If You Have Allergies It Could Be Down To Dust Mites In The Home
Monday, July 6th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
No doubt you think you know all the inhabitants of your house well – family, friends, housemates, perhaps a pet. But almost every home in the UK has unseen unwelcome house guests. They are ugly creepy crawlies, they look like bizarre alien creatures from a science fiction film, oh and they could well be living in your bed. I’m talking of course about dust mites, the hidden menace in the home, which can’t be seen by the naked eye but manage to cause trouble wherever they go.
Aside from the slightly disturbing knowledge that they could be living in your carpets and bedding, dust mites are also one of the most common causes of asthma, eczema and an endless list of other inconvenient allergies. Technically it’s dust mites’ droppings rather than the actual mites that cause problems, as they contain an enzyme that is highly allergenic to over 20% of the population. They feast on the 50 million dead skin cells that the average human sheds every day, and it can be a nightmare getting rid of them completely. Tough, but far from impossible. If you think there might be dust mites in your home, there are three important things to remember:
Keep it Clean – If you want to get rid of dust mites, the most obvious solution is to remove the dust. They like to live in ‘dust bunnies’ and deep in the carpet pile so regular hoovering, every day if necessary, will help to restrict their food supply and suck them out of the carpet too. Keep windows open where possible as they don’t like sunlight, and are so tiny that many of them will get blown away completely in a breeze!
Keep it Fresh –You might not think air quality would have much effect on dust mites considering they live in the carpet and furnishings, but in fact the right air conditioner could make all the difference. Even when you’re hoovering daily there is still time for skin cells and dust particles to settle and create new homes for mites. Installing an air purifier with a HEPA filter literally removes all particles larger than 0.0003mm from the air before they get the chance to settle, meaning less food for mites.
Keep it Dry – Dust mites like to live in homes where the air is moist with a relative humidity (RH) of 50% or higher. The ideal RH in the home varies depending on where you live and who you ask, but the most common recommendation is somewhere around 45%. If the normal humidity level in your home is anywhere above 50% it’s worth taking steps to reduce it as not only will this kill dust mites but can also improve the general health of the occupants. Basic things like keeping windows open when cooking or showering can make a difference but if the problem persists then using a dehumidifier is a quick and easy way to remove moisture from the air, maintaining the optimum RH and killing dust mites dead!
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July 10th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Great tips for keeping a clean home. I don;t remember having serious problems caused by dust mites but regular cleaning and dust control can avoid a lot of trouble with dust allergies and asthma conditions for members of the family.