How Do I Get Rid of House Dust Mites?

What are dust mites?

No matter how clean our home is, dust mites cannot be totally eliminated. However, to live and breed, dust mites require the following:

• Microscopic scales of skin shed by humans and pets.

• A continuous supply of humid air.

Dust mites love humid environments and upholstered furniture. Also, dust mites can't be seen by the naked eye, so it’s easy for them to move into other areas of your home. A common way for how they travel is by clinging onto your clothing and then dropping off in other rooms.

Dust mites live in bedding, pillows, clothes, soft furnishing, curtains and carpets which are easy to burrow down into and hold moisture well. Dust mites don’t bite but they are allergenic. People who have allergic reactions to dust mites are most often allergic to the proteins found in their droppings but they can also be allergic to the body parts of the dust mite. They produce about 20 droppings per day and these continue to cause allergies even after the dust mite has died.

Dust mite allergy

Dust mites don’t bite but they are allergenic. People with dust mite allergies are most often allergic to the proteins found in their droppings but they can also be allergic to the body parts of the dust mite. They produce about 20 droppings per day and these continue to cause allergies even after the dust mite has died.

The quickest and most effective way in reducing the population of dust mites in a home is by reducing relative humidity by providing adequate ventilation.

House dust mites are also a common known trigger of asthma and they live in the dust that builds up in the home. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely rid your home of all house dust mites but there are ways in which you can reduce them.

How Do You Know if You Have Dust Mites?

Although dust mites do not bite you, you can not feel them crawling on you. The allergic symptoms are caused by inhaling the microscopic fecal matter and shed skins. Symptoms of dust mite allergy include but are not limited to respiratory such as sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, cough, difficulty breathing, and asthma.

In addition, skin symptoms such as eczema and dermatitis can result. Rashes and hives are rarely a symptom of dust mite allergy. Dust mite control is all about controlling the places dust mites congregate. The fewer fibre filled surfaces in a room or a house the fewer places for the dust mites to set up housekeeping.

6 Way To Get Reduce House Dust Mites

1) Wash your bed linen weekly at 60 degrees.

2) Use specially designed 'allergy' covers for pillows, duvets and mattresses.

3) Clean your home on a regular basis.

4) Try and opt for wooden floor rather than carpet.

5) Use a damp cloth to clean dust.

6) Open the windows or install a whole house ventilation system to supply a continuous source of filtered air.

Your best weapons against dust mites are; vacuum cleaners, steam cleaning and wiping anything that collects dust regularly with hot water. Dry cleaning clothes and regularly washing pets to reduce pet dander are also affective is getting rid of dust mites.

There has been some controversy over what temperature to set your washing machine to recently with regard to what will kill the dust mites. "Green" energy-efficient 30 or 40 degree celsius washes only killed 6% of house dust mites compared with 100% at 60 degrees, Korean researchers found. However, John Bailey, from leading detergent manufacturer Proctor and Gamble has said

"House dust mite themselves pose no problems - it's the protein contained in their faecal dropping that's the allergen. Under European wash conditions, like other protein allergens, this is easily removed. All effective detergents are successful in removing protein allergens in a 30 or 40 degree wash cycle."

If the infestation of dust mites has gone beyond your control you will need a professional pest control service.

Ventilation reduces dust mites

By keeping the home well ventilated, high levels of humidity are controlled and those who suffer with allergies and asthma will see a reduction in symptoms.

Dust mites thrive in dwellings where the humidity levels are high, therefore, by controlling the humidity levels in the home effectively you are also controlling and reducing the dust mite population.

So why not consider installing one of our PIV units? The units ensure that filtered air ventilates the whole house, from a centralised point and they are designed to last the life-cycle of your property, alongside a five-year warranty. As you will only need to install one of our EnviroVent PIV units, it means that you will save a lot of money, as well as reducing the risk of damp patches forming.

Find out more

Avoid condensation damp from becoming a problem in your home. Contact us today to book your free home survey. Our local ventilation specialists can visit your home to identify the causes of condensation and provide advice about the best ways to deal with it. Simply fill in your postcode to find a local expert who can help you.