1. Make the environment unpleasant to the mites and they will have to find somewhere else to live: keep your bedroom well ventilated, with windows and doors ajar to encourage fresh air to circulate.
2. Dust mites are 80% water so using a dehumidifier to reduce humidity will make it unpleasant for them. If the lower portion of your window is moist in the morning when you wake up there is too much moisture in your room.
3. Let fresh air and sunshine get to your mattress by leaving the covers off during the day this will remove moisture accumulated from your body heat during the night from your bed, therefore dehydrating and ultimately killing the mites.
4. All bedding and children’s teddies that they sleep with should be able to be aired and washed regularly at 60°C as this will kill off both mites and eggs. Avoid woollen blankets and keep cushions and throws to a minimum, as they are magnets for dust mites.
5. Mattresses and duvets contain a massive amount of dust mite allergen and are easily transferred onto nightclothes and children’s bedtime toys. If you have an old mattress think seriously about replacing it as well as any old pillows as research has found that 10 to 20% of the weight of significantly older pillows may be dead skin cells. The Bedsupermarket has a fantastic range of anti allergy mattresses, with special coatings and hypoallergenic fillings that inhibit dust mites at prices to suit all budgets.
6. Think about trading your heavy fabric curtains for blinds, not only will they harbour less allergen but are easier to dust!
7. For all those allergen hot spots in the bedroom such as children’s cuddly toys, pillows and quilts, think seriously sealing them in a plastic bag and plunging them into the freezer overnight as it is a fantastic way to kill off both mites and their eggs and render the allergen causing enzymes in their droppings inactive.
8. The ideal flooring in a bedroom would be wooden boards or marmoleum, a natural product, valued for its natural bactericidal properties and comes with a 15 year warranty! It was also awarded the ‘Seal of Approval’ by the British Allergy Foundation. These can be damp dusted regularly along with skirting boards and any woodwork. Failing that invest in a powerful vacuum cleaner, preferably one with a no bag vortex and a high HEPA allergen filter which prevents any allergen leaking back out of the cleaners exhaust. Vacuuming everyday would be ideal but failing that twice a week.
9. At the risk of being a real killjoy pillow fights and bouncing on the bed are best avoided, as the allergen is forced out of the mattress and discharged out into the air to be breathed in!
10. Divan beds are a bad choice for allergic individuals as there is nowhere for the air to circulate under the mattress and dust settles under the base- how often do we move a bed to clean under it? Think seriously about investing in a bedstead with a slatted or metal base, many also have the added benefit of having sufficient space underneath to allow regular vacuuming. The Bed Supermarket have an exceptionally comprehensive choice of bedsteads from modern leather or metal to more traditional pine and oak styled bedsteads that aswell as helping to keep house dust mites at bay give your bedroom a truly individual feel. They are available in a range of colours and sizes with metal, slatted or sprung bases.