7 Tips For Combating Dust Mites At Home

Mites can survive for a very long time, so it is advisable to wash new season clothes, as well as duvets and pillows, before using them .

House mites are microscopic organisms that live in tissues or similar surfaces. Many of us want to fight dust mites at home.

They mainly accumulate in bedrooms (mattresses and pillows are their favorite homes) and can cause allergies and illness.

In this article we tell you how to destroy dust mites at home.

What is a mite?

This is a sub-category of arachnids, the length of which does not exceed a few millimeters. But many have microscopic sizes of less than 0.2mm.

They have diverse habitats and have colonized terrestrial and marine environments, and even extreme sites like deserts, high mountains, and hot springs.

Many mites feed on mosses, leaves, ferns, stems and flowers, others live on crops (they are pests).

Some cause allergies in humans and others are animal parasites. In the first case, it is due to feces and dead insects (which we do not see, but which accumulate at home).

Dust mites can be present in any environment and can be inhaled without us noticing. They then trigger a permanent allergy or asthma.

These insects are most abundant in mattresses, blankets, sheets or pillows. They also live in the sofas. They can live for up to 3 months, and during this time the female can lay up to 100 eggs.

The most favorable seasons for breeding are autumn and spring.

Symptoms of dust mite allergy are as follows:

• Runny nose
• Sneezing (especially in the morning)
• Nasal congestion
• Watery eyes and itchy eyes
• Skin redness
• Hissing while breathing

How to get rid of dust mites at home

Due to their tiny size and the fact that they can be present in any place we usually use, like the bed or the sofa, we often don’t realize that they are occupying our bedroom or living room until what the first symptoms appear.

For this reason, cleanliness is essential for the prevention of allergies or asthma caused by these organisms.

Some tips that will be useful to you:

1. Change your bedding regularly

Mites feed mainly on dust and dead skin. When we sleep, we lose skin. And, therefore, these little microorganisms enjoy it.

In order to control house dust mites, try changing sheets and blankets every week or every two weeks.

2. High temperature washing

All bed linen should be washed in as hot water as possible (at least 55 ° C). You can program the washing machine at this temperature.

Do not hesitate to use a powerful and good quality detergent. We recommend products containing eucalyptus, tea tree or cedar oil to increase washing efficiency.

• If you use cold or lukewarm water, in addition to the laundry, also use a bleach that is appropriate for your type of laundry.
• Do not mix bedding with other clothes to prevent dust mites from passing between them.
• After washing, it is better to rinse the washing machine with hot water to completely remove the parasites.
• Finally for drying clothes, if you can, place them in the sun all day after having put them in the dryer.

3.Vacuum at least once a week

This household appliance is not only suitable for rugs, but can also be used for sofa, curtains, chairs (depending on their type of upholstery), bedding, etc. The vacuum cleaner thus makes it possible to destroy the mites at home.

That is to say all the furniture or places where you lie down and where you can lose dead skin.

• In order for the vacuum cleaner to do its job effectively, it must have a double-layer bag with micro-filter, that is, it retains dust particles and mites at the same time.
• Keep in mind that vacuuming surfaces is no guarantee that these pathogens and their allergens will be gone.
• On the other hand, the dust and particles on which they feed are greatly reduced. Remember to properly maintain the vacuum so that it operates at full power.

4. Steam cleaning

This is a great idea, especially if you have rugs on the floor. This method dissolves dirt, but also kills germs and mites from the surface and deeper parts of the fabric.

After this cleaning, you should pass a drying product, as humidity creates an ideal environment for bacteria to accumulate and attract the attention of these microorganisms.

• However, we recommend that you do not use a feather duster or dry rags, as they spread the allergens in the air.
• Use a damp cloth or mop for dry surfaces.

5. Wash stored clothes

Usually, we keep warm blankets and clothes in the wardrobes when the weather is nice and take them out as soon as the weather gets colder.

• Before putting them back on the bed or using them again, we recommend that you wash them first.
• The whole time they spent in a box under the bed or in the wardrobe, the mites multiplied and survived.

6. Bedding with covers

Dust-proof anti-allergic covers are commercially available, made of special fabric to prevent dust mites from settling on them.

As for the pillows, they should have synthetic padding. The most suitable mattresses are those containing memory foam.

7. Say goodbye to stuffed animals and rugs.

To prevent dust mites from damaging our health, it is best to reduce the surfaces where they can grow, such as stuffed toys and floor mats.

We also recommend that you do not sleep on the sofa, in order to prevent them from proliferating, and to have as few dust-catching objects as possible at home.

The ultimate solution may be minimalist decoration! And don’t forget to ventilate the rooms at least once a week in order to control house dust mites.