You probably think you are well acquainted with everyone you live with – family, friends, housemates, perhaps a pet. But most UK homes have unseen unwelcome house guests. They are mean and ugly, they look like a science fiction film, oh and they could well be living in your bed. I’m talking of course about dust mites, the hidden menace in the home, which can’t be seen by the naked eye but manage to cause trouble wherever they go.

Aside from the slightly disturbing knowledge that they could be living in your carpets and bedding, dust mites are also among the most common triggers of asthma, eczema and an endless list of other inconvenient allergies. Technically it’s dust mites’ droppings rather than the actual mites that cause problems, as they are coated in a highly allergenic enzyme which causes a reaction in over 20% of the population. They feast on the 50 million dead skin cells that the average human sheds every day, and it can be a nightmare getting rid of them completely. It’s tough, but far from impossible. If you suspect mites could be living in your home, here are three tips that could help:

Keep it Clean – If you want to stop dust mites, the most obvious solution is to get rid of the dust. They like to live in ‘dust bunnies’ and deep in the carpet pile so regular hoovering, daily if you have to, will help to restrict their food supply and suck them out of the carpet too. Keep windows open where possible as they don’t like sunlight, not to mention a healthy breeze will literally blow them away as they are so small!

Keep it Fresh –You might not think air quality would have much effect on dust mites considering they live in the carpet and furnishings, but in fact the right air conditioners could make all the difference. Even if you hoover every day the dust particles still have time to settle and create new homes for mites. Installing an air purifier with a HEPA filter literally removes all particles larger than 0.0003mm from the air before they get the chance to settle, meaning less food for mites.

Keep it Dry – Dust mites thrive in conditions where the air is moist with a relative humidity (RH) of 50% or higher. Different people have different ideas of the recommended RH in a home and it varies depending on where you live, but the most common recommendation is somewhere around 45%. If humidity levels in your home are above 50% trying to reduce it is a good idea as not only will this kill dust mites but can also improve the general health of the occupants. Basic things like keeping windows open when cooking or showering can make a difference but if the problem persists then using a de-humidifier is a quick and easy way to remove moisture from the air, maintaining the optimum RH and killing dust mites dead!