Vacuuming Doesn't Remove Dust Mites - What About Air Purifiers?

Dust mites are nuisances found in all homes and often wreck havoc on one's allergies. In fact, they are considered the most common cause of asthma and allergy symptoms worldwide, and their enzymes can produce noxious odors in full vacuum bags. In order to find ways to limit exposure to such allergens, a recent study was conducted by the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Australia. Because vacuuming is usually the most common way of removing dust mites, the Australian researchers wanted to test the efficacy of this method, but they found that vacuum cleaning was ineffective and inconsistent at removing dust mite allergens from carpets.

In fact, rather than removing dust mites from carpets, vacuuming helped changed the distribution of the mites within the carpets. While vacuums with rotating heads were initially more successful at picking up dander and allergens, the rotating vacuum heads were counterproductive in that they also served to kick up the dust in the air after prolonged use. In response to the study results, Woolcock researcher Jason Sercombe stated: "Allergen avoidance measures that rely solely on vacuum cleaning are likely to be of limited success unless rigorous cleaning than standard home vacuuming is performed."

Instead of vacuuming, the researchers at Woodcock suggested regularly washing bedding, pillows, and stuffed toys with hot water on a weekly basis. In addition, Sercombe also noted the effectiveness of HEPA filters in helping to reduce dust mite allergens, as he stated: "The most important aspect to look for is HEPA (high efficiency particulate air filter) filtration."