I don’t know about you, but I like to choose who I go to bed with!
I was horrified to learn that each night I’m probably going to bed with thousands of tiny bodies. I’m talking about dust-mites. Those creepy, microscopic creatures that love to breed in our mattresses and pillows!
Did you say thousands of dust mites?
Dust mites love warm dark places where there’s lots of food for them to eat. Dust mites love most organic material but need protein and that’s why they love the dead skin we leave behind every night as we sleep. With enough food, dust mites can multiply to a large colony of several thousand in just a few months.
Humans shed approximately 1kg of dead skin in bed every year. This provides a great food source for dust mites and can also lead to mould, bacteria and germ growth. It’s pretty yucky stuff!
Did you say dust mite pooh? Yuck!
While I don’t like the idea of sleeping with dust mites, I really don’t like the idea of sleeping in dust mite pooh. Here’s a scary fact - a dust mite can excrete twice its body weight each day.
Humans are generally allergic to the dust mite excrement not the dust mites themselves. Dust mite droppings contain an aggressive digestive enzyme which attacks the “glue” that binds delicate cells together. When we breathe in dust mite droppings they deposit on the trachea, bronchi and the lungs, attacking the delicate cells in our respiratory system.
Dust mite droppings have a similar effect on our skin, especially for people with dry skin who already suffer from eczema or allergic skin conditions.
How can I get rid of the dust mite menace?
- Use a mattress cover that you wash regularly. This will capture most of the deadskin minimising the dust mites' food source.
- Vacuum the mattress regularly with a HEPA filter vacuum. Choose a model with a beater bar for better results (a rotating brush that gently beats the mattress).
- Every 3 months take the mattress outside and stand it up in the sun for 30 minutes. UV light will kill dust mites, but you’ll need to turn the mattress around a few times.
- Open up the windows and let in the fresh air and sunlight. The aim is to get as much UV light onto the mattress as possible.
The Professional Solution
About 10 years ago Electrodry started working with Healthguard to develop the Healthy Mattress Solution. This system treats dust mites and keeps them away for up to 6 months for long lasting results.
So what is involved in the Healthy Mattress System?
- We use an industrial strength HEPA vacuum to remove dead skin, dust mites and dust mite droppings
- Dry-cleaning solutions are applied to the mattress to remove built-up body oils
- We apply the Healthy Mattress Solution to treat the dust mites, germs, mould and bacteria. This product is active for up to 6 months to keep those nasty dust mites away.
- A lavender fragrance is built into the Healthy Mattress Solution to help lull you into an amazing night's sleep.
- A stain remover is applied to the mattress and pillows to minimise the yellow stains that sometimes occur from sweat and body-oils.
What about “accidents” on a mattress?
We offer a deluxe service to treat contamination from urine or bodily fluids which is very be effective when the contamination is no bigger than the size of a dinner plate. If the contamination covers a bigger area than a dinner plate, then the problem is quite severe and we suggest replacing the mattress.
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