Bedbug / Dust Mites Treatments

A typical mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside. (Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.) Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it. A favorite food is dander (both human and animal skin flakes). Humans shed about 1/5 ounce of dander (dead skin) each week. About 80 percent of the material seen floating in a sunbeam is actually skin flakes. Also, bedroom carpeting and household upholstery support high mite populations. Broadway Carpet NY offers mattress-cleaning and deodorizing. Why is this service getting so much attention?

Why clean mattresses? There is a growing amount of scientific data that reveals better environmental hygiene improves health. The Environmental Protection Agency has consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health, and according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, "50 percent of all illnesses are caused by or aggravated by polluted indoor air."

So what are these indoor pollutants that can negatively affect our health? They include outdoor pollutants brought inside, combustion products, contamination from chemical products used by the consumer, and biological contamination. This is why EPA statistics show that levels of many airborne pollutants can be 100 to 500 percent higher indoors than outdoors.

Bio-pollutants include dog- and cat- dander, dust mites and cockroach allergens. These indoor pollutants act as triggers for asthma and other respiratory ailments. Over 40 million Americans suffer from allergies due to these pollutants. Children and small pets are the most at risk, as their lungs are still in the developmental stage.

The No.1 indoor allergen source? The common house dust mite. Dust mites are microscopic, eight-legged arachnids (not insects) 0.3mm in, length. They are invisible to the human eye, so small they can crawl through the weave of bedding fabrics.

Dust mites feed on tiny flakes of shed human skin cells. The average adult sheds about 2 pounds of skin per year. This will feed millions of dust mites. The dust mite is not what causes the problem; this lies with a protein found in the fecal matter called Der pl. The fecal mater is lighter than air and becomes airborne when disturbed by activity like fluffing pillows and tossing and turning during the night. The airborne particles are inhaled; the protein Der pI breaks down the protective mucous lining of the eyes, nose, lungs and skin. The allergens enter the body and cause an overreaction of the human immune system. According to a study published by The National Institute of Environmental Health, 46 percent of North American homes have bedding with enough dust mite allergens to cause allergies.

So what about mattresses? For allergy sufferers, the bedroom is the primary source of dust mite exposure in the home. About 60 percent of mites in the home are found in the mattress, as we spend one third of our life in bed - shedding skin and feeding dust mites.

To effectively control dust mite allergens, mattresses, upholstery, carpets & area rugs should be regularly cleaned, about every 6 months for allergy sufferers.

The mattress should first be vacuumed, ideally by a professional carpet cleaner with a portable cleaning machine, wet-clean the top and sides of the mattress, also preferably by a professional carpet cleaner at low moisture. Do not over-wet the fabric. Use an air mover to accelerate the dry time. Contact Broadway Carpet NY for all your Dust Mite Clean-Up Needs.

At this point Broadway Carpet NY will apply a dust mite neutralizing product, this should be sprayed on the surface. This will control the mite allergens between regular cleanings.

Don’t forget the pillows. An old pillow can contain up to 20 percent of its weight in dead dust mites, dust mite body parts and their fecal matter. Pillows can be cleaned and treated with an industrial dust mite-neutralizing product, or replaced every six months.

Next, attention should be given to the carpets in the bedroom. Mites can be found here as we change clothes and prepare for the day, all the while depositing skin on the bedroom carpet. Make sure you your carpets, area rugs, upholstery area cleaned every six months (depending on the traffic in your home or office) For allergy sufferers, use cleaning agents free of perfumes, phosphates, hydrocarbons and solvents, as many allergy patients are sensitive to certain chemicals. Broadway Carpet NY offers an Organic Cleaning on all dust-mite issues.