Products For Kids With Dust Mite Allergies

Home And Health Product Options For Kids With Dust Mite Allergies

Educated parents of kids with dust mite allergies know that (in most cases) dust mite allergies can be controlled if dust mite exposure can be kept at tolerable levels. A number of products that are readily available at department stores, pharmacies, and home centers can help keep exposure to dust mites to a minimum when combined with a good household cleaning regimen. So what are these wonder products—and how can they help?

• Air purifiers
Air purifiers, which are also called air cleaners or air filters, clean dust that is floating and circulating in home air; as air enters the purifier, dust and dust mites become trapped in a filter or on an electrostatic plate; the result is lower numbers of dust mites free-roaming in the home. Air cleaners and purifiers may be portable (for use in one room), or whole-house (attached to heating or ventilation systems to clean air as it passes through the system).
• Humidifiers
Dry air allows dust and dust mites to blow around the home more easily, and exacerbates nasal allergy symptoms in children caused by dust mites; humidified air eases congestion caused by kid's dust mite allergies.
• Dehumidifiers
A time and a place for everything; while humidified air is better for kids with dust mite allergies to breathe, excessively humid air creates an optimal breeding ground for dust mites. Dehumidifiers help remove excesses of humidity in household air. Dehumidifiers and humidifiers should be used at appropriate times of the year to keep the home at optimal humidity levels, which is around 40% (no higher). Both dehumidifiers and humidifiers can be installed as whole-house or portable room units.
• Steam Cleaners
Steam cleaning is one of the best ways to kill dust mites—they die in the high heat temperatures. Detergents and soaps have virtually no effect on dust mites, so steam cleaners are the best option for cleaning upholstery and bedding in homes with kids with dust mite allergies.
• HEPA Vacuum Cleaners
Vacuum cleaners are a daily defense against floor-bound dust and dust mites, but if the unit does not have a HEPA (small particle) filter installed, you may not be doing anything more than blowing those mites around the home. HEPA filters trap the tiniest of mites and particles, and are best for in-home allergy control.
• Covers and Encasements
Dust covers and dust encasements are designed to fully enclose mattresses, duvets, and pillows to keep dust mites away from kids with dust mite allergies. Dust mites already living in bedding cannot penetrate the encasement to get out to where they can bother the child, and new dust mites cannot infest the bedding. Sheets and pillow cases are used as normally over the encasements. With frequent washing in hot water, populations in bedding can be controlled in this dust-mite hot spot.

These home allergy products are the most often recommended, common household products for controlling kid's dust mite allergies. Dust mite populations can be significantly reduced when these products are used and maintained properly. As long as those populations can be controlled at tolerable levels, dust mite allergies will be greatly lessened in frequency and severity, and that spells relief for kids with dust mite allergies.