Are You Sleeping With the Enemy?

 

Who is the enemy? The enemy is called a dust mite, and he and his friends and family members sleep with you each and every night. In fact, your mattress can contain up to 2 million of the little buggers. Sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, doesn’t it?

 

What Are Dust Mites?          

 

Dust mites are tiny animals you cannot see, averaging 1/100 of an inch in size. Dust mites belong to the arachnid family, which includes spiders, scorpions, and ticks. Every home has dust mites. They feed on skin flakes and are found in mattresses, pillows, carpets, upholstered furniture, bedcovers, clothes, stuffed toys, and fabric or other fabric-covered items.

 

It’s their bathroom habits that are the most likely to make us itch and wheeze. Many people develop severe allergies to dust mite droppings. Exposure to dust mite allergen can cause asthma in susceptible children.
Lie on a rug where they live and you might get itchy red bumps on your skin. Breath in dust and you may have more serious symptoms like difficulty breathing or even a severe asthma attack. But, the bedroom – where you spend over a third of your life – is where you’re most likely to be affected. Research shows that the average pillow is 15% heavier after 5 years, due to the buildup of dead skin cells, dead and living dust mites, and the waste they excrete. Can you imagine how much weight your mattress gains in 5 years? Yuck.

 

What Can You Do?

 

There’s really no way you can completely avoid dust mites in the bedroom. They’re as certain as death and taxes. But, with vacuum cleaning your mattress thoroughly every time you change the sheets, washing pillows, comforters, and blankets frequently, and having your mattresses professionally deep cleaned at least annually, you and your family will sleep better at night. You “mite” even wake up in a good mood! Call us for more information. 440-721-7216