Every night you may be sharing your nice warm bed with millions of dust mites. They are happily feeding on the thousands of skin cell you shed every minute.
Dust mite poop is a common cause of asthma and allergic reactions in people and each dust mite can produce 20 droppings a day. Icarumba!
But worry too much as dust mites don’t bite and they don’t carry any diseases.
Dust mites are microscopic critters (being only about 1/100th of an inch long) that have a rectangular shape, are a creamy blue color and have eight legs.
They like it warm and moist and can live from 10 to 70 days.
The average mattress can contain from 100,000 to 10 million dust mites and 10 percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be from dead dust mites and their droppings.
Allergy symptoms to dust mites:
- Running nose
- Cough
- Sneezing
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Nasal congestion
- Respiratory problems
Check with your doctor to make sure.
How to Control Dust Mites
- The best way is to use a dust mite mattress cover for your mattress
- Keep the humidity level in your house below 50%
- Wash your bedding weekly in hot water and put them in the dryer
- Use a steamer on your mattress monthly
- Increase ventilation in your house
- Reduce indoor air pollution from tobacco smoke by using an air purifier
- Replace natural fiber pillows like down with a synthetic one
- Remember to wash your child’s stuffed toys
- Favor hardwood or vinyl floors over carpeting
- Vacuum regularly
- Dust with a dampened cloth or a use a dust spray because a dry duster just spreads the dust around
- Use a high efficiency filter in your furnace or air conditioning unit
- Avoid upholstered furniture
- Use blinds instead of curtains
Dust mites are in almost everyone’s home, but with a little effort they can be controlled and their effects minimized.
