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Mark Pritchard
Owner/Operator
IICRC Certified technician
My Personal
Guarantee!
If you aren't happy
with the way I
clean your carpets
or upholstery, I will
re-clean them for
FREE and if you're
still unhappy I will
give you your
money back.
Most major Debit/Credit cards accepted | |
General Q&As about dust mites
What is a dust mite?
The house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in Europe and Dermatophagoides farinae in North America),
sometimes abbreviated by allergists to HDM, is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. They are considered to be one of the most common causes of asthma worldwide.
What does it look like?
Both male and female adult house dust mites are globular in shape, creamy white and have a striated cuticle. The female measures
approximately 420 micrometres in length and 320 micrometres in width. The male is approximately 420 micrometres long and
245 micrometres wide. A member of the phylum Arthropoda, post-larval stages of house dust mites have eight legs; larval stages have six legs.
What is the average life cycle of the
dust mite?
The average life cycle for a male house dust mite is approximately 19-30 days while a mated female house dust mite can live for up to two months, laying eggs for the last 30 days of
her life.
Where do dust mites live?
The dust mite thrives in the modern environment of fully-carpeted, double-glazed, draft-proof homes, and is comfortable at 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and 75% relative humidity.
Temperatures of over 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) for a period of one hour are fatal to dust mites; freezing is also fatal.
The mites are particularly common in mattresses, carpets and bedding.
| Are dust mites harmful?House dust mites do not bite or sting. The mite generally lives on shed human skin cells, which are pre-digested by the fungus Aspergillus repens. An average person sheds about 1.5 grams of skin a day (approximately 0.3-0.45 kg per year), which is enough to feed roughly a million dust mites. Further, dust mites in bedding derive moisture from human breathing, perspiration, and saliva.
How do dust mites cause asthma?
The house dust mite is one of the most significant source of allergens, implicated in allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and dermatitis. One of the more important proteins responsible for the allergic reaction is DerP1, a protease digestive enzyme found in mite feces.
Measures to control house dust mites:
- Vacuuming carpeted areas regularly
- Regular damp dusting of surfaces
- Replacement of carpets with vinyl flooring
- Covering of mattresses and pillows with impervious materials
- Daytime internment of children's plush toys in a freezer
- Reduce ambient humidity below 70% to inhibit growth of Aspergillus
Can you kill dust mites?
You can kill dust mites but it is almost impossible to kill ALL dust mites. Though these methods can help to reduce the level of house dust mites, attempts to kill dust mites in the home completely have yet to be successful. Immunotherapy or "allergy shots" have been helpful for sufferers of hay fever and asthma.
We recommend you use our Promite product to help prevent dust mites.
External links
Dust Mites Allergies Information "The fact is dust mites are not dangerous to anyone, however, if one does experience allergic reactions, they will often experience itching, sneezing, and water eyes or in more severe cases, asthma attacks. Many individuals who have indoor-allergies are actually allergic to the waste from dust mites. If you notice these symptoms, you will want to talk to your doctor or allergist."
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It's not just about the appearance!
It's time to start living smarter!Most people would consider the home as a safe place for a family. However, with modern life being so busy and our homes fitted with double glazing and central heating this has not been a great formula for keeping us healthy!
While saving energy reduces the effects of global warming it has a bad effect on our 'microenvironment' ...the home! BUT IS IT TOO LATE...?
Of course not! Here's the good news" Your home will not make you sick! Just having wall-to-wall carpeting and nice upholstery doesn't mean you're sitting on a time bomb that will go off one day and make you allergic!
In fact it's quite the opposite... your soft furnishings act as a filter and trap most of the impurities in the air until your ready to clean them. Think about it...what can hard floors hold?
We want you to enjoy your home and to get on with your life...so allow us to advise you on how simple planned maintenance will transform your home and keep your furnishings clean, fresh and healthy!
Question: How often should you have your carpets cleaned?Good quality carpets are a major investment and it pays you to look after them...but just how often should you have your carpets cleaned is very hard to say. First of all every household is unique! The number of adults, children and pets in the home is a major consideration, as the more feet... the more soil!
Many other factors including the type of carpet, type of soil and even your ventilation system all go to determine what is best for your particular household, this is why we conduct a 'Healthy Home Carpet Audit'.
On an 'Audit' we will look at all the facts, and not jump to assumptions. For example if you took two homes next door to each...one belonging to a young family with pets at home most of the day...and the other home the same size, but owned by a young professional couple, out most of the day and evening...the difference in cleaning would be vast!
As a guide to help answer the question we have included a chart taken from the 'Textile Cleaning Standard' from the Institute of Inspection. Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) the worlds leading body on textile cleaning.
They have worked with fibre producers, carpet manufacturers and the Environmental Protection Agency in America and here in the UK to give a guide to the frequency of carpet cleaning in the home.
Remember you shouldn't wait for your carpet to look dirty before you clean it...it's important to keep your 'filters' clean so they can look after your family!
The one thing we can recommend is that you look at a planned maintenance programme...we will keep your 'clean carpets' clean and leave you to get on enjoying your life!
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