Worried About Having a Bad Duct Cleaning Experience?An Explanation of Dust Mites and Their Allergies Problems
Dust Mites and Allergies in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Areas of GA
Dust mites often live in air ducts, linens, carpeting, and beds, and cause allergy problems. Dust mites are small enough that you need a microscope to see them, but they are all around your house living in the dust. Most household dust is made up of skin, hair, food, and fecal matter, which is perfect for the dust mites. While the home dust mite's true name is dermatophagoides farinae, allergists often refer to them as HDM. They are know to be one of the most common causes of asthma, not just in America, but worldwide. 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. Dust mites live only a very short time, with a male having an average 19-30 day lifespan. Female dust mites live twice as long and lay eggs for the last 30 days.
Dust mites are not poisonous and do not bite. Dust mites main food is particles of shed human skin and hair. The average person loses up to over a pound of skin in a year, which provides plenty of mite food, especially in a family. The moisture from you sleeping, sweating, and breathing on your sheets and bedding, make your bed an ideal place for dust mites to live. These dust mites living all around you can cause asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis. Doctors have directly connected the enzyme DerP1, which is found in dust mite poop, to many skin and respiratory allergies.
Even though there is plenty of dust, the low humidity in air ducts means that not many dust mites live in them. Often air ducts are the biggest source of skin, hair, and fecal matter particles in your air. The fans in air duct systems are constantly heaving this dust into the air and depositing it around your home. This re-circulated air provides more food for the dust mites.
Here are the best ways to prevent and reduce dust mite infestation:
- Replace your standard vacuum with a HEPA filtered one.
- Routinely dust your house.
- Do not forget to get your carpets, drapes, upholstery, and air ducts professionally cleaned.
- You might want to consider having your floors refinished to get rid of any carpeting.
- Purchase anti-allergen furniture and bed coverings.
- You can freeze your kids stuffed animals.
- If you can keep the general humidity below 70%, possibly with your HVAC system, then that will take care of most of the mites.
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 take on what the process involves and what you might look for in an ductwork 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 already at your home cleaning your air ducts, will save you money.
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