Dust Mite Allergies & How To Tackle Them

The house dust mite is one of the most potent and common triggers of allergic reactions like hay fever symptoms (running eyes, sneezing), asthma (wheezing, breathing difficulties) and childhood eczema.

House dust mites are tiny (200-300 micron long) eight-legged creatures related to the spider and they are found in every human habitation. There are two common species of dust mites – the European house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and the American house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae).

It is not dust mite itself which is the allergen, but digestive enzymes (proteins) contained in its droppings. The whole droppings themselves are particles between 4 and 20 microns in size, but may crumble into smaller particles that can be as small as 0.5 microns across.

How to kill dust mite?

Here are some important facts about house dust mites which you can use to help rid your home of this pest.

• The fight is ongoing – dust mites are everywhere and they keep being carried into your home on people’s clothing, for instance. So look for long-term solutions which will reduce your dust mite burden.
• Dust mites are to be found mainly in bedding, soft furnishings and carpets. It is easy to disturb them – getting into and out of bed, for example – and throw up a large cloud of dust mite allergens.
• House dust mites feed on the skin scales in dust.
• Mites prefer humid conditions. To survive they absorb water from the air and when humidity is less than 50% they tend to dry out

Allergy Cosmos, good tips for keeping house dust mites under control:

• If you are thinking of serious home improvements, think about replacing upholstered sofas and armchairs with leather or vinyl covered furniture, which house dust mites cannot penetrate. Consider replacing carpets with hard flooring. This will create an entirely new environment which will help to reduce the dust mite burden in your home.

• Tackle dust mites in bedding – Washing bedding regularly with allergy friendly laundry detergent such as Allergen Wash from Allersearch, available at www.AllergyCosmos.co.uk.
• Damp dust everywhere regularly to get rid of the house dust mite source of food. Use an effective allergy dust spray such as ADS or ADMS from Allersearch, it will destroy the allergy symptom causing protein on contact. Get rid of any clutter where more dust can build up.
• It is crucial to get rid of dampness in your home. Ventilate by opening windows, and check for condensation in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Last but not least is using an effective air purifier. A good air purifier has a HEPA or HEPA-like filter, a high filtration efficiency and is strong enough to clean the area in question. Allergy Cosmos offers free expert consultations

How to get rid of dust mite allergens?

Killing dust mites by lowering humidity and removing dust will help to remove dust mite allergens in your home. However, allergen will still persist in bedding, soft furnishings and so on. Vacuum (we recommend Miele), use a good air purifier (ideally IQAir from Allergy Cosmos), dust with an allergy friendly cleaning product, and wash laundry with Allergen Wash from Allersearch to remove as much allergens as possible.

www.AllergyCosmos.co.uk