If You Feel It Bite It’s Not a Dust Mite

Dust mites do not bite you. You can not feel them crawling on you. House dust mites live off your dead skin and can cause allergic reactions.

7 Dust Mite Myths Busted Infographic
7 Dust Mite Myths Busted

The allergic symptoms are caused by inhaling the microscopic fecal matter and shed skins. Symptoms of dust mite allergy include but are not limited to respiratory such as sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, cough, difficulty breathing, and asthma. In addition, skin symptoms such as eczema and dermatitis can result. Rashes and hives are rarely a symptom of dust mite allergy.

Now there several kinds of biting mites. Chiggers are probably the most common and annoying. Chiggers are mite larvae that are ubiquitous outdoors except in arid regions; they bite, feed in the skin, then fall off.

Common mite species that bite and burrow into the skin include Sarcoptes scabiei , which causes scabies, and Demodex mites, which cause scabies-like dermatitis.

Bird mites may bite people who handle live poultry or pet birds or who have birds’ nests on their homes.

Rodent mites from cats, dogs (especially puppies), and rabbits may bite people.

Swine mange mites ( S. scabiei var suis ) from pig farms or pet pigs may also bite humans.

The straw itch mite ( Pyemotes tritici ) is often associated with seeds, straw, hay, and other plant material; it is a parasite of soft-bodied insects that are or have been present in such materials. These mites often bite people who handle infested items. Granary workers, people who handle grass seeds or grass hay, and people who make dried plant arrangements are most at risk.

If you want to keep your bed free of dust mites you should cover it with special covers designed to stop dust mites. The Allergy Store has a good selection to choose from.

Allergies and Camp

School ended here in South Florida last week.  Parents and kids alike are starting to prepare for sleep away camp.

If you have a child with asthma or allergies, there are a few things you can do to make sure camp isn’t a problem.

Before your child leaves, make sure to speak with the director about any medications that will need to be administered. Also, if your child has food allergies, the time to discuss special diets is before you commit your camper and pay your fees.

If your child is a seasoned camper, you have been through this routine before.
Find out if they have a nebulizer on hand for emergencies or if you need to pack one.  Find out their Epi-Pen policy.  When out on a hike, who carries the Epi-Pen in case of an emergency insect sting? Critical if your child is allergic to bees or wasps.

If your camper is required to bring their own bedding, you get an allergy-proofing break. You can make sure that your camper is sleeping on sheets that you washed with De-Mite or Allergen Wash.  No matter who is providing the linen, be sure to send an inexpensive zippered allergy proof cover for the mattress and pillow.  For campers, we recommend using either the SMS or vinyl.  You wouldn’t want to sleep on them every night as they are not the sturdiest (that is why we recommend them for the boxsprings) but for 1 to 4 weeks of sleeping at camp, they are perfect to use and then throw away.  Most camp beds are long twin, be sure to ask the camp in advance so you get the right size.

Don’t forget the sunscreen.  Read the label to make sure that there is no PABA, parabens, or vitamin A.  Same for the soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

While your little camper is away, take advantage of the time to do a good deep clean of their room.  Start at the top and work your way down, wiping down walls, furniture, doorjambs, window sills, and such.  Strip all the bedding and wash in De-Mite or Allergen Wash.  Clean the floors (including under the bed) and baseboards.  Don’t forget to clean any picture frames and wash the curtains.  Turn the air cleaner on high and close the door. Your little camper will return to a clean, fresh room.

Make sure that their bag and belongings stay in the garage until unpacked and inspected.  Bed bugs are tricky hitchhikers and you don’t want them coming home with your camper.
Summer camp is can be a great experience but…no matter how far you travel and how much fun you have…there is no place like home!
Til Next Time

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Get Rid of Dust Mites – Warfare Part 4

In this series we have waged war on dust mites and their allergens.

We killed them by starvation in Part 1 by putting a barrier between them and their food source with a zippered dust mite cover on the mattress, boxspring, and pillow.  In Part 2 we took to the laundry room to eliminate dust mites from anything washable using De-Mite or Allergen Wash.  In our last installment, we used a HEPA filter to eradicate dust mites from the breathing area as we sleep.

Today we bring the dust mite to its proverbial knees (since they don’t have real knees) as we get rid of dust mite allergens in areas we can’t encase, filter, or wash.

To get rid of dust mites in these surfaces we can take a multi-prong approach.  While you don’t have loads of dust mites actively living and breeding in your carpets, carpets hold the dead body parts that are a normal part of household dust as well as dust mite feces. Try as you may, you can’t really clean carpet.  Imagine you took your favorite cotton button down shirt…tossed it on the floor, walked on it for 6 to 9 months, then splashed a little water and soap on it and vacuumed it up.  Would that shirt be what you called, ahem, “clean”?  I don’t think so.  That is exactly what “carpet cleaning” is all about.  You can spend money on carpet cleaning, but you can’t really clean carpet.  That is why allergists agree that the best surface for flooring is a hard surface.
What do you do if you can’t get rid of the carpet?  You can still work to get rid of the dust mites and allergens in the carpet if you use a sealed-system cannister vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, post motor and periodically treat the surfaces with a denaturing agent.  Forget those bagless vacuum cleaners.  What good does it do to suck up the dust mite allergens into a container where they can be concentrated and will form an allergen cloud when you empty the container?  The whole idea is to reduce your exposure, not give you a concentrated dose! 

Miele makes a variety of vacuum cleaners that will help you get rid of the dust mite allergens in carpets.  Just make sure you select one of the sealed cannisters and get a HEPA filter.  On most Miele vacuums the HEPA filter is standard, you just have to be sure to ask.  Even though I have hard surfaces in my home, I have had a Miele for many years.  My first Miele was a 1998 Medi-Vac and it is still going strong.  When my daughter went to college, it went with her and I replaced my Medi-Vac with the Crystal model.  I gave my son an Antares when he moved into his first college apartment.  That Antares is still hard at work helping my daughter-in-law keep her family’s home clean. Miele HEPA filtered vacuums will get rid of dust mite allergens in the carpet and do so for many years.

In addition to thorough vacuuming, you can treat fiber surfaces such as rugs, carpets, draperies, and upholstered furniture with a denaturing agent like ADMS by AllerSearch.  Denaturing agents don’t get rid of the dust mites, but they do get rid of the dust mite allergens.  These allergens are proteins and proteins can be broken down (or denatured) by the use of acids, alkalis, and extreme heat.  This is why temperatures of 140° in the wash will denature mite allergens.  Unfortunately, temperatures as high as 140° will also destroy most surfaces in which they come in contact.  Fortunately, there are a variety of acids and alkalis that can be used to safely denature without the use of heat.

In the beginning, people use tannic acid as a denaturing agent.  It is still very popular and its use is encouraged by television’s Dr. Oz.  That being said, our ADS Solution with tannic acid is still popular for those that want to get rid of dust mites in carpets, rugs, drapes, and furniture.

In the last few years, the maker of the most popular tannic acid solution, ADS, has also formulated a powerful denaturing agent that does not contain tannic acid.  ADMS Anti-Allergen Spray will safely get rid of those dust mite allergens on just about any surface. It is safe for all fabrics and will not stain.

While it may seem that the war on dust mites never ends….each campaign makes the next battle a little easier to win.  And once the enemy dust mite is on the run, it is really much easier to keep their allergens at bay.

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Eliminate Dust Mites – Warfare Part 2

In Part 1, we talked about killing dust mites as a form of warfare.

Today, we talk about the feasibility of eliminating dust mites.  As discussed in killing dust mites, the only way to really kill the dust mites in your mattress, boxspring, and pillow is to starve them to death by cutting off their food source through the use of a zippered dust mite proof cover.

So how can you eliminate dust mites?  If you can get it in the washing machine, you can wash them away! Now, regular washing won’t eliminate dust mites and their allergens.  The water in your “hot tub” of a washing machine would have to be 140° F to kill the dust mite and eliminate the allergen.  Most hot water heaters are not set at a temperature that high for safety reasons.  At temperatures that would eliminate dust mites, you would scald yourself in the kitchen or bathroom.  Such a bad idea!

So how can you eliminate dust mites without causing bodily harm to you or your family members?  De-Mite or Allergen Wash!

De-Mite Laundry Additive contains tea tree oil, oil of wintergreen and benzyl benzoate. It will safely eliminate dust mites from anything you can safely wash in the washing machine.  By using De-Mite you can eliminate dust mites from your bedding by washing in warm or cold water. Not only will you eliminate dust mites, you will save on energy costs by using cooler water temperatures.

Allersearch Allergen Wash utilizes super surfactant agents and ACARILâ„¢ to eliminate all allergens from bedding, clothing, stuffed animals, towels and rugs.  Once again, if you can get it in the washing machine… Allergen Wash will eliminate the dust mites while removing soil.

The big difference between eliminating allergens and dust mites with De-Mite and eliminating with Allergen Wash is how they work.  The Allergen Wash surfactants remove soil and allergens and the ACARILâ„¢ will denature anything left behind.  The De-Mite is an additive that must be used in conjunction with your detergent to eliminate dust mites.  De-Mite does not contain surfactants (those are those soap things). It will not eliminate soil. However, it will eliminate the dust mites, so use it with your own laundry detergent (we like the Envirorite Clearly Clean) and eliminate those dust mites!
Til next time.

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Killing Dust Mites – Warfare Part 1

If you are reading this blog, chances are you or someone you love was recently diagnosed with allergy to dust mites.  When I talk to people that have received a recent diagnosis they have a variety of feelings. Some are in denial, (how can a bug make you sick? I keep a clean house!) some are overwhelmed, and the vast majority are mad at the dust mites and ready to declare war.

The first rule of warfare is to know your enemy.

Just to cover the basics: dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed on shed human skin cells. They do not bite. You cannot see them and you cannot feel them. They like it dark, moist, and with a ready supply of food. Their bodies are covered by a hard shell (like a carapace) and this shell and their feces contain a protein (Der f1 and Der p1) that is the most common household allergen.  Fiber surfaces are their favorites. The bedroom is the most popular room in the house.  The mattress, pillow, and blanket are an environment that meets all of their needs.  We make them warm with our body heat, we exhale moisture and also sweat, and we shed our skin as we sleep. The same environment also traps their shed carapaces and feces, making it a hot bed of allergy activity (pun intended). 

Knowing this about your enemy, what good is achieved by killing the dust mites?  Aside from making you feel like you accomplished something and controlling the population you really haven’t done much.  Remember the problem is the protein in the feces and carapace.  Dead mites don’t poop, but killing mites doesn’t get rid of the existing feces.  Killing mites causes the mite body to break down and thus the carapace releases its protein.  So, killing dust mites doesn’t control dust mite allergy and could make it worse.  That is probably a good thing, because no pesticide is approved in the United States as a dust mite acaracide.

I get it.  You want to kill the mite, so do it in a manner that will provide allergen relief.  Starve them to death!
Yep. That’s right…..kill dust mites slowly by starvation.  The bonus to this approach to killing dust mites is that by starving dust mites you get immediate allergy relief. 

So, how do you starve them?  Cut off their supply of food.  Encase your mattress, boxspring, and pillows in special zippered dust mite proof covers.  This puts an allergen proof barrier between you and the mites.  Their food supply will be limited to what is already in the bed or pillow with them. Slowly, over the years, they will die of starvation.  From the first night you sleep on dust mite proof covers you will get relief.  You will not be exposed to the dust mites, their shed body parts or their feces!  And, you will also get the satisfaction of knowing that you are killing them softly and slowly…by starvation. Revenge can be sweet indeed!
Til next time

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved