Treatments for dust mites? Dust mites are extremely difficulty to control. Dust mites. The tiny little terrors are lurking everywhere, it seems, in our homes. According to Stoy Hedges, an entomologist...
Dust mites. The tiny little terrors are lurking everywhere, it seems, in our homes.
According to Stoy Hedges, an entomologist and Director of Technical Services for Terminix International says, "Dust mites are extremely difficult to control. Dust mites feed on dead skin that falls off of us. Typically, they are going to be found in upholstered furniture, your bed, and things like that. Dust mites are one of the primary reasons that people have serious allergic reactions."
"Dust mites are tiny bugs that live in your home. They measure about 1/100 of an inch in length, which is smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. Dust mites feed off of pet and human dander (dust), and their waste is a major cause of allergies and asthma. Dust mites love warm, humid areas filled with dust. Bed pillows, mattresses, carpets and furniture are great places for them to live. Cleaning each one of these places can make a real difference in the number of dust mites in your home," states the website, familydoctor.org.
So how exactly do you start cleaning for dust mites? Hedges says, "You are better off having hard wood floors than carpeted floors. Carpets collect this and are hard to get cleaned. Dust mites can thrive in those environments. You want to use special covers on your pillows and your mattress, to cut the presence of dust mites. Use allergenic filters on your heating and air conditioning systems. There are all kinds of steps, that of course, doctors can point the patients to do in the home to try and reduce the number of dust mites. As far as treating them, you can get rid of 98 percent of the dust mites but what do you do about the feces they leave behind? That is actually what is causing the allergen. People who are already allergenic can get rid of 95 percent of the allergens, and they still have symptoms. It may have reduced symptoms, but it is very difficult to reduce all the dust mite allergens, unless you change various things like changing the area of flooring."
According to familydoctor.org, you should wash your pillow, sheets and blankets weekly, in very hot water. The recommended temperature of 130 degrees Farenheit, is hotter than the 120 degrees you typically want your water heater set on to avoid burning children. If that's a concern, consider using a commercial laundry facility for your bedclothes.
Regarding flooring, familydoctor.org recommends that if you must use carpeting, never lay it on concrete flooring because they area between is an ideal habitat for the dust mite. Besides ripping out carpet, you can treat the carpets with a solution of 3% tannic acid every two months. This will keep down the dust mite waste levels. It can be irritating, so consult your doctor. This best solution is still no carpet at all. Besides that, thorough vacuuming with a filtered vacuum is crucial. Non-upholstered furniture is more desirous to avoid mites. Also, don't use a humidifier. Mites love warm and humid spaces. Instead, use air conditioning and dehumidifiers. Also, some air filters can help keep the dust mites out of the air you breathe.
If you try all these and still are having allergy problems, consult a physician who is knowledgeable about dust mites and allergies.
