They can also have a detrimental effect on your sleep, causing you to wake several times during the night.
No matter how much neatness we maintain but it’s not possible to eliminate dust mites. However there are certain precautions are to be taken in order to reduce dust mites from our home.
- Regularly wash bedding: Beds are the most favorite place of dust mites as it is warm and humid. Warm places make them flourish. Most importantly the flakes of dead skin which humans shed during the night become a good source of food for these tiny creatures. So beds are ideal place for them to live in. Regularly wash the bedding in hot water order to get rid of allergy from dust mites. Washing them every week is recommendable.
- Change your pillows: Pillows and comforters attract dust mites, in order to avoid this change your pillows once in 6 months or may be a year. Down pillows collect large amount of dust mites and they cannot be cleaned easily. Replace these with the one which can be easily washed and dried.
- Use anti-allergen mattress: It’s not possible to make a mattress free from dust mites but certain measures can be taken in order to reduce the number of mites and also keep you away from the decaying particles of dust mites. This can be done with the help of hypoallergenic mattress or anti-allergen mattress. These mattress protector stops dust mite allergens from infiltrating your sleeping zone.
- Vapour steam-cleaning: Use a steam cleaning machine that heats surfaces with dry steam, kills fungus, dust mites, bacteria, and other undesirables. This is a good way to clean bedding that you can’t launder, such as mattresses. Vapour steam deeply penetrates whatever it is cleaning, and it is great for upholstery, couches, carpets, and mattresses.
- Remove wall to wall carpets: Carpet is a breeding ground for dust mites, especially if you have pets. Consider replacing old carpets with linoleum. It’s best to eliminate wall-to-wall carpets especially over concrete floors because concrete generates moisture/humidity. Instead decorate with washable throw rugs.
- Humidity control: Dust mites thrive in high humidity environments, so they are worse in many coastal areas. Dust mites die when the humidity falls below 40-50 percent, try using a humidifier in your bedroom.
- Freeze stuffed toys: put the stuffed toys and pillows in a plastic bag and keep it in freezer for 1- 2days, this kills the mites.
House dust mites produce powerful enzymes that are strong enough to break down delicate cells, then go on to enter the body, a bit like an invasion. For some people this invasion causes a reaction, for others it’s just unwanted dirt that gets cleaned up naturally. A dust mite kit is available in the market in order to find out if there are mites on your bed, mattress or any other place .All you need is a vacuum cleaner and you can test at two different test areas in your home.
Children are the one who are easily affected from dust mites as it causes allergic disease. Not only because they spend more time in bed asleep -a favourite mite home but because they are unable to identify allergy symptoms. Make sure you make their beddings and stuffed toys free from dust mites.