Dust Mites – The Hidden Menace
No doubt you think you know all the inhabitants of your house well – family, friends, housemates, maybe a pet. But most UK homes have unseen unwelcome house guests. They are ugly creepy crawlies, they look like something out of a science fiction film, and they could be making their home in your bed right now. I’m talking about millions of dust mites, the secret invaders in the home, invisible to the eye but causing problems wherever they go.
Aside from being thoroughly unpleasant to think they could be living in your carpets and bedding, dust mites are also one of the most common causes of asthma, eczema and a whole host of other recurrent allergies. Technically it’s dust mites’ droppings rather than the actual mites that cause problems, as they contain a highly allergenic enzyme which causes a reaction in over 20% of the population. They feast on the 50 million dead skin cells every human sheds each day, and it can be a nightmare getting rid of them completely. Tough, but not impossible. If you think there might be dust mites in your home, here are three tips that could help:
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, daily if you have to, will not only suck many of them out of the carpet but cut off the food supply to those that are left behind. Leave windows open whenever the weather is good enough as they don’t like sunlight, and are so small 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 the dust can settle, meaning less food for mites.
Keep it Dry – Dust mites thrive in conditions 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 it is usually around 45%. If humidity levels in your home are above 50% trying to reduce it is a good idea as this will not only stop the mites but can also improve the general health of people living in the house. 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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