What’s invisible to the naked eye, found in every home, and can make you miserable?
Give up? The answer is dust mites. These miniscule creatures settle deep down in sofas, carpeting, bedding, and other upholstery. They thrive on dead skin and dust and are nearly impossible to get rid of.
At this point, you might be wondering, “So, what’s the good news?” Well, you can greatly reduce your home’s dust mite population by adopting these simple changes:
- Protect your mattress and pillows with dust mite covers and wash your sheets in hot water at least once a week.
- Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, vacuum upholstered furniture, curtains and drapes, and mattresses frequently.
- Use a damp cloth instead of a dry duster when dusting; dry dusters move dust around instead of picking it up.
- Add 2 cups water, 4-5 drops of liquid soap, and about 25 drops of eucalyptus essential oil in a clean spray bottle and spray your bedding, mattresses, and upholstered furniture once a day.
- Avoid keeping stuffed animals, piles of books, and other dust-collecting items in your home.
- Consider replacing wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood, laminate, or tile flooring. If you must use area rugs, make sure they are washable.
- Place hard-to-wash items, like your child’s stuffed animals, in the freezer for 48 hours every few weeks to kill off dust mites.
- Keep humidity levels below 50%; dust mites love a humid environment.
- Keep windows open for at least 30 minutes a day to circulate air inside your home.
- Reduce clutter because if it collects dust, it also collects dust mites. Remove knickknacks, tabletop ornaments, books, magazines, and newspapers from your bedroom.
Equally important, clean or replace your air conditioning filter about every six to eight weeks. Your filter traps dust and dirt passing through your ductwork, giving dust mites another ready-made gathering place. For even greater protection, contact Air Professionals for more information about a home air filtration system – there’s no better way to control the dust mite population while removing amazing numbers and quantities of pollutants from your indoor air.