How do you control dust mites!

Dust mites are believed to be the #1 cause of allergic reactions, including asthma. Dust mites feed on human and animal skin flakes (dander), and make themselves right at home in stuffed toys, sofas, carpet, clothing, blankets, sheets and mattresses. In fact, all of us shed enough skin cells daily to feed around 1 Million dust mites. A single mite produces about twenty waste droppings each day. It’s a protein in these droppings that cause allergic reactions.

Millions of dust mites can be found in a typical used mattress. In fact, a two year old pillow can attribute 10 percent of it’s weight to dust mite droppings. So what if anything can be done to help those that are allergic to dust mite droppings? Good news is, you can reduce their population to comfortable levels. If you suffer from allergies or asthma related to dust mites, the following strategies will help tremendously.

1. Reduce humidity in your home. Dust mites need humidity in order to survive. Breeding is reduced if humidity is below 50%. Air conditioners and de-humidifiers are two great ways of reducing humidity.
2. Use waterproof mattress pads and pillow covers (see Cloud 9 Mattress Pads), to reduce humidity in mattresses and pillows, as dust mites thrive in these, due to the perspiration given off by the human body during sleep.
3. Use synthetic or latex pillows, and synthetic duvets that wick away moisture quicker than feather and down, thereby reducing humidity in your sleep environment.
4. Vacuum frequently, and when you vacuum don’t forget to vacuum your mattress. Remember to clean out your vacuum bag outside or in the garage, as dust mites can easily make there way back into your home if you don’t. One of the best solutions to this issue is replacement of a conventional vacuum with a built in vacuum, that exhausts air to the outside of your home.
5. Wash mattress pads, pillow covers, pillowcases, sheets and blankets every 7 - 14 days in extremely hot water (130°F). It’s important to note that strong soaps and bleach have little effect on dust mites.
6. Avoid stuffed toys that are not machine washable.
7. Replace cloth upholstery (sofa’s and upholstered dining chairs) with leather or vinyl upholstery, that you can wipe down frequently.
8. Replace cloth drapes with metal or vinyl blinds, and replace carpet with hardwood, lino or tile flooring.

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