Dust mites are microscopic and live in house dust. They are in the same family as ticks and spiders and people find them just as pesky as these animals are. Although they may seem harmless since they are so small, they can cause allergic reactions in some people. With the quantity of mites that exist indoors, it is a good idea for homeowners to control the problem by keeping sheets, mattresses, pillows and carpets clean. The mites can also be dealt with and kept under control with the use of air cleaners. Air cleaners are able to absorb and eliminate the dust particles from the air that mites habituate in. When these particles are eliminated, the dust mites themselves are eliminated as well.
House mites only grow to be up to 0.03 millimeters but can affect people living in a house if there are a great number of them. There are mites present in every house but some houses contain more mites than others. There are many factors that can increase and decrease the number of dust mites in a home including seasons, temperature and humidity changes. There are found to be generally around 2 million mites in an average mattress. That does not include the mites that may live in the sheets, pillowcases, carpets or upholstery inside the house.
Treating the Source is Critical – Air Cleaners can Handle the Rest
Dust in made up mostly of dead human skin that has been shed and that skin is what mites feed on. By living in particles of dust, they are able to feast on dead shed human skin abundantly. Each dust mite has been measured to produce approximately 20 fecal pellets a day. These pellets are then stuck to the dust particles, making them more harmful for people to breathe in. Dust mites are also proven to reproduce rapidly. A female mite is measured to lay 25 to 50 eggs approximately every 3 weeks. With so many eggs being laid in the dust particles, the dust has become more harmful to have present indoors. Dust not only contains dust particles but also mold spores, pet dander, shed skin cells, dust mites, dust mite fecal matter and dust mite eggs.
Mites can irritate a wide range of respiratory problems and allergies. Anyone who is allergy-sensitive can have reactions to dust mites. Asthmatic reactions are also recorded in people who are exposed to indoor air that is contaminated with mites. When a person who suffers from allergies breathes in mites, he or she can suffer symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and coughing or sinus problems. A person who suffers from asthma may experience an asthma attack due to breathing in dust that contains dust mites or their fecal matter. Dust mites and their fecal matter are considered one of the most important causes of asthma worldwide.
The droppings of mites may be more harmful to allergy-sensitive people than the dust mites themselves. These droppings can contain enzymes that are used in digestion inside the dust mites. The enzymes contained in these droppings may be the irritants that cause the allergic or asthmatic reactions in people that breathe them in.
Air cleaners can be an important part of any cleanliness plan.
The best way to rid a home of mites is to go to the root of the problem. Keeping sources where mites may live such as mattresses and sheets as clean as possible is the best way to keep the population of dust mites to a minimum. Keeping solid objects in the room dusted and clean can also keep the population of dust mites in dust particles small. Air cleaners are only effective on airborne items.
An air cleaner in a home is also a way to keep dust mites to a minimum. Air cleaners are able to absorb dust particles in the air of a room and therefore can absorb mites and their fecal matter. Air cleaners can eliminate dust particles and keep the air free of airborne particles and dust mites. Most air cleaners are able to absorb particles that are 0.03 microns and larger, which can include most dust particles and mites. Although getting rid of millions of mites may be impossible, by keeping an air cleaner present, the population of these pesky mites could be cut in half.
Air cleaners for a crystal clean, healthy indoors.
![]()