How to Treat a Dust Mite Infestation

Dust and dust mites are everywhere, regardless of how meticulous a housekeeper you are. Dust mites feed on skin flakes shed by humans. Dust mites hide under furniture, on shelves, in rugs, mattresses, pillows, blinds, and curtains. Any soft surface, such as a mattress, pillows, and couch cushions are a breeding ground for these parasites. 80% of allergy and asthma patients test positive for dust mite allergies.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dusting Supplies
• Plastic Encasements
• Hot Water
• Vacuum

1. Thorough, frequent cleanings are necessary to remove traces of dust mites and their eggs. As they feed on skin, and most dust is a combination of human skin, dusting is very important. Dust with a damp cloth or one sprayed with furniture polish to help capture the dust. Using a dry cloth or feather duster is a waste of time as it just moves the dust into the air where it will settle on the ground or furniture.

2. Use a vacuum with HEPA filters and clean your air with a portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to help reduce these airborne allergens. Placing the air cleaner in your bedroom or the bedroom of the person most affected by the dust mites will help relieve symptoms, which can include runny nose, watering eyes, puffy eyes and nasal congestion. If your symptoms are year around and not seasonal, you will benefit from an air filter system in your room.

3. As dust mites thrive in moist humid areas, keeping indoor humidity low can control them. Consider using a dehumidifier if the sleeping area is damp, such as along the coast or in a basement. Many dehumidifiers also filter the air of particles, so make sure you have a good filter and change it often.

4. Wash your linens and bedcovering in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. Then, before you put the sheets back on, purchase hypo allergenic covers to encase the pillows, mattresses and box spring, which will reduce repeat exposure. It is also recommended to vacuum your mattress and box spring before encasing them in covers.

5. Not all covers are made of noisy plastic; check Target and Wal-mart for hypo allergenic bedding and bedding covers. Read the care instructions on the covers. Remember, you will need to wash the covers periodically to remove your skin cells from the cover; otherwise you risk the dust mites moving into your covers all over again.

Tips & Warnings

• Their waste products, when inhaled, can trigger an allergic reaction.
• They don’t usually bite people but they leave behind feces wherever they travel, which can cause an allergic reaction (similar to red bite marks) when it comes in contact with your skin.
• Dust mites can survive all year long in warm and humid environments, even your office and sleeping bags.

Resources

• Additional Articles on Bukisa
• Twitter Blogs and Happenings
• eHow Home Page

[sanderdoe]

on 7/1/2009 Great suggestions for treating dust mites. They can make you miserable! 5*

[Lilfix]

on 5/1/2009 Thanks for the great tips on treating dust mite infestation...My hubby suffers from allergies and we are always looking for things to help...RRRC5*

[greatgreat8]

on 4/30/2009 treat a dust mite infestation, this is great information

[goldiec]

on 4/30/2009 Kristie, this is a great article! My cousin is allergic to dust mites and she can't even clean her own house because of it. She has someone clean it for her. I don't suffer from these allergies but people that do really have to be careful. Thanks for sharing this article on dust mite infestation. 5*

[apalmer]

on 4/30/2009 Great article on cleaning up dust mites. I think they play a huge part in spring allergies. Thanks for sharing.