Do you find yourself sneezing, coughing, and feeling tight in the chest, runny or itchy nose, itchy eyes, or itchy skin with no obvious signs of fresh flowering in the garden? You may discover that you have a dust mite allergy.
Less than half a millimetre long, dust mites are oval shaped wingless creatures that can wreak havoc in their short two-month life span.
In the hot and humid summers we Queenslanders experience, the dust mite can multiply prolifically without us even being aware of it. It is predicted that as many as two million dust mites could inhabit your mattress and pillows alone! This is because they feed off dead skin cells we lose every day.
Common hiding spots for these miniature critters also include carpets, soft furnishings, and drapery. So how can you control them without filling your environment with even more contaminants that could create larger issues?
By the way, chemical sprays do not deter these creatures anyway so save yourself the chemical drama. Other “treatments” that don’t work are electric blankets, negative ion-generators and allergen free products.
Blind Concepts believe that the number one thing you can do is replace your curtains and heavy drapes with a blind. But we are biased of course. If you have blinds already then you are halfway there and we can certainly help you keep them clean and in tip top shape!
How to Deter and Remove Dust Mites From Your Home
Direct sunlight can be a real downer for dust mites so hang your bedding in the hot sun for a natural fresh cleaning solution. A dehumidifier can deplete, if not completely destroy their population as they cannot exist without humidity.
Steam Cleaning your carpets, bedding, soft furnishings, for example, has been shown to have a great effect on the numbers of these miniature arachnids. (Yes, spiders; they are acari which makes them part of the family of eight-legged creatures.)
Hot wash in 60o or higher or hot tumble dry bedding, rugs, cushions, pillows and soft toys to kill them. Choose leather, vinyl, plastic and wood over soft fabrics for your furnishings.
Vacuum regularly and include your mattress in the process. Make sure you give the creases and seams a thorough going over.
Minimise “dust collectors” such as wall hangings, ornaments, books, artificial flowers and other knick knacks.