Worried About Having a Bad Duct Cleaning Experience?Are Household Dust Mites Responsible for Your Allergies?
Dust Mites and Allergies in the Oklahoma City Areas of OK
Tiny dust mites could be living in your air ducts, linens, and carpeting, and can be the root of allergy problems. Dust mites are so tiny that you cannot see them with the naked eye, and they live in household dust. The mites feed on the particles of hair, food, and skin that litter your home as dust. The home dust mite, dermatophagoides farinae, is called HDM by most allergy specialists. Dust mites are one of the leading causes of asthma. Dust mites have a different number of legs depending on what stage of their life cycle they are in, larva having 6 and adults having 8. The mites themselves each have a very short lifespan ranging only about 19-30 days for males. Unlike the males, females can live 60 days, half of which they spend laying eggs.
At least the mites do not bite or have any sort of poison. Cells of human skin that are shed are the main food of dust mites. The average person loses up to over a pound of skin in a year, which provides plenty of mite food, especially in a family. Dust mites are commonly found living in people's beds because they like the moisture (perspiration and saliva) from people sleeping there. Dust mite infestation brings with them heavy allergens and can cause asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis. Mite droppings have been found to contain DerP1, an enzyme that has been shown to complicate allergies.
Household air duct systems do not usually contain many mites because there is not enough moisture for them. The air ducts do still provide a huge reservoir of dust particles that the mites like to feed on. Another thing air duct systems do is circulate air around your home. With the HVAC system constantly moving air around your house, the dust mites have an endless source of food.
The following are all good ways to control dust mites:
- Replace your standard vacuum with a HEPA filtered one.
- Make sure you dust and wipe down surfaces after use and on a regular basis.
- Wash and sanitize any fabrics that could harbor dust mies, such as sheets and linens.
- Have all the carpeting removed from your home.
- Switch to buying allergen proof bedding products.
- You can clean kids toys of mites without chemicals by freezing them overnight.
- One of the best ways it to maintain a humidity of under 70%.
Although there is no be-all-end-all dust mite solution, the above tips will make a big difference.
Well, that wraps-up our dust mites article. Hopefully you have a better understanding of what the operation involves and what you might search 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.
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