Worried About Having a Bad Duct Cleaning Experience?Facts About Home Dust Mites
Dust Mites and Allergies in the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Areas of MI
Dust mites can be found in your air ducts, linens, and carpeting, and cause cause or aggravate allergy problems. Microscopic dust mites live in and feed on the dust in your house. Mites eat the hair, food, and skin particles that compose the dust around your home. Dermatophagoides farinae is the latin name for house dust mites, which is abbreviated HDM. These dust mites are a frequent cause of asthma. Larval stage mites have 6 legs while the post larval ones have 8. The males are short lived, around 19-30 days on average. The egg laying females live for up to 60 days.
One thing that you do not have to worry about dust mites is that they will not bite or sting you. Generally dust mites live on the dust formed on shed human skin cells. A million dust mites can live for a year on the 0.3-0.45 kg of skin that the average human sheds. Human sweat and saliva are the main reasons dust mites live in beds and blankets. Dust mite infestation brings with them heavy allergens and can cause asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis. Those with allergies may know about the enzyme DerP1, which causes allergic reactions and is present in dust mite fecal matter.
The dust mites usually live in the most humid parts of your house, which is not generally the air duct system. However, your air duct system does trap a lot of skin, hair, and fecal matter that is floating around your house. Home heating and cooling systems toss this rich dust mite food all over your house with their powerful fans. Not only does this bring the dust mites a steady stream of food particles, it also moves their allergy causing feces to be circulated around your home.
Here are the best ways to prevent and reduce dust mite infestation:
- All carpets in your home should be vacuumed regularly, and a HEPA filtered vacuum is recommended.
- Daily dusting of household surfaces.
- Any fabric in your house that could trap dust and moisture, such as sheets, carpets, drapes, and upholstery should be sanitized on a somewhat regular basis.
- Consider replacing your carpeting with something that will not trap so much debris.
- Switch to buying allergen proof bedding products.
- Children's stuffed animals can be frozen to kill mites living in them.
- A good overall measure is to keep the humidity below 70% in your house.
Now that you know a lot more about dust mites, you will be better able to prevent them from affecting your health.
Well, that wraps-up our dust mites article. Hopefully you have a better grasp of what the process involves and what you might look for in an duct cleaning company. Since most ductwork cleaning companies also clean dryer vents, you might want to read our dryer vent cleaning tips article as well. Having your dryer vent cleaned while the technicians are still at your home cleaning your air ducts, will save you money.
Local Articles Related to Detroit-Warren-Livonia Dust Mites and Allergies
Local Michigan Air Duct Cleaning Companies and Government Links
