It’s the 1st day of Spring in NE WI! There is still 9 inches of snow on the ground, the temperature outside is 11 degrees and with the wind chill, it feels like 5 degrees…..Calgon take me away!
When you do start your Spring cleaning and after you get some facts on dust mites, you won’t want to overlook cleaning your mattress’s. Just thinking of dust mites living in your pillows and mattress’s by the millions eating your dead skin and hair is enough to make you sick (literally and figuratively).
Dust mites are microscopic bugs that live primarily on dead skin cells that regularly shed from humans and pets. They don’t carry disease so don’t freak out….but they do cause allergic reactions in asthmatics and others that are allergic to their feces. Dust mites are not Bed Bugs, that my friends is another topic.
A typical mattress contains tens of thousands of dust mites and nearly 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. A single dust mite produces about 20 droppings each day, each containing a protein that many people are allergic to, including me!
Your bed is a primary habitat for dust mites (where 1/3 of your life is spent). 10% of the weight of a 2 year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings. Right about now is when I was checking the Kohls add for a sale on pillows! Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it.
The Mayo Clinic, Web MD and HIH collectively provide a list of typical symptoms of an allergy to dust mites. Runny nose, sneezing, itchy red or watery eyes, facial pressure and pain, post nasal drip are just a few of the symptoms. These are all the same symptoms that I have experienced with my allergic reactions to dust mites.
There are control measures you can take. The most effective way is to enclose the mattress top and sides with a plastic cover. Before you do you may want to have your mattress steam cleaned, unless of course you have a washing machine that it will fit in so it can be cleaned at 130 degrees. Using pure steam dissolves dirt and grime, while removing germs and bacteria from the surfaces that your cleaning. Steam is also and environmentally friendly thing to do. There is no longer a need to use harsh and toxic chemicals.
A few other tips to rid dust mites are to replace feather and down pillows with those having synthetic fillings. Replace woolen blankets with nylon or cotton cellulose ones. Mom’s and Dad’s don’t forget the children’s stuffed animals: be sure to get washable stuffed animals in the future!
For fabrics that may not be washed, pop the fabrics in the freezer for 24 -48 hours to kill dust mites. Freezing and sunlight kills the dust mites but does not remove the residue.
Green Bay Floor Restore offers mattress cleaning services. First we use a special vacuum to remove all the residue the dust mites leave behind. We then use heated steam. No harmful or toxic chemicals are used. Pure 130 + degree steam will kill off the dust mites. For our customers that have allergies, we can apply a post spray to keep dust mites from repopulating for a period of up to 6 months. Think about it, up 6 months without having to share our bed. For those allergic to dust mites, 6 months of feeling better after a night of sleep. Call us today, you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost of this healthy service we offer.
Jamie Strohmeyer / Green Bay Floor Restore
IICRC Certified / Clean Trust Firm
