Dust Mites

Dust Mites in our Beds and Carpets

Dust mites

Many asthmatics suffer attacks at night. Why? Dust Mites? These eight legged microscopic arachnids closely related to the spider don't bite, however the common household dust mites’ problem is what they excrete.

More and more of my customers are calling telling me they have just had allergy test results returned. Dust mite allergies almost always rate highly. Itchy skin, sniffling nose and headaches are a common complaint of many who have contact with these nasty little critters. Customers often inform us that their asthma attacks and skin rashes including eczema outbreaks occur particularly at night.

Dust Mites are Invisible

The fact is, you can't see dust mites without a microscope but that doesn't discount the potency of their excreted allergens. We make our beds in the morning and go about our busy day quickly forgetting about that bad night's sleep. Like "Groundhog Day", we go to bed the following night only to happen all again. We can help you regain your lost sleep to enjoy the road to better health. Call RevitaClean today to enquire about our professional dust mite removal services for a free quote and assessment on 0432 333 464.

Dust Mites & the WHO

“The dust mites’ droppings are one of the most common household allergens and are a proven cause of headaches, runny nose, itchy skin, and puffy eyes among sufferers of asthma, rhinitis, related respiratory problems, and eczema.” - W.H.O. (World Health Organisation)

Most Potent Indoor Allergens

Dust mites are microscopic arachnids related to the spider which lives in warm, humid areas of the home, most notably, the mattress and carpets for reasons explained in the article to follow. Health physicians state dust mites are a major and most dominant biological indoor trigger for many forms of allergies due to their excrement including Asthma Attacks, Headaches, Hay Fever, Eczema and other troublesome skin outbreaks.

The dust mites’ droppings are one of the most common household allergens and are a proven trigger of headaches, runny nose, itchy skin, and puffy eyes among sufferers of asthma, rhinitis, related respiratory problems, and eczema. The slightest movement of people or pets send these particles into the air. Breathing these particles or having them settle on the skin triggers harsh health reactions.

Facts Relating to Dust Mites in the Brisbane Area & Redland City

  • Dust Mites are the source of one of the most powerful biological allergens!
  • Dust Mites create household dust that many filtration systems miss; allergens (faeces) measure 0.002mm (2 microns), and their dead carcasses measure .25mm (250 microns).
  • [Many] doctors believe that dust is one of the largest mediums of human infection.
  • Germs have no means of locomotion except to attach themselves to particles of dust.
  • A dust mites’ main food source is dead human dead skin flakes and animal dander found in your mattress, carpets and other soft furnishings.
  • 42,000 dust mites can live in only 28.35 grams (1 ounce) of dust. The average 1,500 square feet or 139 m2 home generates 18.14 kg (40 pounds) of dust per year. What size is your home?
  • Dust hosts 15 species of dust mites
  • Did you know you breathe in approximately 2 heaped teaspoons of air particles per day, including dust?
  • Bedrooms may well be where the largest population of dust mites exist
  • Dust problems increase due to heat, moisture, and humidity above 70% - Brisbane climate.
  • Dust accumulation in electrical equipment, computers, air ducts, etc. reduces efficiency and in some cases, can damage equipment.
  • Popular cold water wash cycles have added to the problem of dust mites’ infestation as cold water does not harm dust mites!

Dust mites are the major cause of household dust. Their excrements (faeces, faecal pellets) are one of the most strongly allergenic materials found indoors. Dust mites cannot survive well in an environment with less than 70% relative humidity, nor in an environment without a food supply of dead human or animal skin. Washing your bed linen in HOT water and drying them in the sun is another way to try to help control them. Also, keeping the humidity level of your indoor air under 70% will help. (Source – e-healthy-homes.com; W.H.O.)

Following are more extracts from the World Health Organisation regarding the Common Dust Mites

  • “Many different pollutants thus occur in the indoor environment, and many of these may pose risks to children's health. These include particulates... organic agents and allergens (e.g. dust mite, fungi, & moulds). These may act individually or in combination to affect health: for example, risks from radon exposure seem to be exacerbated by environmental tobacco smoke.”
  • “Dust mites, fungi and bacteria require moisture to proliferate. Permeation of rain or groundwater into a building and condensation on cold interior surfaces can promote proliferation of microbes. Water vapour produced by people and pets from cooking and showering needs air exchange to prevent moisture problems. Mattresses, upholstered furniture and carpets are reservoirs for dust mites.”
  • “Moulds have been associated with three types of effects: infections, allergic reactions and toxic effects. Toxic effects may be caused by inhalation of mycotoxins.”
  • “The strongest risk factors for developing asthma are exposure to indoor allergens such as house dust mites in bedding, carpets and stuffed furniture; pollution and pet dander; outdoor allergens such as pollens and moulds; tobacco smoke and chemical irritants in the workplace.” - World Health Organisation- World Health Organisation

- ‘Facts on Asthma’. These are a few snippets from hundreds of dust mite references

-  These notes from the US EPA website on air quality and control Click Here

- Further References Victorian Government site on Dust mites Click Here

You are sharing your bed with these little beauties

Dust Mites Brisbane

Extract from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, Brisbane Times, October 7, 2010

The research station in Antarctica and the Mir space station have dust mites. House dust mites trigger and even cause harsh allergies, respiratory ailments and dermatological complaints. They do not bite, but harbour strong allergens in their bodies as well as in their excreta and their shed skins.

Dust mites don’t survive as well at high altitudes or in dry climates. They favour homes with warm temperatures. Dust mites dislike strong light and will hide when exposed.

According to the book Dust Mites by Dr Matthew Colloff, a senior research scientist at the CSIRO, dust mites are found in almost every home in carpets, bedding, fabrics and furniture. As well as providing a habitat for the mites, house dust also contains their food source: shed human skin scales. Dusting, vacuuming, making beds and any other activity that causes settled dust to become airborne allows dust mite faecal pellets, which contain allergens, to be suspended in the air, then inhaled. Conservatively, at least 100 million people are affected by house dust mite allergies worldwide, such as asthma, rhinitis or atopic dermatitis.

By Ainslie MacGibbon

How to get Rid of the Dust Mites

Total removal as much as it is desirable, simply isn't possible. No one can promise this unless they throw your mattress and carpet into a bonfire. That would be counter-productive however. Where would you sleep? It's not about 100% removal but about 100% control of your environment (home or hotel)

You can search the net for clues of how to get rid of dust mites from your mattress or your carpets and you will possibly end up more confused than enlightened. Dust mite removal isn't rocket science but you need the right equipment.

Our Dust Mite Removal System

Dust Mite Removal BrisbaneRevitaClean does a complete job. We treat the whole mattress, the top, bottom and the 4 sides - Not just the top. Anyone who just treats the top only does a part of the job. Our super powerful HEPA equipped extractor shakes and sucks the dust mites and their potent allergens from their comfortable home. The genuine HEPA filtration prevents the microscopic particles from transferring to other locations in your home. We then destroy the dust mite food by applying our powerful yet natural formula which starves the remaining dust mites out. We complete the mattress clean by killing the harmful bacteria and deodorising leaving it sanitised, clean and healthy once again. You now have a great sleeping environment for a healthy sleep.

RevitaClean has a solution for the dust mite epidemic. Brisbane dust mite removal services states that our high humidity and warm to hot days most of the year, it is the perfect breeding ground for dust mites.

Call the Brisbane Mattress Cleaning and Dry Carpet Cleaning experts today 0n 0432 333 464 to help eradicate your dust mite problem so you can sleep better tonight - Brisbane, Brisbane North, Brisbane South, Brisbane East, Redland City