However we clean our house or however we steam clean it, we can’t be guaranteed a hundred percent dust or dirt-free home. This is where the question comes in, where does dust mite come from?
Dust mites have been living in our household for a very long time now until date. Study shows that 80 percent of homes have dust mites.
Have you woken up from your supposedly clean bed and felt itching for reasons unknown? Or do you have difficulty breathing from just sitting on your sofa, yet you don’t have asthma? Sneezing? Coughing?
We can’t see dust mites but they can be perceived by our body’s reactions to them. If you feel any of these then you aren’t alone. Now back to the question, where do dust mites come from and how do we get rid of them?
Some Facts About Dust Mites
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Dust mites are estimated to be only about 1/4 to 1/3 millimeters long. As I said, they can only be seen by the aid of a microscope, this means you don’t have a chance of seeing any in your home with your bare eyes.
The life cycle of a male dust mite is a month while that of a female dust mite is 90 days. Regardless, they have a very high reproductive ability.
Nearly 100,000 dust mites can make their home in one square yard of carpet.
A single dust mite can produce about 20 droppings in a day, each dropping contains proteins that many people are allergic to.
Dust mite only feeds on dead tissues so this doesn’t make them a parasite. It doesn’t just stop there, there is a lot about dust mite you need to know.
Where Does Dust Mite Come From And How Do We Locate Them?
Wherever dead skin cells are likely to accumulate, dust mites are there. These can be our sofas, bed, pillows, carpets, rugs or stuffed animals. Most of these places are always the last on our minds when it comes to vacuuming or steam cleaning.
Assume that dust mites can be located in any dust-filled area of your home, or wherever dead skin cells accumulate as stated above. As the name implies “dust-mite”, this should give you a clue about their hideout.
They are enjoying the same benefit we are in our homes, sleeping in our bed, relaxing on our pillows, they are right there in our sofas, carpets, and rug, in the kitchen.
Mention any dust-filled area, they are there. We share our homes with them literally. The list goes on, just think of any exposed area in your home capable of accumulating dust. Now we’ve gotten their hideouts, what next?
Ways To Get Rid Of Dust Mites
As long as there’s dust in the home, it is impossible to completely get rid of dust mite but removing as much as possible is enough to prevent allergic reactions and keep the home clean.
Wherever there’s dust, there’s a dust mite and this leads to another question, where does dust come from? Here are lists of places you can find dust mites.
- Under your carpets
- Inside your matrasses and pillows
- Corners of molding
- Furniture like bed, sofa, and refrigerator
- Between appliances
- Upholstered furniture
- Kitchen Cabinets
Now, what is the best way to trap dust? Vacuuming, wet mopping, washing, and dusting are good ways to get rid of dust mites.
My favorite is steam mopping and from experience, this is the most effective way of getting rid of dust mites. Make sure to find out how effective steam cleaning is.
Steam cleaning doesn’t give dust mites the chance due to the high temperature of the steam cleaner. We’re talking about 225 degrees F here.
If you don’t have a steam cleaner, get one today as this is the perfect tool to get rid of those stubborn dust mites.
How To Prevent Dust Mites From Coming Back
So you’ve done a deep steam cleaning and your home is finally free from dust mites. One of the advantages of a steam cleaner is its ability to reach unreachable nook and crannies. Prevention is the best way to get rid of allergies, find out how you can do this.
Read: Dust or vacuum first which is better?
Steam Clean Your Home Frequently
Most people advise getting rid of carpets or rugs completely from your home. While I won’t advise that, frequent steam cleaning of your carpet is key, and you can find out useful tips on how to steam clean your carpet.
Well, of course, they can. Steam cleaning doesn’t stop at steam mopping your carpet, there are areas of your home that require steam cleaning. This includes your window blinds, furniture, and small areas capable of accumulating dust.
Weekly Washing
Make sure you wash your bedding weekly with the use of hot water, this will kill any dust mites present in your beddings. Using Zippered mattresses and beddings is also a good way of preventing dust mites from entering the bedding.
Minimize Clusters
Clusters in your home don’t only make your home look messed up but also attract dust. The more stuff you have in your home, the more dust there will be. The best way to get rid of these allergens is by decluttering and regular cleaning
Avoid Smoking Indoors
Smoking, being one of the most common air pollutants in your home should be avoided by all means. Regardless of having a dust mite allergy or not, it’s more advisable to smoke outdoors.
This smoke pollutes the home by settling on carpets and furniture thereby causing a toxic mix when combined with the existing smoke in your home. The best way to control this is to smoke outdoors.
Home Humidity
Dust mites love a hot environment, this is why they dig so dip into our sofas, beddings, and under the carpet. Keeping the humidity of your home under 50 percent is the best way to prevent dust mites as they can’t thrive in such conditions.
Read: Can you put humidifier on the floor?
Conclusion
Back to the question, where do dust mites come from? If you have any suggestions why not drop them in the comment section below. I would love to know about your experience.
Have you had allergic reactions due to dust mites? Why not consider getting a steam cleaner to eradicate those stubborn dust mites from your home.