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Indika Organics - Organic Bedding and matirials. Full line of Anti Dust mite and bed bug prook fabrics bedding and materials.
Ridding your home of dust mites
Environmental control is the most effective way to treat a dust mite allergy. While it's impossible to rid your home of all dust mites, you can reduce their population by cutting off their sources of food, water and shelter. If you also adopt rigorous cleaning practices, especially in your bedroom, you can reduce dust mite residue to a level where it no longer causes symptoms of allergies and asthma.
To control dust mites:
* Encase your mattress, box springs and pillows in allergy-proof covers. This deprives dust mites of a primary food source: your dead skin cells. It also prevents dust mite residue from escaping from your bedding when you toss and turn.
* Wash sheets, pillowcases and blankets at least once a week. To kill dust mites, wash bedding in water heated to at least 130 F. If you set your water heater at a lower temperature to protect young children from accidental scalding, take your bedding to a laundromat that uses a higher temperature.
* Remove carpeting and use hardwood or linoleum flooring. This eliminates an ideal dust mite habitat. If removal isn't an option, choose a low-pile instead of high-pile carpet. It may help to steam clean carpeting at least once a year. Treating carpets with tannic acid or benzyl benzoate can remove some dust mite residue, but such chemicals must be applied repeatedly and can worsen allergies in some people.
* Dust and vacuum your house at least once a week. Use a damp mop or rag on hard floors and furnishings because dry cloths stir up dust mite residue. Vacuum carpets, sofas, curtains and window blinds with a vacuum cleaner that has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
* Reduce humidity with air conditioners and dehumidifiers. If you can lower the relative humidity in your house to 50 percent or below, dust mites can't absorb moisture from the air, so they shrivel and die.
* Banish furry and feathered animals from your bedroom. This deprives dust mites of another primary food source: your pets' dead skin cells. So it's best to either have your pets sleep outdoors or in another room as far as possible from your bedroom. Regularly clean pets' sleeping areas and encase their sleeping cushions in allergy-proof covers.
* Cut out the clutter. Anything that collects dust also collects dust mites. Remove knickknacks, tabletop ornaments, stuffed toys, books, magazines and newspapers from your bedroom and minimize dust collectors in other rooms.
Although air filters can effectively remove other allergy-producing substances such as pollen, mold and pet dander, they're not an effective tool for controlling dust mite residue. Unlike some other allergens, dust mite residue is relatively heavy, so it stays airborne for only about 15 minutes.