If you wake up with a sore throat, runny nose or watery eyes in the morning, you may have a dust mite allergy.
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that live in our bedding, carpets, curtains, furniture and anywhere else where dust accumulates.
These rather ugly looking little critters feed on dead animal and human skin cells, which are shed by us and our pets every day.
In actual fact, it's not the dust mites themselves you are allergic to, it's their poo! Yuck.
While there are ways to keep dust mites at bay it does take some effort, and potential expenditure, to start tackling the problem.
Read on for your tips on how to reduce the number of dust mites in your home to prevent allergies.
Dust mites are so tiny that it is near impossible to eradicate them completely, but keeping their numbers at bay will certainly help to reduce your allergic reactions.
After all, who wants to live in a sterile Howard Hughes-style bubble anyway?!
Here are some practical things you can do to reduce dust mites:
Here are some practical things you can do to reduce dust mites:
1. Vacuum Daily
Vacuum your floors daily to reduce the number of dust mites and pick up the animal and human skin cells they feed on.
However, this only works if your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter which sucks microscopic particles up and keeps them in the filter, rather than simply redistributing them as a conventional vacuum would.
You can also by stand alone HEPA air purifiers which help to clean the air and trap dust mites in.
2. Wash Bed Linen
Wash your bedding at least once a week at the highest temperature.
You should also invest in zip up dust-proof covers which are made from tightly woven fabric.
These are like giant pillowcases for your mattress and pillow and can prevent up to 95% of allergens from getting out for you to breathe in as you sleep.
Hypoallergenic bed linen, pillows and even stuffed toys may also help.
Add lemon oil to the rinse or sprinkle some on your mattress and bedding to repel mites.
3. Put Teddy in the Freezer
Dust mites love the bedroom where they bcan happily breed and feed away.
So as well as washing your bed linen at high temperatures, using dust-proof covers and vacuuming your bed reagularly, you should pay attention to soft toys.
Dust mites die at freezing temperatures so as often as you can, pop all those cuddly toys and stuffed animals in plastic bags in the freezer for 24 hours.
4. Furniture
Usa a damp cloth to dust skirting boards, dado rails and other walls and wordwork in your home, then wash the cloth at a high temperature.
Usa a damp cloth to dust skirting boards, dado rails and other walls and wordwork in your home, then wash the cloth at a high temperature.
Add a few drops of lemon oil or the juice of half a lemon to the cloth or water you use to help repel these tiny arachnids.
For furniture, use a low irritation polish if you cannot wipe with a damp cloth.
Soft furnishings should be vacuumed every few days and any removable covers washed at as high a temperature as the manufacturer recommends every few weeks.
5. Curtains
Clean your drapes every few weeks, or remove them entirely if you can.
Clean your drapes every few weeks, or remove them entirely if you can.
Blinds and shutters are much easier to clean than fabric curtains.
It is near impossible to eradicate dust mites from your home entirely.
However, these 5 simple steps can help to keep dust mites at bay and, by reducing their number, you can help to stop dust mite allergy in its tracks.
You might also want to look into getting a dehumidifier which can further encourage dust mites to depart!
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