Are you allergic to dust?  Then chances are you may actually be reacting to the dust mite waste found in the dust.  Dust mites are eight-legged arachnids that are so tiny they cannot be seen by the human eye.  It takes one of these dust mites about 25 days to develop from egg to adult.  An adult can live up to three months, with the female laying up to 50 eggs every three weeks.  A dust mite expels waste about twenty times a day, which is certainly something to sneeze at!

Dust mites love dark and humid environments, snuggling close to pillows, mattresses, blankets, carpets, furniture and other decorative items made of cloth.  The nasty part? There are probably millions of dust mites living in your bed, eating their favorite food - your dead skin cells.  Even worse?  Up to 10% of the weight of your six year old pillow may be from dust mite droppings.

Can you completely get rid of dust mites in your home?  Chances are slim.  But you can certainly take steps to reduce the amount of dust mites living in your house.

First of all, cover your pillows, mattress and box spring in allergen-impermeable encasings.  Pillows should be made of a synthetic fiber, even if they are covered.  Be sure the encasings have zippers, and cover the zippers with duct tape.  If you are unable to purchase these, wash your sheets and pillow case every one to two weeks in very hot water.  You can purchase comforters and blankets made with allergen barriers as well.

Now take a tour of your house.  Look for any type of cloth covered surface and consider removing it.  Try to purchase leather furniture over cloth for easy dusting.  Buy items that can be wiped down such as vinyl, leather, plastic or wood.  Avoid dust catching curtains and swap out your blinds with rolling window shades.  Remove artificial flower arrangements and knickknacks on the shelves.

If you have carpet throughout the house, remove as much as you can with the bedroom carpet being the first to go.  If removing the carpet is not possible, vacuum every few days and use a miticide or tannic acid to kill the mites.  If you can, purchase a HEPA vacuum to trap allergens as you clean.

Vents in your house should be covered with allergen collecting filters which must be changed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  You can also purchase filters that stick to the outside of your vent grates.

Closets should be as uncluttered as possible to reduce dust collection.  Keep your closet doors closed at all times and store all of your clothing in the closets.  Every few months, remove the clothing from your drawers and clean the drawers with allergen catching cloths.

Dust mites love humidity.  If you live in a humid environment, use your air conditioner and purchase a dehumidifier and a HEPA air cleaner.

And finally, wear a mask when you are cleaning your house to protect yourself from inhaling all those nasty little mites!