What are dust mites?
Dust mites are tiny bugs that live in your home and they measure about 1/100th of an inch in length. Dust mites feed off of pet and human dander (dead skin cells in the air and on surfaces in our homes), and their waste is a major cause of allergies and asthma. Symptoms of dust mites allergy include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and itchy nose. If you have asthma, dust mites can cause you to wheeze more. You may have more symptoms at night, when you are laying in a bed infested with dust mites. So, cutting down the number of dust mites in the home is an important step if you or someone in your family has allergies or 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.
What can you do?
Vacuuming your carpets and upholstery can help. Vacuums with high-efficiency filters pick up more dust mites, but even standard vacuums will help. Plastic or wood furniture that doesn’t have much padding can also help keep down the number of dust mites in your home. Because dust mites love warm, humid places, keep the humidity in your home low by using a dehumidifier and running your air conditioner. Special air filters can also help reduce dust mites in the air.
Use a damp cloth or rag weekly to wipe surfaces where dust can collect. This includes countertops, shelves and windowsills. If your children have allergies, make sure to buy them stuffed animals that you can put in the washing machine.
Regular mattress cleaning will also help at night. Ever heard the saying ” Good night, don’t let the bed bugs bite”?
