Carpet Cleaning To Prevent Dust Mites

Ways to Protect Your Carpet from Allergens

Dust mites are tiny bugs that live anywhere and on everything around you. They majorly thrive in humid environments and cause allergies in people who are allergic to them. Carpets and beddings may prove to be perfect breeding points for dust mites.

As tiny as they are, dust mites can enter the body and cause severe allergic reactions. Approximately 10% of Australians suffer from Asthma caused from allergies. Allergens found in dust mites and pet dander cause cause allergic reactions that can be prevented. You must therefore clean carpets regularly and effectively to get rid of them.

This article will serve to enlighten you on how to clean a carpet to get rid of harmful allergens.

1. Keep the carpet dry

Pests like humid environments. Try to keep the moisture level below 50%. Again, it is vital to make sure that you keep your carpet dry at all times.

2. Vacuum effectively

Even though regular vacuuming doesn’t exactly kill mites, it serves to keep your carpet clean at all times. To reduce the risk of having allergens, use a vacuum cleaner with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.

Standard vacuums only remove surface dust. They don’t dig deep into the carpet fabric to extract dust mites. Vacuum your carpet at least once a week to prevent allergens.

3. Steam clean your carpet.

Dry vacuuming doesn’t kill dust mites. Steam cleaning your carpet regularly will help eliminate allergens too. The steam  gets rid of dirt, dust mites, and other allergens that may be a nuisance when left to multiply on the carpet.

For steam cleaning, you can always rent a DIY carpet steamer or hire a professional carpet cleaning company.

Regular carpet steam cleaning helps allergy sufferers by minimising dirt and debris in carpets.

4. Treat your carpet

An effective way of getting rid of dust mites from your carpet is using chemicals. Acaricides are chemicals that we use to kill allergens and other bugs. These chemicals are used on furniture or floor coverings to kill dust mites and prevent them from breeding further. 

Most acaricides are in powder form so they are usually easy to use. To use, sprinkle the powder on the carpet and let it settle for a few hours according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After the period instructed, vacuum the carpet to remove any residue of the powder. After treating your carpet, there is no need to worry about dust mites. Some acaricides such as the  X-Mite anti-allergen carpet cleaning treatment powder have a long-lasting effect of almost five months. 

If you suffer from allergies and Asthma, you largely stand to benefit from deep cleaning-preferably steam cleaning-your carpet regularly.

5. Sensitive Choice Program

To help people suffering from Asthma, The National Asthma Council of Australia started the Sensitive Choice Program.  The program provides recommendations of products which are allergy friendly. This includes a range of choices for carpets and flooring.

Common Allergens Hiding in Carpets

Dust mites

They are small (microscopic) arachnids found in dust. Did you know a single gram of dust can contain up to 500 dust miotes?

Pet dander

Scales and skin shed from small animals.

Mould spores

Microscopic fungal seeds which grow in damp areas. Carpets and upholstery can harbour millions of fungal spores in the dust particles.

Cockroaches

The cockroach body and droppings are highly allergenic.

Dust Mite Allergy Symptoms

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Itchy eyes, nose, throat or roof of your mouth
• Nasal congestion

Some allergens can cause asthma. These symtpoms include wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing and the tightening in the chest. If you think you have these symptoms it’s recommnded to see your GP and get allergy tests.

Dust Mite Anti-Allergen Benefits

• Suitable for carpets, bedding, mattresses, and all household furnishings
• Effectively controls major causes of asthma
• Not harmful to humans or animals
• Environmentally friendly
• Not a drug or a pesticide
• Contains no CFCs and is fully biodegradable
• Proven in studies to be effective in rendering dust mite allergens harmless.

Common mistakes when getting rid of dust mites

1. Vacuuming infrequently

It is advisable to vacuum your carpet and other floor coverings frequently. Prevention is better than cure, it is not okay to wait until there is a lot of dust on the carpet. 

The carpet usually carries a lot of dust even if you cannot see it. This dust will bring about dust mites if you decide to sit back and wait till it is visible. 

2. Carpet Scrubbing

Carpets need to be properly taken care of. Make sure that you do not scrub your carpet while looking to get rid of allergens.

3. Choosing the wrong chemicals

Allergens can be eliminated by exposing them to high temperatures. However, some chemicals that are made for this purpose may be harmful to the carpet.

Different carpets are made from different fabrics. Some chemicals help you to get rid of allergens but while at it you may end up destroying your carpet’s fabric. To avoid wearing out your carpet, note the fabric and seek professional advice on which acaricides are suitable for the fabric. This way you can get rid of allergens while protecting your carpet from wear.

4. Ignoring professional help

If your carpet is dust mite-laden, it couldn’t be difficult to clean it yourself but try as you may, you can never do it as well as a professional would.

Many would argue that hiring equipment to do it themselves would save them money but a professional cleaning company would have more powerful and effective equipment, and they’d know how to use it properly. Consider hiring a team of professionals to do the job for you.

Conclusion

Dust is always constantly building up around your home, especially on the carpet since it occupies a large area of your home. Regular carpet cleaning is highly recommended to prevent dust mites and other allergens. Clean your carpet, keep yourself safe from dust mite allergies.