Sunday, January 27, 2008

One Of The Biggest Obstacles To An Allergy Free Home Is Dust Mite Control

Dust mites are microscopic little creatures with eight legs that live in almost every home. These little critters do not bite but they do feed on dead skin from us and our pets. The biggest impact dust mites have on us is that they cause allergic reactions in many of us. To be more precise, it is not actually the dust mite that we are allergic but the dust that is produced from their droppings and from their bodies after they die. These particles are so small that they can become airborne when we clean, vacuum and move around our homes and that is when we are affected.

Some of the symptoms of dust mite allergies are sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, itchy watery eyes and respiratory irritations.

Opening your windows to ventilate your house may help if you are only allergic to dust mites but generally if you suffer from allergies, opening your windows will only allow other allergens into your home such as pollen, bacteria and mold spores.

There is no way to rid your house entirely of dust mites but you can reduce their numbers by following these simple steps.

How To Control Dust Mites In Your House

Vacuuming
Dusting
Humidity Control
Air Purifiers
Efficient Furnace Filters

It is very important to vacuum your home often but you can?t use just any type of vacuum cleaner. Regular vacuum cleaners are not efficient enough to trap very small particles and they simply pass through the vacuum cleaner and back into the air. HEPA vacuums are best for dust mite control. These vacuum cleaners use HEPA filters which are 99.97% efficient and are very effective at removing the smallest particles from the air. You should vacuum carpets, furniture and draperies often.

Dusting can also be very helpful in controlling dust mite populations. When dusting try to avoid using dry dusters because they tend to stir up a lot of dust. Use furniture polish or a damp cloth. Dusting in this way is over 90% more efficient than dry dusting.

Keep the humidity level in your home at about 50%. This will help to control dust mite populations. Like all living things dust mites need moisture to survive and they do best in high humid conditions.

Air Purifiers can be helpful in bed rooms or offices if you don?t have central heating or cooling. Air purifiers simply remove dust from the air as it comes in contact with the collector plates located in the unit. Air purifiers with fans are more efficient than those without because they draw the air through the unit rather than relying on natural air currents in your home. Air purifiers are not the most efficient method of dust control.

Furnace filters and air conditioner filters are one of the best solutions to dust control in your home. Most throw away furnace filters are not very efficient at only about 10% but HEPA, Electrostatic and Electronic air filters do a good job of dust control when properly maintained.

Air air conditioner filters and furnace filters are a very important part of controlling allergies in your home. electorstatic furnace filters, hepa filters and electronic filters are three of your best options for dust control.

Labels: , , ,