How to Kill Dust Mites and Prevent Fall Allergies

Are you suffering from allergies? Do you associate your struggles with outdoor triggers? If so, you could be overlooking the real culprit. Indoor allergens—specifically dust mites—are likely contributing to poor indoor air quality in your home causing undesirable problems such as runny noses, itchy eyes and even respiratory issues like bronchitis and asthma. So if you’re staying indoors when pollen and mold are high, you could actually be making your problems worse. 

The typical sources of indoor allergens are: 

• Pets 
• Wall-to-wall carpet 
• Soft furniture 

• Stuffed toys 
• Bedding 
• Damp areas 
• Indoor plants 
• Mattresses that aren’t in allergy covers 

• Pillows and bedding you can’t wash in hot water  

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends three ways you can improve indoor air quality including: 

• Control your contact with indoor airborne allergens 
• Ventilate your indoor areas well 
• Use air cleaners to clean indoor air 

So how should you go about removing dust mites and filtering out pollen, dust and other dangerous bacteria invading your living space? High-efficiency whole-home air filters will clear away pollen and other harmful particles from the indoor air and whole-home air purifiers can help purify the air. But to reduce or eliminate problems with dust mites you will need a different plan of attack. Dust mites generally thrive in warm, damp environments, making the summer months ripe for them. However, central air conditioners cool and dehumidify the home and will help control dust mites. During the summer months is also when air conditioners are running in homes, so a properly operating central air conditioner will lessen the impact of dust mites. However, when homeowners shut down their air conditioners in the early fall, relative humidity naturally rises, which builds a positive breeding field for dust mites. Dust mites are also stirred up and blown throughout your home when you first turn on your furnace on to heat your home in the fall. 

Improving your home’s indoor air quality is not as difficult as it may sound. A-Plus has several options for battling allergy-inducing pollution inside your home. 

A whole-home dehumidifier will control the humidity levels all through your complete house, keeping you within the EPA’s recommended range of 30 to 50 percent. You can’t kill all dust mites in your house, but you can reduce them significantly, regardless of whether they’re in your mattress or carpet, or brought in by pets. The best part is that this solution doesn’t require the use of any chemicals—it’s all natural. A whole-home central humidifier works to achieve humidity within one percent of your desired level throughout your home, which creates a healthier living space by reducing dry sinuses, itchy skin and sore throats, while keeping wood surfaces from cracking or warping. It can even lessen cases of viruses and respiratory infections. Whole-home central dehumidifiers eliminate excess moisture, reduce dust mites and mold, and protect wood from damage. Another advantage is that they are less intrusive and easier to use than single room products. 

When it comes to dehumidifying your air, it’s also important to understand what won’t work. When you raise the moisture content of the air in any given enclosed space above 40 percent, you’re inviting trouble because mold, fungi, bacteria and other microbes tend to thrive with increased humidity. So when you think of humidity in your indoor space, be careful to do it right to avoid doing more harm than good. 

Ultraviolet Germicidal Lights  are unique devices that safely give off the highest UV light intensity available, working to help reduce airborne biological contaminants like germs. They also help decrease concentrations of airborne bio aerosols by 50 percent in as little as 45 minutes. UV Germicidal Lights even help stop further accrual of germs in your home and inside your HVAC system. 

HEPA—or High Efficiency Particulate Air—filters  are top-shelf air filters that remove 99.97% of air contaminants, including pollen and ragweed. HEPA filters are relied on in hospitals and science labs, where concerns about health and contamination are high. 

HEPA filters with carbon filtration help eliminate: 

• Tobacco smoke 
• Pollen 
• Allergens 

• Dust Mites 
• Odors and chemical vapors 
• Dirt particles 

By eliminating pollutants and contaminants from your indoor air, HVAC systems can help boost the indoor air quality in your home. Professional installation and annual maintenance is also crucial for them to be effective. 

Ask an Expert how Indoor Air Quality products can make your home healthier!