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Dust Mites and Allergies
6 Ways To Control Both of Them

California Department of Health Services Fact Sheet (Added 9/12/01)

House dust mites are the most common trigger of asthma. These are the mites that live in house dust. It is the feces of the dust mite that is the actual allergen that causes breathing problems. Dust mites produce feces about 20 times a day. Aside from being an allergen, the feces of the dust mite is light enough to float in the air, so it is easily inhaled by those of us who occupy homes and buildings. Then, when you consider there are about 40,000 dust mites per speck of dust, you can imagine (even if you'd rather not) just how many of these dust mite feces enter your respiratory system every time you take a breath.

Your indoor environment is especially vulnerable to dust mites if you live in a humid area, or if your home is subject to humid conditions for whatever other reason. Humid environments create the ideal habitation for dust mites, primarily since they result in a greater food supply for dust mites. Staples of a dust mites diet include plant materials, molds, and fungi, all of which thrive in humid conditions. Dust mites also feed on a less commonly-known but very prevalent airborne particulate: dead human skin, found in every home.

That "dust" you see in a shaft of sunlight coming through your window? Yep, mostly dead human skin, and you just can't avoid it. And dust mites love the stuff.

Based on the facts mentioned above, you can see why it is so critical to take action for the specific purpose of minimizing dust mites in your home, particularly if someone in your home suffers from asthma. In which case, we have compiled a list of 6 ways you can reduce the dust mites that reside in your home.

6 Ways to Reduce House Dust Mites:

1. Casings. Bedding is the favorite home of the dust mite. Half the weight of the average pillow is dust mites! If you're allergy prone, you should encase your bedding and pillows with impermeable rubber or vinyl plastic wrappings and clean them frequently.
2. Washing. You should wash clothes and bedding regularly. Washing in 60^oF water is effective, but 130^oF water will kill all dust mites. Washing in cold water kills about 90% of dust mites.
3. Dry Cleaning. Dry cleaning kills all dust mites.
4. Heating. Any type of heat will help minimize dust mites. Some examples include steam-cleaning carpets, tumble-drying (drying machine), direct sunlight exposure, and electric blankets.
5. Air Conditioning. Air conditioning will dry out your indoor environment, which will reduce the food supply for dust mites, resulting in reduced dust mite populations. However, air conditioning strips beneficial negative ions from the air.
6. Air Purification. In spite of your best efforts to remove dust mites from your home or other indoor environment, dust mites are simply too numerous and reproduce too frequently to keep their numbers lowered without the aid of a quality air purifier. It's important to know that an air purifier is MUCH different from an air filter (e.g. HEPA). HEPA and other filtration-type air cleaners will not make much of a difference. First of all, most dust mites are too small to be captured by even the best of filters - even a really good filter can only get particulates larger than .3 microns. In addition, most dust mites will not even pass through the filter's screen anyway. Despite manufacturer's claims that their units complete so many air exchanges per hour, or filter so many square feet per hour, these are mostly based on theoretical calculations. The reality is that most pollutants in a given room or home will not pass through a small, stationary filter.

[NOTE: The following paragraph in this article has been updated with text written by the author of this web site because the information was obsolete and incorrect.]

You are better off with a more advanced air purification technology that uses oxidation, which is considerably more effective at purifying air than any filter. Hydroxyl ions, hydro peroxides, oxide ions or negative ions remove pollutants from the air that are as much as 300 times smaller than the smallest particle a filter can remove. Plus, oxidation technology air purifiers can be emitted throughout your home, so they are more thorough in the area they cover. Oxidizers are also capable of penetrating upholstered furniture, bedding, etc. to destroy dust mites and their feces. Heat sterilization is also a very effective way to kill dust mites.

Airfree Air Sterilizers

Airfree® Air Sterilizers are excellent for children, asthmatics, allergic people or for anyone who has pollen, dander, dust mite or mold related problems because it works based on a totally natural process: Heat. Inside Airfree®'s patented ceramic core 99.99% of all microorganisms (molds, yeasts, bacteria and viruses) are burned at temperatures around 400F, which is done without significant heat contribution to the room. Airfree® Air Sterilizers don't employ chemical or toxic products such as glass filter fibers, triclosan-coated paper or any kind of material that can be harmful to the environment when wasted. Nor does it produce ozone, VOCs, nitrous oxide or nitric acid. In fact, Airfree Air Sterilizers remove ozone from the air.

Airfree's breakthrough technology provides silent, effective operation, and best of all, there is NO maintenance required because Airfree has no moving parts and doesn't need replacement filters or lamps. And it's energy efficient, using 52 watts or less, depending on model. Airfree is available in three models: P1000 for up to 450 sq. ft., P2000 for up to 550 sq. ft. and Onix 3000 for up to 650 sq. ft. more info

Air Oasis Breakthrough UV Air Sanitizer Technology!

No air purifier on the market can compete in effectiveness when compared to the Air Oasis patent-pending Nano Nickel HCT photocatalytic oxidation technology. Other oxidation brands use only titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a catalyst, the cheapest, most available, catalyst metal on the market. Air Oasis contains five rare catalyst metals and nano size metals to increase the kinetic rate of reaction. Plus, Air Oasis UV lamps utilize a proprietary long life 3-year coating, allowing them to outlast any UV lamp on the market.

Air Oasis technology is proven effective against MRSA and may be an answer for many more of today's "Super Bugs", such as Swine Flu. Studies conducted by West Texas A&M University at BSA Hospital confirm that Air Oasis not only purifies your air, but sanitizes surfaces. The study measured reductions in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on surfaces. The study also measured a 75% reduction in other microbes and fungus in only 8 hours of use. Other studies show an almost complete eradication over longer periods of exposure to the Air Oasis oxidation technology. Current ongoing studies are aimed at proving reductions in VOC and odors. more info

Find the Right Air Purifier for
Your Unique Problem or Application

It's no mystery that the air inside our homes, offices and nearly every building we enter is contaminated with toxic air pollution problems. But wading through the plethora of air purification technologies and models to make our living and working space free of pollution can be a daunting task, especially with the misinformation presented by so many salespeople and web sites. There are many different air purification technologies and air filters on the market, but no one air purifier technology can solve every air pollution problem, which is why we carry different brands. For help determining which air purifier is right for you, click on one of the below links or call us toll free at 866-875-4386 (US and Canada).

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