Carpeting and Dust Mites

people with allergies really should pull up their carpeting and replace it with tile  or a laminate. We have a friend that pulled it all up and just painted the slab. Looks pretty good.

The problem with carpets and allergies is that carpeting, no matter what kind, holds dirt. In the dirt you will find dust, dirt, pollen, dust mites, pet dander and everything else yo stepped in.

No I know the carpet cleaning company will tell you they can get everything out and make it as good as new. Nice line but not really. It will be just as good as new for about a day or two unless the cleaner has a bad water extraction system and then it will be worse.

If you can’t pull it up you should look at using a product called X-Mite. It’s a powder that you sprinkle on to the carpeting that neutralizes the allergens. Here is an article that does a pretty good job of explaining it.

“X-Mite Powder made by Alkaline Laboratories harnesses the power of the acids in tannins to denature the allergy causing proteins.  Tannic acid is found in woods like oak, mahogany, and redwood.  It is also found in tea.  Alkaline Labs uses a patented process to convert this into a 3% tanacetane formulation which is highly effective in denaturing proteins from animals, molds, pollens and dust mites.  They combine this denaturing agent with a water-based solution of surfactants that also absorbs some soil.

The result with X-Mite powder is that the proteins are denatured and thereby made harmless and some soil is removed making the carpets appear cleaner.” Read complete article

I’m not a fan of carpeting. I have allergies and pets. I know many people will tell me that carpeting is no that bad as long as you vacuum it.I’ll save my comments about that for another post but If you have bad allergies, vacuuming is not one of the best things you can do.

How To Deal With Dust Mites and Carpet

Most of the advice for setting up an allergen proof room calls for the the removal of all carpeting and rugs.  The reason for this advice is that it is impossible to really get carpet clean. Carpet companies hate it when I say that.

The carpets on our floors are a perfect environment for collecting dust mites and other common household allergens.  Dust, pollen, dirt, crumbs, and other debris fall onto the floor and are caught in the fibers of the carpet.

Since dust mites feed on shed human skin (a major component of household dust) carpeting provides an absolute banquet table set for a feast for dust mites.  As we walk on the carpet, we stir up the settled bits of allergen, causing them to become air-borne.  Once air-borne, they are easily inhaled and can trigger an allergic reaction.

Now you can pay a company to come clean the carpets and rugs but the most effective way is to get rid of them all together. The truth is that is not an option for most people.

Here is some information from the Allergy Store on a product called Allersearch X-Mite Carpet treatment. People who suffer from allergies have been using it for years.