Signs You Might Have Dust Mites in Your Home

Lucky for you, dust mites are so small that it’s nearly impossible to see them with the naked eye, because quite frankly, they’re as gross to look at as you might imagine. Dust mites are microscopic organisms, who happen to be related to spiders that feed on skin cells and live in places such as your bedding, carpet, furniture, or other places in your home where it’s warm and humid. Gross. So what’s a homeowner to do? Also lucky for you, we have some advice on how to determine if you have dust mites in your home, and how to get rid of them. 

Since we can’t see dust mites without the help of a microscope, some of the first signs of having them in your home could come from your body’s reaction to their presence. If you possess an allergy to them, you are likely to experience symptoms similar to a common cold, such as a runny nose, congestion, cough, etc. If you have asthma, your symptoms could be even more pronounced. If you don’t have an allergic reaction to them, and you can’t see them, how do you know if they’re sharing the same address as you? Well, they may not be easily seen by the naked eye, but if you’re really curious, an inexpensive microscope from a hobby store is a great way to find out. You can easily conduct a mini science experiment by taking a piece of clear tape and collecting a small sample of dust from some of the places mentioned already, such as furniture. Looking under the microscope is a sure fire way to see if they’re living in those places. They have a similar look to a spider, except that they are translucent, so they’re hard to miss when magnified.

If you’ve determined that you do in fact have dust mites roaming around those cozy spaces of your home, don’t panic. One of the first things you’ll want to do is to change the air filters in your home - seriously, trust us on that one. Next, you’ll want to do a thorough cleaning of the fabrics in your home with a HEPA vacuum cleaner. A regular vacuum can help, but HEPA vacuums can pick up some really tiny particles that an ordinary vacuum cannot capture. An air purifier is always a great next step in filtering the air you breath. The more dust mites it sucks in, the fewer that are left in your furniture and carpets to reproduce.

Even if you don’t have allergies to them, dust mites can make you itch just thinking about them. So, take some precautions and purify the air in your home with these recommendations, and if you already have them living in your home, it’s not the end of the world, you’ll just need to serve them their eviction notice.