Did you know that dust mites are so tiny that most of us interact with them on a daily basis without ever knowing that they’re there? In small amounts, dust mites do not usually cause any problems. However, if you or someone in your home struggles with a dust mite allergy, you may experience uncomfortable symptoms including (but not limited to):
- Cold and flu-like symptoms
- Itchy skin, nose, and ears
- Uncomfortable rashes
- Congestion
- Postnasal drip
- Increased asthmatic symptoms
- Trouble sleeping
* If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, we encourage you to contact your doctor. These tips are not meant to substitute medical advice.
Being uncomfortable in your home is not ideal, especially when there are multiple ways to reduce the problem. There are plenty of things you can do to protect you and your family against dust mites in your Tuscaloosa home. While it is impossible to remove dust mites from your home entirely, there are ways to significantly reduce the number of dust mites you encounter.
How To Reduce Dust Mites
Control Levels of Humidity
Dust mites thrive in humid areas. This is one of the reasons dust mite allergies can be particularly invasive during the summer. Here in West Alabama, we know that humidity is a struggle. While running the air conditioner is a great step in drying out your air, we recommend investing in a humidification system to work together with the AC, monitoring your house’s humidity levels and removing moisture from the air when needed. Thankfully, here at Legacy, we offer installations of humidification systems and other HVAC units.
Improve Air Quality and Ventilation
The first step to improving air quality is proper ventilation. If the air in your home sits stale, it can perpetuate the collection of dust mites wreaking havoc on your allergies. After ensuring proper ventilation, it is essential that the air filter in your HVAC system is working efficiently. That’s why we suggest consulting one of our qualified technicians at Legacy when deciding the type of air filter that will meet your unique needs. Regardless of your filter type, make sure to check and change it frequently! Additionally, Air Purifiers work in tandem with your HVAC system to clean the air in your home so they can be a great investment. If you have any questions about Air Purifiers feel free to call us at 205-364-1044.
Keep Pillows and Mattresses Clean
Unfortunately, one of the main places in our home where dust mites run rampant is in our beds. This is because our mattress, pillows, and blankets are ideal for housing thousands of dust mites. We suggest investing in high quality, non-plastic dust mite covers to keep dust mite allergies from interrupting your sleep. Also, be sure to wash your bedding (and anything that rests on your bed– like stuffed animals) approximately once a week in hot water.
Cleaning Tips
The more frequently your house is cleaned, the less likely dust mites are to accumulate. We recommend regularly vacuuming with high-quality filters to capture the microscopic dust particles. Of course, hardwood floors heavily reduce the chance of large populations of dust mites. In regard to your HVAC system, many people forget about cleaning the air ducts with similar diligence as other household areas. Monitor the dustiness of your air ducts and be sure to routinely schedule Legacy HVAC for professional duct cleaning, once every five years or so.
Contact Us
Overall, be proactive about dust mite prevention by following these steps. If you have any questions or concerns, remember we are here to help! We provide trusted, professional heating and cooling services to all of Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Layette, Hale and Lamar Counties. If you’re looking to remove dust mites from your home, visit our website, legacyhvac.net, or call us at 205-364-1044 for assistance.
Legacy Heating & Cooling is fully licensed and insured.
