Information on Dustmites

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What are dust mites?

Dust mites are microscopic bugs of which there are probably millions in your home. Like any creature they breed and defacate and look for comfortable warm places to live. This is usually your bedding, carpets and furniture. They eat sloughed off dead skin cells from you and your pets. A typical mattress can contain tens of thousands of dust mites. Nearly 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.

That's disgusting!

Yes, it is! It's one of those things that you may not want to think about but if you are allergic to them, they are difficult to ignore. If you wake up congested or otherwise have difficulty breathing (wheezing), if you sneeze and have itchy eyes, you may well have a dust mite allergy as their microscopic cast skins and feces are a major constituent of house dust that induces allergic reactions in some individuals. Other allergic reactions may include headaches, fatigue and depression.

What can I do to get rid of them?

Unless you live in a sterile bubble there's not much chance of getting rid of them completely, but you CAN dramatically reduce their presence in your home by reducing dust, cleaning frequently and making your bedding less "dust mite friendly".

wash your bedding frequently in HOT water (at at least 140 degrees F)
get rid of your feather pillows and exchange them for allergen resistant ones and then wash your pillows every week
steam clean your furniture and carpets
vacuum regularly and thoroughly preferably with high efficiency filters (If your allergies are severe you can replace your carpeting with flooring).
use dust mite impervious covers on your pillows and mattresses
wash soft toys in HOT water frequently or freeze them first and then wash them (freezing kills mites but does not get rid of their residue)
clean the air ducts in your home
keep your home temperature below 70 degrees F and your humidity below 50% as dust mites like warm, humid places.