Dust Mite Control
Unless you have an allergy to dust mites, you will never know they are around. However, there are some simple strategies you can use to help control the dust mites in your house.
- The easiest thing you can do is wash your bedding once a week in hot water (130 degrees). In order to be successful with this, you must wash everything…sheets, pillowcases, mattress covers, mattress pads, bedspreads, and all blankets.
- You should also cover your pillows, mattress, and box springs in zippered dust and allergen proof covers or even simple plastic covers.
- While washing your bedding, don’t forget about the stuffed animals and other cloth toys.
- Remember, dust mites like fabric, so the less of it around the less mites you will have. Therefore you should take down curtains and wall tapestries, replace cloth furniture with wooden furniture and have tile or wood floors rather than carpet.
- I realize that ridding your house of carpet is extreme. If you are unable to do that, be sure to vacuum with a high efficiency purifying air (HEPA) filtration system. Throw out the bags because dust mites can escape from them.
- For the cloth furniture and carpet you do have, you should steam clean all of it at least once a year.
- Using a dehumidifier will also reduce the number of mites in your home.
- Dust mites like to eat pollen and pet dander among other things. With this in mind, furry and feathered pets will contribute to the population of dust mites in your home. As will cooling or airing out your home by opening doors and windows. Pollen will enter your home through openings and give more food to the dust mites to survive.
- When cleaning, you can eliminate the dusty food for the mites by dusting your furniture first, letting the dust settle into the carpet and then vacuum.
- Buy smaller rugs to use around the house so that they too can be washed in hot water once a week.