Someone joked with me today that I "actually" wash my bed sheets. The truth is I am teased occasionally by several people because of my slight paranoia of dust mites. I thought I would educate you all on dust mites for several reasons. One, I think people need to know this. Two, I want to blog but can't think of anything to say and this came to mind today. Three, you may be glad to know you should wash your sheets and vacuum your mattress.
"We live surrounded in filth. Sorry, but it's a fact. All humans shed about 5-10 grams of dead skin each week. About 80% of the material seen floating in a sunbeam is actually flakes of skin.
House dust mites are nearly universal in occurrence - a typical bed mattress may have contain anything from 100,000 to 10 million mites. Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow may be composed of dead mites and their droppings. Carpets and household upholstery also support high mite populations. What do house dust mites eat? Human and animal skin flakes (Dermatophagoides - "skin eater"). So in some ways house dust mites are a good thing - they help stop us drowning in our own filth."
Source: http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/video/mite.html
Here's a picture of our little "friend"
These are living things and they are eating stuff, which means they also have waste. Their waste is where they are which means although you may be glad they are eating your dead skin, they are still leaving behind some things too, nasty! Also these little guys are carriers of germs, the cold, the flu, whatever is going around or a part of what they are eating.
So now that I have totally grossed you out and possibly made you a germophobe. Here are some tips to keep your home sanitary. Keep in mind the following are extreme measures you should take if you are highly allergic to the dust mite...so for all of us who are not allergic I think washing your sheets every week or so and doing some weekly vacuuming may just be enough.
"Recommendations focus on "dust control." One must reduce the concentration of dust borne allergens in the living environment by controlling both allergen production and the dust which serves to transport it.
For the bedroom environment:
Replace feather and down pillows with those having synthetic fillings.
Enclose the mattress top and sides with a plastic cover, thoroughly
vacuuming mattress pillows and the base of the bed.
Daily damp dust the plastic mattress cover.
Weekly change and wash pillowcases, sheets, and under blankets, and vacuum the bed base and around the covered mattress.
Replace woolen blankets with nylon or cotton cellulose ones.
Frequently wash all bedding (blankets, mattress pads and comforters) in hot water (130 degrees F weekly). Also wash curtains.
Remove carpet and replace with wood, tile, linoleum, or vinyl floor covering. (If you have carpet, vacuum every day.)
Mattresses covered with "fitted sheets" help prevent the accumulation of human skin scales on the surface (an alternate to encasing mattresses and box springs in non-allergenic, impermeable, plastic covers). "
Source: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2157.html
More info than you ever wanted to know! :)
5 comments:
My first thought is that a woman carrying a scary figurine is the one who told you all of this...cracks me up!
Can I just say, "eeewww." For some reason a very similar and very LONG conversation took place during a staff meeting lunch today! Something about weevils being ground up in my whole-grain tortilla wrap...
Yuck! You guys... Okay, now I'm off to wash my sheets. (Even though I do this on a regular basis, I have the urge NOW!) :-) :-)
Hmmm...well I am by no means a germaphobe but this does make me want to wash my sheets at least once this year...HAHAHA Just kidding! It does inspire some extra action...Also very educational. Anyone sleep light after reading this?
WOW...this makes me feel quite inadequate in my housekeeping...I mean seriously..."daily damp dust the plastic matress cover"? You've got to be kidding! :)
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