Killing Dust Mites Is Just The Beginning

You must have a plan for controlling dust mites even after killing dust mites or your peace of mind will be short lived. These microscopic bugs live off the dead skin cells and hair of the humans and animals in your home. They like a warm temperature of 70 degrees F or more and at least 50% humidity, so their favorite home is your bed, followed by the upholstery and carpet. An adult female dust mite lays 40 to 80 eggs and the babies reach adulthood in one month and then live one to three more months before dying.

Dust mites do not carry disease, but they do produce about 20 waste droppings per day which contain a protein that many people are allergic to. Your used mattress can have tens of thousands of these mites and one square yard of carpet can harbor 100,000 of them. People who are asthmatic or have allergies can become quite ill, and other people can become allergic to them, so it is important to keep them under control.

Washing clothing and bedding in water 130 degrees F or hotter will kill them as will freezing them for 24 or more hours. Opening the curtains and letting the direct sunlight in to shine on them will kill them also. There are now vacuum cleaners with ultraviolet light and UVC rays that claim to kill the dust mites, but most of these tests were not done in the states, so there is no proof. There are a few chemicals that have been proven to kill these mites, such as The Ecology Works Dust Mites and Flea Control and Acarosan and Allergy Control Solution. They say a vapor steam cleaner will kill dust mites as well as keep your house cleaner.

Now is the time to implement your control measures to control the dust mites. Vacuum your mattress and then enclose it with an airtight plastic cover. Wash your pillows and keep them covered with dust mite proof covers. The rest of the bedding should be washed in very hot water every 2 weeks at least. Replace the items with down, feathers and wool with synthetic fabrics. Keep your thermostat set below 70 degrees F and get a dehumidifier to keep the humidity down. Replace the carpets with tile, wood, vinyl or linoleum floor covering. The filters for the furnace and air conditioner should be changed or cleaned monthly.

You need to implement control measures even after killing dust mites or they will soon take over and you will have to do it again. You can freeze them, wash them in hot water, dry them with sunlight, kill them with a vapor steam cleaner or use chemicals to kill them. It is important to control them for both your health and the health of your pets.