The dust mite. An insignificant little creature at first glance. It’s also invisible to the naked eye. Yet, it causes so much trouble to people with dust mite allergy. So much so that the mite becomes a real and sadly everyday problem to deal with.
However, this little foe can be defeated, and a sense of normalcy can be regained. How, you may ask? We’ll explore that in detail below.
Read on!
What’s The Impact of Dust Mites On Your Health?
This little creature causes allergies in plenty of people. That’s done not via direct contact, like a bite, for example, but through their waste products, like faeces.
This pinpoints your first course of action. And that’s maintaining good hygiene in your home.
However, there’s one caveat. Even if you do all that to the letter, you must know that eliminating the mites completely from your home isn’t possible. Yet, the fewer dust mites, the better off you will be.
Lastly, you might want to visit your doctor and get some allergy medications if regular cleaning alone doesn’t help. Furthermore, let’s take a look into the complex approach at how to reduce these little creatures’ numbers below.
How To Control Dust Mites Effectively
There is no one-action universal formula. Good hygiene is simply a must in your combat against the allergy-triggering arachnids.
However, there are certain actions you can take to significantly reduce their numbers. Those are described below in detail:
Opt For Allergen-Proof Bedding
Dust mites love your bedroom. And, since we spend a third of our life sleeping, that’s one key location you need to focus on. And you can do plenty of good if you get allergen-proof bed covers. Especially for your pillows and mattresses.
These special covers will prevent the dust mites from colonising and spreading from underneath them to your bed. That’s all thanks to their tightly woven fabrics, which serve as effective deterrent.
Allergen-proof bedding is a great option because it eliminates some of the hassle that comes otherwise. However, it’s not a total substitute for good old regular cleaning. That’s still something you need to do, but at least it won’t be as intense and time-demanding as otherwise.
Wash Your Bedding Regularly
This one is a bit obvious. Nonetheless, it’s mandatory to combat the pesky little buggers and prevent allergic reactions. What’s interesting, however, is you need to wash your covers at certain temperatures. The ideal one
However, be careful when selecting your bedding. It’s good to avoid sheets that easily collect and trap dust. That will only exacerbate the dust mite problem. Invest time in finding the proper bedding, which will prevent dust mites from colonising your bedroom and worsen the symptoms.
Lastly, you need to wash your bedding at the correct temperature. That’s ideally 130 F (54.4 C), or more. Should your bedding not being able to handle hot washing, there’s another alternative. Put it in the dryer at the same temperature and wait for at least 15 minutes.
That’s how long it’s going to take for all the dust mites and allergens to die off.
Control Humidity Levels
Here’s something you probably haven’t thought about. High humidity being a factor in dust mite procreation. Sadly, it’s true because the more humid your home is, the more the dust mites will procreate. Thus, the worse off your allergy will be.
That’s why it’s a good idea to control the moisture in your home. Opting for a dehumidifier is one great way for that. Keep the levels under 50%, ideally. You can easily measure them if you get a hygrometer from your local hardware store.
Sometimes, that can prove difficult. Especially if you live in a really humid area. If you live in a really damp climate, like the UK, you might want to consider additional actions.
For example, high humidity leads to mould, which is another thing that triggers allergies. Make sure to make the most of sunny days. Open your curtains and let enough natural sunlight in. That will dry out the air a bit.
Get Rid of the Carpeting
Another reason why you may still experience allergic reactions. Carpets trap dead skin cells, bacteria, even mould. And wall-to-wall carpeting does that the most.
You’ll need thorough and regular cleaning of your carpeting.
While allergy-free households usually deep clean their carpets at least a few times a year, those who are allergic will need to do that more frequently. Together with the weekly cleaning, a thorough cleaning is required at least once a month.
That would be both a lot of work and time-consuming.
Conversely, opt for remove it and switch to hardwood flooring. That will eliminate most of the high maintenance upkeep and alleviate your allergies as well. Hardwood cleaning is also easier to clean and maintain.
Furthermore, you can opt for using a steam cleaner, which will destroy dust mites, but not only. Things like bacteria and mould will also be eliminated in the process, which will make your home much cleaner and allergy-free.
Contact Pest Control Services
Alternatively, this is a good option when you want to control dust mites. Especially if you want to save yourself the hassle of doing everything yourself. The pros have tons of experience dealing with things such as dust mites and allergy-causing problems. They’ll inspect the premises and determine what triggers your allergies.
They’ll treat or wash the most problematic areas using expert equipment, in order to reduce the dust mites numbers. The experts will also offer tips and advice on how to combat the pesky little creatures in your unique situation.
And, these changes, should you act on their advice, are what’s going to minimise your allergic symptoms and return a sense of normalcy to your daily life.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! These were the main ways to control dust mite populations in your home. By now, you know that the most determining factor behind reducing this tiny creature’s numbers is good hygiene.
Regular deep cleaning and professional pest control services are your main weapons in the fight against allergens.
Ultimately, we wish you luck with dealing with these pesky little arachnids, regardless of which option you go for. May you breathe easy in the comfort of your home so you enjoy life allergy-free!
