Dust Mites - 10 Things to Know
Hello again and welcome to another edition of Our Voice by Houston Organic Cleaning Service, where our goal is to help our clients live healthier lives and provide information that will help them reduce their carbon foot print in the process.
Dust mites are tiny, eight-legged insect that feed on dead skin cells.
They are impossible to see with the naked eye.
About 50 of them can fit on a pin head.
Their life span is up to 3 months with the females live longer.
They are considered harmless because they do not bite, sting, or burrow into human bodies. However, if you are allergic, the word harmless would not come to mind.
The proteins in their droppings and their dead remain is what cause allergic reaction when inhaled.
They live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, upholstered furniture and house dust.
Dust mites occur naturally and can appear in nearly all homes.
They cannot survive in low humidity but they do thrive in warm, humid settings.
They are a major indoor triggers for people with asthma.
Dust mites related allergy symptoms include but not limited to:
Swollen eyes
Coughing
Pressure or pain in the face
Stuffy nose
Itchy, watery eyes
Runny nose.
While dust mite is not something you can avoid, here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family. First, as mention above, dust mites cannot survive in low humidity, therefore keeping your home humidity between 20-50 percent will prevent reproduction and reduce their life span. You can use air condition or dehumidifiers to draw moisture out of the air in humid areas inside your home.
Next, you will want to reduce clutter and wash bedding, stuffed toys, removable upholstered covers in 120 degrees once a week. More if necessary. This will remove dust mites. If you or a family member is allergic to dust mites, you may want to consider dusting your home using damp microfiber cloth 2-3 times a week, in addition to replacing all your carpet in your home with hard- surface flooring. If that is not possible, vacuum all carpeted areas using a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner 2-3 times a week. Don’t worry. Your worth it.
At Houston Organic Cleaning Service, we do our part every day for a healthier environment. Remember, for us, this is not a business, it is the we live our life. All day. Every day. Our organic lifestyle began long before we open the door to our first cleaning service in 2002. Plus, you can always count on us to use only the healthiest products to clean your space. We go beyond cleaning, we care about the health and well-being of our clients and the environment at large. As always, we thank you for visiting us today and hope you visit often. If you are looking for a sustainable, Eco friendly cleaning service to take care of your move-in cleaning, call us today 713 705 8314. We are always 100% toxic free, 100% fragrance free, 100% chemical free and 100% allergen free. Safe for the environment. Until next time…
