Dust mites are nothing but tiny insects invisible to the human eye. They appear on mattresses, furniture, carpets, upholstery and fabrics of all kinds and feed on the scales of skin which we shed throughout the day from ourselves and from our pets.
The fact of having mites in various fabrics of our home can cause problems associated with the deterioration of our respiratory health, which can trigger asthma attacks and much feared allergies.
However, for peace of mind and comfort to everyone, keeping these little bugs in check and avoiding the annoying consequences is relatively simple, as long as we maintain certain routines in the home, either by applying certain cleaning methods, or by using special types of fabrics which can make life much easier and healthier for us.
1- The bedding: Although it seems obvious, there are many people who do not change their sheets enough, yet this is surely one of the places where more mites accumulate, due to the great number of hours we remain there. And we not only talk about changing the sheets, but also the bed covers, cushion covers and other bedding that you use, even if it is well ventilated.
To get rid of 100% of mites, be sure to wash at temperatures of at least 55ºC, since at this temperature it eliminates them better than the detergent itself. This point is of vital importance, since mites can be moved to other items by washing them together.
2- Vacuum whenever you can: Hoover not only the floor, but everything you can: curtains, sofas, carpets etc. Fabrics and upholstery is where it is most difficult to get rid of these tiny unwanted guests, so proper cleaning is very important. Also, if you suffer from severe allergies, ask for help and have someone else vacuum for you. Get away from the room you are vacuuming for two hours to let everything settle and the mites disappear from the air.
If you cannot count on help, you can always put on a mask at the time of using the vacuum to avoid inhaling allergens.
3- Synthetic fabrics and fibres: Replace down pillows and cushions with synthetic fillings. Wool blankets can be exchanged for nylon or cotton cellulose. In addition, so-called visco-elastic mattresses are designed to repel mites, making them more difficult to stay in unwanted places.
4- Special upholstery: Finally we talk about the upholstery made with special fabrics, such as those we use at Aquaclean (LINK: http://aquaclean.com). All our fabrics are treated with the SAFE FRONT® system, a specific protection against mites, fungi and other bacteria. The mites will not be able to reproduce or survive in any fabric with SAFE FRONT®, because its protective shield contains inorganic silver particles that impede the reproduction of microorganisms.
5- Toys: If you have children at home, try to minimise toys made with fabrics such as stuffed animals. Plastic toys will be a much better option as far as allergies are concerned. But if you cannot avoid stuffed toys then try to wash them frequently at the same temperature that we indicated before and try to keep them away from the beds so they cannot transmit mites from one place to another.
As you can see, keeping mites at bay is a daily task, but not impossible. Hygiene and cleanliness is especially important in order to help prevent these bugs from living in fabrics within the home. And remember to always use a handkerchief when needed!
