Rid Your Home of Asthma and Allergy Triggers
Children, elderly people and people with breathing problems are extremely susceptible to airborne allergens. The American Lung Association reports that controlling allergies and asthma begins at home. By reducing the allergens around your home that trigger attacks, you can breathe easier and reduce your susceptibility to future episodes.
When it comes to allergies, there are thousands of irritants that can potentially cause allergy and asthma attacks, but researchers estimate that at least 80% of these attacks are triggered by 1 common culprit: Dust Mite Feces.
Sounds nasty, doesn’t it? It is!
Have you ever seen a dust mite up close? Chances are you wouldn’t. Dust mites are microscopic creatures that lurk about your home unseen. When magnified, however, these itty, bitty insects look like spiders!
Seven thousand of these creatures can fit on a single fingernail! Up to two hundred million dust mites can infest your home at any given time, and they can double their population in ten hours! But that’s not the real problem. The real problem is that each dust mite can produce up to 40 pieces of feces a day. It’s protein in the feces that causes most allergy and asthma attacks.
Carpeting, furniture, mattresses, pillows and stuffed animals serve as breeding grounds for dust mites and are littered with their dead bodies and waste.
In fact, it’s estimated that at least one-tenth of the weight of your 2 year old pillow is dust mite feces. As you walk across your carpet, any feces in the fibers are launched airborne and can hang around in the air for quite some time, ending up in your eyes, nose and even in your lungs.
Dust mite feces is one of the hardest allergens to control, but it’s not impossible. There are steps you can take today to help rid your home of this problem.
- Place your mattresses and pillows in allergy-impermeable covers.
- Wash your bedding and pillows in hot water once a week.
- Vacuum regularly, using a HEPA filter so that microscopic allergens aren’t released back into the air through the vacuum’s exhaust.
- Have your air ducts cleaned once a year.
- Use a dehumidifier. Dust mites breed rapidly in high humidity.
- Professionally clean your upholstery, drapes and curtains every 6 – 12 months.
- Most importantly, clean your carpets every 3 – 6 months using hot water extraction to get your carpets thoroughly cleaned.
Why You Want Clean Carpet
Have you ever noticed that just a few days after dusting your home you can see dust everywhere? Me too. But did you know that household dust has stuff in it like bacteria, dander, mold spores, germs and pollens? And on top of that, now is the time of year that we have our windows open. That brings in new dirt. And all of this ends up in your carpet. Cleaning your carpet may seem like a lot of work but it makes a big difference.
Have allergies? Studies show that carpet is better at trapping allergens then hard flooring. The carpet fibers trap allergens and particles reducing their circulation through the air. Cleaning with a CRI Approved vaccum sucks the dust up out of your carpet and locks it in the machine, keeping it out of the air.
Regular carpet cleaning can also help increase the life of your carpet. Dirt gets trapped in your carpet and then you walk on it. That just grinds the dirt in deeper and ruins the carpet yarns. Ever read your carpet manufacturer’s warranty? They’re usually dependent on regular cleaning and maintenance. Families with normal soil should vaccum 1-2 times a week and have the carpet walkways professionally cleaned every 6-12 months. People that have pets or smoke should have their carpet walkways professionally cleaned every 3-6 months.
