Dust Mites and Mold Spores - Small but Dangerous

Two of the most common reasons for poor indoor air quality are dust mites and mold spores. These two contaminants often reach your lungs and trigger allergy or asthma attacks without you noticing. Not only do these pollutants decrease the air quality in your home, most times they also become chronic health conditions that cannot be cured. Thankfully, you can easily inhibit the growth of dust mites and mold spores by cleaning the air around you with an air purifier.

Dust Mites

A dust mite is an eight-legged creature that feeds off human dander and lives in areas of high humidity. Though impossible to see without an intense magnifying glass, dust mites leave quite an impact on those who don't even know of their presence. The dust mites' fecal matter and dead bodies frequently cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks, especially when the particles are floating in the air. Dust mites are commonly found in all houses; even if you clean your house every day, chances are that dust mites still live in your home.

Research shows that dust mites love warm and humid areas; therefore, your bed is the number one site for these tiny organisms. When you are sleeping, your dead skin cells fall onto your bed and attract thousands of dust mites, especially if the weather is humid. As the temperature increases, your body starts to sweat and these dust mites find another reason to stay right where they are. This is the primary reason why dust mites are most often found in beds, carpets, and upholstery.

Mold Spores

Mold spores are fungi that digest organic matter and reproduce by releasing more spores. Usually, mold enters your home as tiny spores and stick to any wet surface. Therefore, it is extremely easy for mold spores to start growing and reproducing on wood surfaces, ceilings, tiles, paints, insulation, and even carpet. Any area that has moisture has a chance of becoming moldy and mildewed. Once inhaled, mold spores can also start reproducing inside your lungs, triggering vicious asthma or allergy attacks. Some toxic molds produce mycotoxins, which can make you suffer from toxic effects, such as fatigue, nausea, headaches, and irritation to the lungs and eyes.

As opposed to dust mites, it is easy to see where mold grows. It is possible to smell the mold, as well as notice small black mold or white mold spots on walls. However, individual mold spores can be a little tougher to spot. This is where air purifiers come in.

How to Prevent Mold Spores and Dust Mites from Taking over Your Home

Wash your sheets, blankets, and pillowcases frequently. Make sure that you wash them in hot water that runs from 130 to 140 degrees. Bleach and detergent can help you kill up to 98% of dust mites if used with hot water. However, this quick fix cannot completely remedy your problem. If you have carpet, consider using hardwood or tile floors instead. These flat surfaces attract less dust and are much easier to clean. If that isn't an option for you, just remember to clean your carpet frequently. Wet or damaged carpet needs to be taken care of immediately and effectively, or else mold will start to form. Remember to also clean your carpet frequently with a HEPA vacuum to remove dust mites.

High humidity levels are the main cause for both dust mites and mold spores. To avoid attracting millions of these contaminants into your home, considering using a dehumidifier to decrease the moisture in your air. It is recommended to keep the humidity levels between 30 and 50% at all times to avoid the gathering of dust mites and the growth of mold spores.

Because dust mites and molds cause runny noses, watery eyes, itchy skin, and intense respiratory problems, you can be sure that these irritants are a sign of poor indoor air quality. To improve your air quality, you will need an air purifier. A HEPA air purifier is perfect for eliminating these two allergens because HEPA filters are extremely efficient when it comes to capturing smaller particles. In fact, most HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. An UV air purifier is mostly effective when it comes to removing mold spores. The UV light provided in these air purifiers alters the DNA of organisms, making it almost impossible for them to reproduce. An AllerAir air purifier is perfect if you're looking for an air cleaner that contains both a HEPA filter and a UV light. Surround Air air purifiers are also extremely effective when it comes to removing dust mites and mold spores. In fact, some Surround Air models even contain more than just HEPA and UV technologies, so these air cleaners remove almost all contaminants from the air you breathe and help prevent allergy and asthma symptoms.

You may not be able to see dust mites and mold spores very clearly, but they're still there in your home - and they will be for years to come unless you start using an air purifier today!

Shop Air Purifiers