Dust mites are some of the most insidious irritants to have in the home. Unlike obvious parasites, their effects are initially subtle for many people.
Their effects can snowball over time, causing lung infections and more. In this brief guide, I will go over the best way to both locate and remove dust mites.
What Can Dust Mites Do to Your Health?
While some of the effects of dust mites on half the population can be classified as minor, you will find that they can cause some more severe problems if you have pre-existing conditions.
For example, dust mites can cause issues such as wheezing, which has no deleterious effects on its own, but it is unattractive.
One of the more serious issues that you will have with dust mites is dependent on whether or not you have asthma.
Asthmatics will have some serious trouble with dust mites since they can be a major cause of asthma attacks. These attacks can result in hospitalization and severe injury or death if left untreated.
Even if you don’t have any asthmatic inhabitants in your home, you will want to ensure that there are as few dust mites as possible for several other reasons. Dust mites can cause an allergic reaction in most people who are not resistant to the allergens that they emit.
Dust mites produce waste that contains allergens that will cause many people to sneeze and cough. While there may be no severe issues related to mere sneezes and coughs, you will find that it gets somewhat inconvenient after some time.
If you want to feel as comfortable as possible in your home, you will want to eliminate dust mites. Dust mites can cause another issue for your health, specifically, the health of your respiratory system.
If you have a large number of dust mites residing in your home, you will be at a much higher risk of respiratory irritation, which can cause further health complications.
Respiratory irritation can cause coughing as well as a sore throat and other unpleasant feelings.
Another issue with respiratory inflammation is that it can result in a respiratory infection, which is a condition that can have severe repercussions beyond simple discomfort and minor pain.
As you can see, dust mites are more than just an inconvenience; these microscopic pests are a threat to your health in your very home.
You will want to eliminate dust mites as soon as possible, but you may be wondering how you can find out if there are dust mites present in your home in the first place.
How Do You Know If There Are Dust Mites In Your Home?
If you are wondering how you can find out if there are dust mites in your house right now, this section should be ideal for you. There are a few options at your disposal when you want to discover whether dust mites are inhabiting your home, and most of them are equally valid.
The two most useful options that are available are:
The most common method to recognize whether or not there are dust mites present in your home is using a microscope.
You do not have to invest in a microscope that is as powerful as the ones which are used in labs or other legitimate scientific settings, so you will not be spending too much money.
When you are looking for dust mites, you will not always need a microscope that is capable of an impressive degree of magnification.
Depending on how easy you want the detection process to be, you will want to opt for a microscope that features a magnification power in the range of 10X to 25X.
A higher magnification level will make it easier for you to spot dust mites in the first place but it will also be more expensive, so you will have to make a compromise in this regard.
Keep in mind that it will not be too difficult to spot dust mites using the proper technique, even if you use a microscope with a power of 10X.
The procedure for detecting dust mites is rather simple. The only other thing that you will need is a roll of tape that is transparent enough for you to see the details.
You will want to find an area of your home that is dusty, moist, and warm, as this is the most common breeding ground for dust mites.
Once you have found the ideal spot for dust mites to congregate, you will want to take a strip of clear tape and press it against a patch of dust that you see.
Once the tape has adhered to the surface (and the dust), pull it off and bring it over to your microscope for further examination.
If you see dust mites on the tape while you are examining it with your microscope, you will know that you have an infestation.
Handling Dust Mites In The Home
Dust mites are frequently linked to carpets and shaggy/sealed areas with little airflow. Some of the best ways to combat dust mite levels in the home include:
On Making Your Bed Less
When we sleep, our body excretes sweat; this sweat becomes ingrained into the sheets and blankets. One way that you can reduce the number of dust mites is to air out your bedding every morning.
If you do that instead of just making your bed, then there will be less moisture in the bed, which is how dust mites can stay hydrated. This leads to fewer dust mites over time.
Regularly Vacuuming Your Home
Vacuuming your home is an obvious one for removing dust. But, most people don’t understand that vacuuming alone won’t get the job done.
While it is time-consuming sometimes, both vacuuming carpets and spot cleaning corners for higher concentration areas can significantly reduce dust mites, but only if done over time.
Add-In An Air Purifier
Air purifiers are essential additions to the home beyond just dust mites. They remove contaminants from the air that could be carcinogenic and help to avoid irritants that could affect small children. Air purifiers are cost-effective ways to keep the air quality in your home higher and thus help remove dust mites.
Hot Dry Steam Cleaning Your Carpet Weekly
A hot, dry steam cleaning in conjunction with vacuuming removes dust mites and keeps them reduced. The hot, dry steam cleaning means their habitat is purged and there will be little to no leftover moisture for them to use after the job is done.
Use Allergen Resistant Bedding
As mentioned before, dust mites love to burrow into beds and other cloth-based comfort items from couches to curtains. Using allergen resistant products efficiently removes the capability for them to have a habitat.
To Wrap Things Up
If you adhere to everything outlined above, you will notice a significant reduction in the dust mites in your home or office.
Even if you only subscribe to two or three of the tips, it will make a substantial difference. I hope this article helps improve the comfort level of your home.
Questions? Comments? Leave them below.
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