Did you know? A tiny dust mite is capable of producing up to 200 times its own weight in waste, and the latter is the evil source of our allergic reactions when we lay in bed. The droppings of the dust mite may cause allergic reactions like breathing difficulties, watery eyes and nasal congestion.
Unfortunately, I have had prior experiences to this infestation and let me tell you, it was not pretty. The ugly mornings of swollen eyes, coupled with the constant occurrences of waking up have impaired my health significantly at one point.
One fun fact about dust mites if you didn’t already know is that they don’t just reside in your bed. In fact, they reside in mattresses, carpets and even curtains.
While it is virtually impossible to get rid of dust mites completely, it is possible to get rid of the majority of the infestation, unless of course, you get rid of the furniture completely.
Room Temperatures and Humidity
Dust mites thrive in 24 to 27 degrees, and they breed the fastest in between 70 to 80 percent humidity, so it is important to set your room/house temperature to no higher than 21 degrees in order to not let the dust mites thrive. However, given that we are in Singapore, this commitment is hard to maintain and fairly expensive too, given that the use of air conditioning is required in this context. To counter this, regular cleaning and vacuuming of your mattress, bedding and commonly used furniture in your home should be consistently done. If you would like a product recommendation for a dust mite vacuum, do stay till the end for more!
Humidity, on the other hand, can be managed and monitored through the use of electronic humidity monitors, air conditioners, dehumidifiers or to just ensuring air is well circulated around your home. To do that, you could ensure the windows and doors are fully open when you are at home.
Starving the Dust Mites
A plausible way to get rid of dust mites is essentially to starve them and deprive them of the food that they require to live, i.e., human skin cells. The solution to this is investing in dust-mite proof covers, that acts as a layer of protection between yourself and your mattress, to ensure that your body is not exposed to the feces of the dust mites when you sleep.
A tip when choosing to invest: Don’t be held back by the prices of good products because they’re typically at higher prices for a good reason! A good quality dust mite proof cover will protect you for much longer. Check out our article for buying quality mattress protectors too because they're equally important too!
Vacuum and Dust Often
It’s always important to make an effort to constantly vacuum and dust your living spaces. But, when it comes to preventing dust mites, one tip you should always remember is to prevent dusting your sleeping/resting areas at least 2 hours before you sleep. This is to prevent the dust from settling on our bodies and to avoid breathing unwanted dust particles when we sleep.
Another time when it comes to dusting your home is to dust strategically. What we mean is to work the room from top down and make use of old t-shirts and cloths to do so.
Regular Washing
Heat is key here when it comes to dust mite elimination. In fact, they really hate being in environments above 60 degrees Celsius. Make use of a dryer or leave it out to air dry for the best dust mite removal!
Product Recommendation: TOYOMI Anti-Dust Mite Vacuum with UV Germicidal Lamp 600W VC 221
With a 5-meter-long cord that allows for easy access even to the hardest to reach nooks and crannies, this dust mite vacuum also comes with a strong suction power to suck out all the dust mites living in your bed. The product is also suitable for all bed mattresses, baby cribs and sofas so you can be assured this will be a bang for your buck!
We do have to note, that while products like this assist in the removal of dust mites, regular washing, drying and cleaning is ultimately still necessary to keep your area clean. So do remember to maintain your living spaces well!
Product Recommendation: Complete Allergy Set (Single/Super-Single Size)
The set comes with the 3 important things you need for dust-mite removal:
- Allerguard (your ultimate shield against mite droppings)
- Acaril (your washing assistant to removing mite droppings in blankets and sheets)
- Acarosan (spray-based, kills dust mites in carpets, stuffed toys and rugs)
Do note: You'll be able to find sizes for your beds on the website! So fret not!
In the blink of an eye, April is now here, and a quarter of 2021 is now over. While we begin to assimilate our move back to working in the office, we know things are hard, especially when we have gotten used to working within the comforts of our home. Do remember to breathe while you’re at it so we never forget to focus time and energy on ourselves. If you missed our March Newsletter, do remember to sign up for our mailing list so we can bring content to you comfortably. Stay tuned for further updates on our cot sheets that we are very excited to bring to you.
And as usual, take care and thank you for reading!