Control Dust Mites in Your Home

Dust mites do not live in your air ducts, which is important to remember as many people will focus their attention on cleaning their ducts instead of focusing on their actual living spaces.

Will you completely eliminate dust mites? It probably won't ever happen, but there are some things you can do to dramatically reduce their presense and thus their affect on your life.

1. Wrap your mattress, pillows and box springs in zippered covers that area dust proof and allergen proof.
2. If you have young children you should get machine washable plush toys.
3. Since dust mites love carpets, tear up your carpets and replace them with wood or laminate flooring.
4. Cloth (upholstered) furniture also harbors dust mites. Replace these pieces with wood or plastic furniture.
5. All beddings should be washed in hot water at least twice a month, preferably weekly.
6. Look around your house for all cloth, fabric and upholstered surfaces. Eliminate as many as you can. There's almost certainly dust mites in them.
7. Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filtering system and toss out the vacuum bag after each use because dust mites will continue to live in the bags.
8. Dust mites thrive more in high humid environments (at least 70% humidity). Use a dehumidifier to reduce populations.
9. Clean (dust) and vacuum your home regularly. The dirtier it gets the higher the dust mite population.

We've known that dust mites live in dust for over 300 years, and they can be found all over the world. They are not visible to the naked eye and plague our homes by living in our bedding (including pillows), furniture, curtains, toys and even clothes. Grossly enough, they eat our dead skin cells that slough off our bodies, in additional to other organic matter. There are two common types, the American house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) and the European house dust mite (D. pteronyssinus). Dust mites are actually not insects, they are more closely related to spiders and ticks. They make up the order Acarina.

Many people are allergic to dust mites, well actually, humans are allergic to their dead skin they shed as they grow (like a snake). These skins and their feces cause our allergic reactions, ranging from itchy watery eyes to severe asthma.