Overview
Dust mites live in mattresses, carpets and bedding
Once upon a time, 400 million years ago, there lived a mite. Not wanting to live alone, the mites gathered in massive numbers and over time they flourished and were known to exist in many parts of the world.
It wasn't until 1694 that a scientist, looking through his invention, the microscope, actually reported the sighting of mites living in dust. Now they are the leading cause of allergies and asthma.
More than 300 years later, the dust mite continues to live and thrive in our homes. "Even the cleanest-looking households can harbor a host of invisible allergens. About 80% of homes in the United States have dust mites" according to Better Homes and Gardens, May 1999. Dust mites live in mattresses, bedding, pillows, carpets, fabric furniture and stuffed toys.
Depending on the age of a mattress, it may contain between 100,000 and 10,000,000 (10 million) dust mites. 20%-50% of the weight of the average pillow is made up of dust mites. While new homes and furniture are dust free, within a month both are populated with dust mites.
Are Dust Mites Making You Sick?
A National Institutes of Health Study - Dust Mites Huge Problem in Homes over 45%, about 44 million homes have bedding with dust mite allergen levels associated with the development of allergies. Some 20 million people in the US are allergic to dust mites according to The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Many people and organizations are working to find solutions to reduce dust mite populations. Based on the factual information, it is clear that we have a HUGE DUST MITE PROBLEM in U.S. homes, particularly in mattresses and bedding.
These organisms are microscopic spider-like creatures that feed on flakes of human skin. We unknowingly shed as many as 50,000,000 flakes of skin a day! That's a healthy diet for a lot of dust mites.
Beds are a prime habitat and we spend about 1/3 of our life sleeping. As mites grow they shed their skin and produce waste that causes allergy symptoms in millions of people. Many people with dust allergy react to dust mite particles and waste by producing a substance called histamine. Histamines cause a wide variety of allergic reactions - allergy headaches, asthma triggers and other symptoms - sending sufferers racing to the drug store and doctor for allergy medications, asthma medications and other prescriptions to stop symptoms. Current solutions include antihistamines like Dimetapp®, Allerest®, Sudafed®, Chlor-Trimeton®, Benadryl®, Zyrtec®, Allegra®, Claritin® and others.
The house dust mite can actually cause asthma in the first place according to the National Asthma Campaign, Spring 2000. Even if someone does not currently have any symptoms, reducing exposure to these allergens may reduce the chance of developing allergies and asthma. Mitee Clean ™ has a three step process to extract the dust mites and dust particles from mattresses and other fabric surfaces while on-site in your residence or commercial environment. We then treat all surfaces with uvc light that kills viruses, bacteria, bacterial spores, mold and fungus spores.