Share |

Controlling Dust Mites - Mites

By: john lra ... Click on author's name for more of their articles

Dust mites can be a major health concern to homeowners, especially those who have a history of allergies. There is no way to completely eliminate dust mites, but controlling them can reduce a person's risk of suffering from the health problems associated with them. This article is an overview of measures you can take to control the dust mite population in your home.

Bedding

While you sleep, dust mites are lurking in your mattresses and bed sheets. There are several things that can be done to reduce the dust mites population in your bedding. The simplest solution to controlling them is to wash bedding such as bed covers, blankets and sheets once per week in the washing machine with the "Hot" setting.

Pillows

It is recommended that you replace feather and down pillows with ones that have synthetic materials as a filling, and alternatively, you can have your regular pillow covers replaced with dust-proof zippered covers.

Blankets

As stated before, washing blankets and other bedding once a week will help control dust mites in your bed. Also, it is recommended that you replace wool blankets with cotton or nylon.

Mattresses

One of the more cost-effective ways to control dust mites is to damp dust the plastic mattress cover on your bed. Alternative ways to prevent a dust mite infestation is to buy dust-proof zipped mattress covers. Research also shows that covering your mattress with fitted-sheets helps slow the accumulation of skin scales. Using fitted-sheets are a low-cost alternative to dust-proof mattress covers.

Flooring and Carpeting

Carpeting is one of the most common breeding grounds for dust mites. There are potentially tens of thousands that can live in a square yard of carpet! We recommend vacuuming carpeted areas regularly with a vacuum equiped with a HEPA filter. A HEPA filter removes 99.7 percent of the airbone particles that are 0.3 micrometres or larger. A more drastic approach to combating dust mites is to replace carpeting with vinyl flooring.

Air

Dust mites thrive in high humidity conditions, but this can be controlled through de-humidifiers and air conditioners. To remove dust mite allergin from the air, researchers suggest an air filitration system, but especially ones that use a HEPA filter.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Do you have a dust mites problem? The Dust Mites Center has many free tips for you, such as our top tips on controlling dust mites.

Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, john lra

Did You Like This Article? Share It With Your Friends!

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Health via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Health