The most common triggers for asthma and allergies are dust mites. It can be difficult to find and eliminate dust mites because they are microscopic.
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Although it is impossible to eliminate all dust mites from your home, there are steps you can take that can help reduce symptoms and asthma attacks.
What are dust mites?
Dust mites, microscopic arachnids, can be found all over your home, including pillows, toys, furniture and clothes. They can grow to 1/4 to 1/3 of a millimeter in length and are common all over the globe, although they prefer hot and humid areas. They leave a lot of droppings despite their small size. This can cause allergic or asthmatic reactions.
Dust mites are a common problem in homes because they feed on dead skin cells. A person can lose an average of 1.6 pounds of skin each year. This attracts many hungry mites. Dust mites love to eat skin cells from household items like bedding, carpets, and clothing.
How can you get rid of dust mites?
Many houses and apartments are already infested with dust mites because they have lived with humans for many centuries. Dust mites are attracted to warm, humid, and dusty environments. It is important to keep your home as dust free as possible in order to stop them from entering your home.
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Dust mites love dark places, where there is food, that are moist and warm. They love fiber surfaces that trap skin cells. Because of the fibers in the bedroom that trap dead skin cells, and attract dust mites, it is the most infested area in the house.
Although it is impossible to see dust mites, they can cause serious health problems, such as:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Watery, itchy or red eyes
- Stuffy nose
- Itchy throat, mouth or nose
- Itchy skin
- Postnasal drip
- Cough
- If you have asthma, you might experience the following symptoms:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Tightness in the chest or pain
- When you breathe out, you hear a whistling sound or wheezing.
- Problems sleeping due to shortness of breathing, wheezing, or coughing
- Six steps to eliminate dust mites
Although it is impossible to eradicate them completely from your home, knowing how to kill them is a first step towards reducing allergy symptoms and preventing asthma attacks.
These six steps will show you how to eliminate dust mites from your home.
Step 1: Clean your bedding regularly
Regularly washing your pillows, sheets, blankets and covers is one of the best ways to get rid of dust mites from your home and bedroom. You can wash them in hot water at least 130°F and dry them on a high heat setting for 15 minutes at 130°F. Regularly clean your mattress with a steamer. Temperatures above 130°F will kill most dust mites. Non-washable items can be frozen for 24 hours. However, this will not kill the dust mites as effectively.
Step 2: Use allergen-proof bedding
A zippered dust mite-proof cover protects your bedding and mattress from the mites. This reduces their food supply and will cause them to begin to die. Although they can still sneak in through the zipper, you will have significantly reduced their population. Duct tape can be used to cover seams.
Step 3: Clean your carpets and curtains.
Carpets, curtains, soft furnishings, and carpets can retain dead skin. This is a common part of household dust as well as mite feces. It is much more difficult to clean your sofa or carpets than it is to clean your bedding. A simple vacuum or steamer won’t completely remove dust mites.
As often as possible, wash any machine-washable curtains or rugs, sofa cushions, or sofa covers in the washer. You can use a denaturing agent if you are unable to wash them. Although these agents don’t kill mites, they can break down allergic reaction-causing proteins.
You should also make sure to wash your pet bedding and soft toys regularly with hot water, as described above.
Step 4: Dust with damp cloth
Another way to reduce mites’ food supply is to dust your home regularly with a damp cloth. To avoid dust spreading, rinse the cloth. A damp cloth is best as dry cloths can spread allergens around the house. All furniture, shelves, books and decorations should be included.
Step 5: Lower the humidity in your house
A dehumidifier is a great way to get rid of mites. They extract water from humid environments to improve the air quality. This can be done by opening windows when it is dry and using fans and vents for showering, cooking, and other activities that generate steam. A hygrometer can be installed to monitor humidity levels. Make sure they are below 50%.
Step 6: Install a high efficiency media filter in your furnace and air conditioner unit.
To ensure that dust mites are captured and their feces are completely captured, use certified allergen-capturing filters such as HEPA filters in furnaces, air conditioners, vacuums, and vacuums.
You’ll need the products and tools to eliminate dust mites
Allergen laundry detergent: Use this detergent to wash your bedding, pillows, and other items that can be washed. It has special ingredients that kill dust mite allergens by hot washing.
Mattress covers: To keep dust mites out of your mattress and limit the amount of dead skin cells that settle in it, use mattress covers.
Allergy bedding: To further reduce the chances of dead skin cells from settling on your pillows or duvets, use allergy-friendly bedding.
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Hygrometer: Use this tool to measure and limit humidity in your home.
Dehumidifiers: Remove water from humid environments daily to improve air quality and make your home more attractive for dust mites.
Allergen spray: Use an allergen spray to clean carpets, upholstery and curtains. It uses an oxidizing agent to kill dust mites.
Steamer: Use a handheld steamer to remove dust mite allergens and dirt from upholstery and soft furnishings.
You don’t need to use chemicals. Here are some natural ways to eliminate dust mites
Essential oils such as eucalyptus and eucalyptus are very effective in killing dust mites. These oils can be used in a variety of ways to repel dust mites from your home. Use drops of eucalyptus oils in your washer to clean your upholstery and bedding. Then, mix a few drops of oil with water to spray the oil around your home and furniture.
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Large leaves can help to collect dust and combat mites. Dust allergies can be prevented by flowers like the Boston ferns and the chamaedorea (bamboo Palm), spider plant, or peace lily.