The dust in your home contains droppings from dust mites. Dust mites are too small to be visible to the human eye and they thrive in humid climates. This is why they love the damp, warm conditions that are created in bedding where dust mites live off the dead skin cells that all humans shed.
Dust mites are also found in carpets, soft furnishings and clothing and often cause allergies because we react to various proteins (allergens) contained in their droppings. It is these droppings, rather than the dust mite itself, that many people are allergic to.
House dust mite allergy is very common and is associated with asthma, eczema and hayfever.
How do I get rid of dust mites in my home?
There is currently little evidence that you can totally avoid house dust mites or that current reduction procedures will improve asthma. However, some doctors and specialists will recommend a trial of house dust mite avoidance in severe cases of asthma, eczema or allergic rhinitis (hayfever).
It is not possible to totally remove house dust mites or dust mite allergen. Although some measures may lower the amount of allergen in your home, this doesn’t usually have much effect on asthma symptoms.
There are many methods that have been tried to reduce the number of mites and their allergens. Some of the methods commonly promoted are expensive and there is little evidence to support their claims of effectiveness.
Some of the methods commonly promoted are:
- Mattress, pillow and doona dust mite covers: these may reduce allergen exposure in your bed. Commonly available covers that completely encase the mattress are Allergend® and Mite Guard® and they are removable and machine washable.
- Washing of bedding, soft toys and soft furnishings: this should be done about every 8 weeks. Washing in warm water with commercial detergent should remove most of the allergens, but does not kill dust mites. If you can’t wash a toy, you can freeze it overnight in a plastic bag to kill the mites, but this doesn’t remove the allergen.
- Regular vacuuming: this may help reduce mite allergens in your carpet and rugs but vacuuming alone will not reduce the dust mite level significantly. Having non-carpeted flooring and reducing soft furnishings such as curtains, sheepskins and soft toys does reduce the amount of house dust mite allergen.
Note: There is no evidence to show that chemical sprays, air filtration, negative ion generators and 'allergen free' products reduce the amount of dust mite allergen or kill dust mites or lead to improvement in asthma.