Decreasing Dust Mite Exposure
If dust mites are a problem in your home, please refer to AllergyBeGone's guide to reducing dust mites around the home. This guide includes our best tips for reducing allergy symptoms as quickly as possible, as well as best practices to maintain said environment all year long. Also be sure to shop AllergyBeGone for the products referenced below as we stock everything you need to combat dust mite problems.Bedrooms are ground zero for dust mites, so they're the best place to start if dust mite allergies are a problem. First, you'll want to get allergen-proof covers for your mattresses, box springs and pillows. Vacuum the mattresses before enclosing them to ensure dust mites are gone. In addition, wash bedding in hot water and with anti-dust-mite additives every two weeks. This will help prevent dust mites from returning.
You can also help eliminate dust mites by getting rid of unnecessary fabrics around your home, like curtains and decorations. While it may hurt your design aesthetic, this is prime territory for dust mites. As such, eliminating them means one less place to hide.
Carpet is another part of the home where dust mites congregate. If you can, before carpet is installed in your home, add a vapor barrier to the floor to help reduce moisture. More realistically, if your home already has a lot of carpet that you don't plan to replace any time soon, look for sprays with tannic-acid-based chemicals to neutralize dust mite proteins, which trigger allergic reactions. Use these sprays bimonthly, but please note some people are also allergic to tannic acid and please also use caution before applying because tannic acid can sometimes stain. AllergyBeGone also carries a tannic-acid-free anti-dust-mite carpet spray. We recommend using anti-dust-mite powder with benzyl benzoate in conjunction with tannic acid spray to truly eliminate dust mite allergens.
If someone in your household has bad dust mite allergies, you may also want to consider furniture without any kind of organic material, such as wood, plastic or leather. But, if you prefer upholstered furniture, you can also apply anti-dust-mite powder or carpet spray to furniture as well. Also install HEPA air cleaners to reduce airborne dust mite allergens. These cleaners yield overall health benefits as well because everyone in your household will breathe cleaner, dust-free air.
And if you're not a fan of housework, we hate to tell you this, but frequent vacuuming is also a good idea. What's more, we recommend using a vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency filtration system. Also be sure to dispose of the vacuum bags after use to get rid of the dust mites within. However, vacuuming with a standard vacuum cleaner is also effective.
You'll also want to use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to create an environment that is not hospitable to dust mites. That's because dust mites love warm and humid conditions. The bottom line: Unfortunately, we can't guarantee that your home will always be 100 percent dust mite free, but we can help you get it as close to dust mite free as possible.
