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How To Reduce Dust Mites In The House?

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How to reduce dust mites in the house is a commonly looked-for question on google. In fact, dust mites themselves are quite common. If you have accumulated dust in your house, you are likely to have dust mites.

I had a one-on-one experience tackling these mites in my house, and I successfully managed to reduce their presence in my house. And I have decided to share my secret with you. So, buckle up.

What are dust mites?

To be honest, I had no clue what dust mites were. In fact, I used to confuse dust mites with bed bugs because I thought they were both one and the same. It turns out I was immensely wrong. So what exactly are dust mites, if not bed bugs?

how to reduce dust mites in the house

Dust mites are extremely small pests that cannot be seen with the naked eye and are thus microscopic bugs. They feast on the dead skin cells of pets and humans and dwell in house dust.

Dust mites enjoy warm and humid environments. They are harmless to humans as they do not bite or spread any diseases. However, there are a lot of people who can be allergic to dust mite feces and could end up with severe symptoms.

The symptoms of a dust mite allergy, such as sneezing and a runny nose, are caused by an overactive immunological reaction to dust mites.

Where Can Dust Mites Be Found?

Close up hand of housekeeper set up white pillow on the bed sheet in hotel room at morning time with sunlight from windows

I had this question in mind when I found out that I had dust mites in my house. I found out that dust mites love to make their home in locations such as our carpet, our bedding, and other furniture.

So basically, once they enter our home, they surround us in every manner possible. And if you think that is creepy, then you are in for a big surprise as it gets creepier.

So these dust mites make their homes in the locations I just told you about because these locations have the maximum and easiest access to the residuals of our dead skin cells, which the mites love to feed on.

Under What Conditions Do Dust Mites Thrive?

Green dust mite under microscope.

Dust mites love a place that is warm and humid and is icing on the cake if it has an abundant constant supply of dead skin cells. They will grow and prosper in such an environment.

Dust mites tend to collect moisture from their own skin, making them susceptible to the humidity levels in our dwellings. This is the main reason they cannot survive in a dry environment. Their ideal abode is a household with a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of 72 to 80 percent.

Food is another traditional contribution to their growth and prosperity. However, if they have infested home with humans and pets, they do not need to be concerned because they have access to a steady supply of dead skin cells.

How Do Dust Mite Allergens Affect Humans?

Asian Women In Satin Nightwear Feeling Unwell And Sinus Against White Background, Dust Allergies, Flu, People Caught Cold And Allergy

Mostly the mites are harmless to humans and do not transmit diseases. I mean, consider this: they are microscopic pests, so you won’t notice them crawling around your house, and they eat on our dead skin cells rather than our food.

Having said that, they and their feces can induce allergic reactions in certain people, particularly asthmatics.

A person’s lifestyle can influence his susceptibility to dust mite allergies.

Runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, red or watery eyes, asthma, difficulty breathing, eczema, cough, or hay fever are all symptoms of a dust mite allergy. You may have all of these symptoms or only a few of them.

Frequent upward rubbing of the nose in youngsters could suggest a dust mite allergy.

A doctor can confirm a potential allergy with blood tests and skin tests.

I, for one, am highly allergic to dust mites. In fact, that is the primary reason for how I found out that I have dust mites in my house. I was coughing and constantly sneezing with a runny nose.

How to Reduce Dust Mites In House?

Worried four-year-old girl lying on purple carpet.  What's in YOUR carpet?

Now that you have figured out what dust mites are and how they can harm you, it is time to take some action and reduce their presence in your house. You can follow the following tips and tricks. They are tried and tested and helped me immensely in getting rid of the mites in my house.

Clean your place

This one is a no-brainer. The first step of getting rid of any kind of infestation, including dust mites, is to clean your place.

Preferably, you should try to clean your house and your belongings as frequently as possible. However, if cleaning too frequently does not seem like a viable option to you, then you should invest in a good vacuum cleaner and vacuum your place at least once a week.

In addition to that, you can do dusting every to days. Try to cover areas of the house which are the most prone to dust, such as windows and furniture.

Reduce the temperature of the room

Like I mentioned before, dust mites require a certain level of warmth and humidity to survive. So if you want to eliminate them, your best shot is to regulate the temperature in your house. Dust mites prefer a temperature of between 25 degrees and 30 degrees.

That is ideal for their growth, so in an attempt to get rid of them, you should try to keep the temperature in your house around 22 degrees or below that. It will be good for your health as well.

Regulate the humidity level in your house.

The humidity level in the house directly affects the breeding process of dust mites. They prefer the humidity level to be above seventy percent in order for them to reproduce at a good rate.

So if you keep the humidity level inside your house lesser than that, the dust mites would not be able to reproduce, and their presence in your house will reduce drastically. 

You can invest in a digital humidity monitor or follow the old school way as I did and open a few windows now and then to allow the air to flow.

Freeze them to death

Dust mites are killed by extremely cold temperatures, just as they are by hot temperatures.

Freeze more delicate fabrics or objects (such as silk or lace) that can’t be laundered. Place the ingredients in a transparent plastic bag and freeze for 24 hours. This will entirely eliminate the dust mites.

Once the goods have been frozen, take them outside and shake them thoroughly, as freezing will only kill the mites but not the feces that cause allergies.

Summary

When it comes to minimizing dust mites in your home, a thorough cleaning is the best way to go.

You might notice an improvement in your allergy reactions and symptoms if you reduce house dust and take steps to reduce dust mites. If you don’t get rid of house dust mites right away, you can notice an increase in your symptoms.

About the author

A biotechnologist by profession and a passionate pest researcher. I have been one of those people who used to run away from cockroaches and rats due to their pesky features, but then we all get that turn in life when we have to face something.