How to Clean and Sanitize Your Mattresses From Dust Mites?

Dust mites love your mattress because it's the perfect environment for them. It's warm, tends to be moist, and what's more, it's replete with their favorite diet - human skin flakes. The Mayo Clinic estimates that you may be sharing you cozy bed with anywhere from 1 to 10 million of the critters. And though they're microscopic (500 could fit on the head of a pin), they may be causing you big problems.

The reason why these tiny creatures are so virulent is that they are a source of allergens. These allergens come from many sources including the dried body parts of the mites themselves and their fecal matter.  The typical dust mite excretes 200 times its boy weight in fecal matter.

One reason this is such a problem is that mites lack a stomach. So digestion occurs outside their bodies. The mites secrete enzymes and deposit the fungus Aspergillus Repens on dust particles. Then the fungus predigests the food for the mites. The dust mite's partially digested food, and fecal matter make up the most major sources of allergens.

The allergens then enter your body at night. As you shift in your sleep, the tiny allergen particles waft into the air and hence into your breathing passage, lungs and ultimately your bloodstream.

Perhaps you think you can clean your mattress or change your sheets and they're gone? Unfortunately this is not the case. Dust mites are tenacious creatures and they're very happy just where they are in your mattress or borrowed into any number of items in your home.  Standard vacuuming doesn't work. Traditional household or commercial vacuum cleaners don't have the power to suck out the dust mites and their debris from deep in your mattress. Bleaches and strong soaps won't kill them either. So what will work? Fortunately, there are a few things that the mites hate.

Extreme temperatures, either high or low, are generally fatal to them. However they reproduce quickly and will soon return. They have a life spans of about 30 days and the female lays up to 300 eggs during that period.  

Then there's sunlight. Mites hate sunlight because it's a natural form of ultra-violet light, which is harmful to dust mites and their eggs. That's why they like to burrow deep into your mattress where they're safe.

Ultimately, to successfully rid your life of pesky dust mites, you have to apply a rigorous eradication system, and so you really need professional help. 

Europeans are much more proactive on the dust mite front (and incidentally have far few allergy clinics that we do here in the US). As a result, they began developing effective mattress cleaning and sanitizing procedures using specialized equipment over 25-years ago.  Now, a vastly improved system and procedure is available in the United States.  

The most effective system for cleaning and sanitizing mattresses, as well as for use on any porous, allegen collecting surface is from the company Hygienitech, which offers a multi-pronged attack against dust mites, bacteria, mold and fungal spores, common virus and a long list of other contaminants that are found in most homes, as well as multi-bed facilities.  Firstly, they go over your mattress with a device comprising a high powered suction device working in conjunction with an electronically regulated germicidal UV-C light. This is ultraviolet light of the C band, a type of highly compressed light which penetrates the surface and functions as a completely green, chemical-free and dry, all natural purification system. 

After completing the cleaning and sanitizing process, an all natural, chemical and perfume free citrus spray is misted throughout the area in order to cleanse the air above and surrounding the treated surfaces. 

The result is that any mattress, chair, sofa, carpet or drapery is purged of both the dust mites and their debris in a safe and effective manner. It's fast, too. The whole process takes only around 22-minutes minutes for a king-sized mattress. It's recommended you have this procedure done twice a year to keep down the allergens in your home. It makes sense to get rid of your unwanted sleeping partners and create a healthier home for you and your family.

Some Helpful Tips for Using the Clothes Dryer in a Safe and Economical Way

Any keeper of the home understands that washing and drying clothes is no picnic. It's hard work that must be done every single week, sometimes even daily if you have a large family. A washing machine and dryer are used so often, they tend to be taken for granted. But for safety reasons and to save dollars on power and water, both appliances should be used with care and safety in mind.

Below are some helpful tips for using the clothes dryer in a safe and economical way.

Reduce Drying Time

A way to save money and prolong the life of your clothes dryer is to reduce drying time. There are several ways to do this. One way is to place smaller loads in the dryer each time. The dryer will dry them evenly in less time and also leave fewer wrinkles. Drying too many clothes at once will cause the dryer to dry them unevenly, and the clothes will still have many wrinkles. You'll have to keep turning the dryer back on to finish the job. The dryer can also overheat if overloaded. 

Another way is to keep the dryer lint-free. Clean the lint-filter after every load to keep the dryer running at its best. A third way to reduce drying time is to hang clothes outdoors to dry when possible. When the weather is nice and warm, the clothes will dry quickly. This will save on your power bill and help prolong the dryer's life.

Clean the Clothes Dryer Often

Besides wiping lint from the lint-catcher after every load, be sure to clean out the extra lint within the vent that the filter did not catch. You should do this at least once a month to prevent build-up. Use a vacuum hose or lint brush to remove excess lint. Also, have a qualified service technician to come clean your dryer thoroughly about once every two to three years. The technician will take the dryer apart and give it a thorough cleaning.

Clothes Dryer Safety

For venting, install all-metal ducting instead of plastic or vinyl exhaust hoses. Plastic and vinyl are flammable. Also, avoid drying clothes on which flammable substances have been spilled such as gasoline, kerosene, cooking oil, alcohol, and solvents. These can give off certain explosive vapors that could cause a fire when exposed to excessive heat in the dryer. Clothing items with these types of spills should be washed thoroughly several times and hung to dry to be sure all the flammable substance is gone. Other items to avoid drying in a clothes dryer are synthetic fabrics, rubber, plastic, and foam. These retain heat and can cause the dryer to overheat or catch fire.

If installing a gas or electric dryer in a new home, select a spot on an outside wall so your dryer will be able to ventilate properly. The steam must have a safe outlet. Inside walls make it difficult when seeking places to insert a ventilation hole to the outdoors.

Never leave home or fall asleep with the dryer running. Also, keep a fire extinguisher in the same room as the dryer or nearby if possible in case a fire does occur.

Alternatives to the Standard Electric Dryer

If you practically live traveling the open road or if you live in a small apartment where there's no room for a standard electric dryer, there are alternatives. One unique product that many find useful is the spin dryer. A spin dryer is a compact dryer that can easily be transported when traveling. It plugs into a 110V outlet. It is very gentle on clothing and has a 12.2 lb capacity for wet laundry and a 5.5 lb capacity for dry laundry. 

There are also portable washing machines to go easier on your septic tank, and there are products to improve your septic system or decrease septic system maintenance. 

Keep these clothes dryer tips in mind while doing your everyday tasks. You'll see an improvement on your electric bill and with how well your dryer functions.