Household dust harbours a large number of harmful micro-organisms
and small creatures. These create significant health
risks by harbouring bacteria, causing allergic reactions,
and aggravating those who suffer from asthma. One of
the most common of organisms that lives in the home
is the house dust mite.
As described by its name, the house dust mite lives
on house dust - more specifically, on minute pieces
of skin from ourselves and our pets. They do not bite,
and it is not the mite itself to which we are allergic.
It is their droppings and their dead bodies. These small
pieces of dust become airborne when we dust or vacuum,
causing allergies, such as sneezing, itchy or watery
eyes, and a stuffy or runny nose.
Dust control is the only effective way of controlling
these small creatures. There is no way of completely
eliminating house dust mites from your home, simply
because they are too small to see, especially when hidden
away in the pile of a carpet. Regular dust control will
ensure, though, that they are kept down to a minimum.
Opening the windows so that the house is well ventilated
may help to blow the house dust mites out of a room,
but if you happen to be allergic to pollen, bacteria
or mould spores, it may only aggravate the situation.
Here are some tips on how to reduce their numbers by
dust control.:
Vacuuming - invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter,
which is 99.97% efficient. This is the only filter that
will eliminate the smallest particles from the air.
Dusting - Use furniture polish or a slightly damp
cloth. Dusting in this way is over 90% more efficient
than dusting with a dry cloth.
Humidity control - Keep the humidity level in your
home at or below 50%. This will help to control dust
mite populations. Like all living things dust mites
need moisture to survive and they do best in high humid
conditions.
Air purifiers - Air Purifiers can be helpful in bedrooms
or offices if you don't have central heating or
cooling. Air purifiers simply remove dust from the air
as it comes in contact with the collector plates located
in the unit. Air purifiers with fans are more efficient
than those without.
Air Conditioner filters - these are one of the best
solutions to dust control in your home. Most throw away
filters are not very efficient at only about 10% but
HEPA, Electrostatic and Electronic air filters do a
good job when properly maintained.
Steam cleaning - steam cleaning carpets will
kill all bacteria and house dust mites living in the
carpet.
You will find plenty of useful information regarding
dust control on our website.