Pets and Dust Mites - Tom Rostron Co., Inc.

Pets
Pet dander in the home is a very common allergy trigger. Over 70% of households in the U.S. have a cat or dog, and 10% - 15% of the population is allergic to animals. About a third of people that are allergic to cats live with at least one!

Pet dander in the home comes from dead skin flakes that the pet sheds, and is the primary cause of pet related allergies. While the length of a pet’s hair does not affect how much dander it produces, longer hair can attract other indoor allergens like pollen, mold spores, dust, and others. The more indoor allergens there are in your home environment, the worse allergy and asthma symptoms can be.

Indoor Air Quality tips: Short of finding a new home for your pet, there are some things you can do to minimize your exposure to pet dander in the home:

Wash pets regularly.
Wash hands after handling pets.
Keep pets outdoors, if practical.
Limit exposure to, or replace, materials that attract pet dander and other allergens: cloth curtains, carpets, fibrous furniture, etc.
Most importantly, install proper filtration, and possibly ventilation.

Dust Mites

Dust mites in the home are microscopic creatures that commonly cause allergy symptoms. They are tiny arachnids (similar to spiders) with eight legs that are blind and live indoors. Cleaning cannot totally get rid of dust mites in the home because they latch onto fibers and live deep in pillows, carpets, mattresses, box springs, and upholstery.

A warm, humid environment is ideal for dust mites. Temperatures around 70 degrees F, and relative humidity above 55% is the climate they thrive in. Bedrooms provide the most favorable conditions for dust mites in the home because warm temperatures, pillows, blankets, and mattresses provide them with the perfect environment, and an abundance of food (dead skin particles). Dust mites don’t bite, and do not spread disease, so they are not harmful unless you have allergies, in which case they can aggravate symptoms all year-round. It is actually dust mite droppings that trigger allergies (and asthma), and they are the most common cause of perennial allergy and asthma symptoms.

It is impossible to eliminate dust mites in the home, but there are some actions you can take to minimize their presence:

Wash sheets, blankets, and pillowcases in hot water and dry on high heat once a week.
Use plastic, zip-up covers for mattresses, pillows and box springs.
Dust mites live in carpets, so install hardwood floors instead will limit their population.
Remove clutter in your home. Anything that that collects dust will be a haven to them. Use door mats to remove excess dirt and debris from your shoes before entering the home.
Keep humidity between 30% and 50%.
Install proper filtration to help remove dust and other particles from the air.

Tom Rostron Co., Inc.

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