Allergy to dust mite - anyone been through this

[RoLo1]

We have just found out our 2 yr old boy has an allergy to dust mite (he has had bad eczema for over a year now). Just wondering if anyone else has had this and what strategies you found helpful - seems to be a lot of info on using dehumidifiers to 45%, not sure what way to go so any help would be great.

Since finding out last week I got new allergy proof bedding, hoover and been decluttering and dusting but he almost seemed to get worse(which could be down to dust in the air from my frenetic activity). We have lovely carpet in his room that we will have to remove, anyone experienced improvement from doing this.

All in all a dust free house should do us all good, just worried about investing in the wrong areas - plus taking up new carpets and even working out what to put on the floorboards (I would leave them exposed but they are gappy and have nails sticking out). Another weekend of high scale dust wars coming up!

[nymom]

Hi. I am highly allergic to dust mites and have had issues with this since early childhood. I would agree the reason he got worse is because you probably unsettled a lot of dust in your clean up. Definitely get rid of the carpet. They are dust magnets. Even constant deep cleaning wont help. Use a damp mop on wood floors so the dust doesn't fly inthe air. Soft toys and piles of books get very dusty. I would eliminate as much as possible in his room. Wash sheets and bedding in the hottest temperature you can. You could consider an air purifier. Look on the allergy uk website for reviews. They do make a difference.

[RoLo1]

Thanks nymom. Good advice. Husband is a bit reluctant to take up the new lovely wool carpet (oatmeal colour was never the best plan anyway with kids! - but there is no comparison between the dust I got upstairs from carpets vs wood floors downstairs (x 30 times more I would say, also shows how crappy our 6 month old hoover was, as I had hoovered twice last week with it!).

And yes, got rid of all but four soft toys (those 4 are currently in the freezer!).

Floorboards it is, if you have found any flooring on top of that particularly good please let me know. Sheets of flat rubber may be a solution, no joins and no raised areas, will have to look into it...

If anyone has any info on experts for ventilation that would be amazing, in winter the windows in his room (double glazed) always have condensation, shows what a great breeding ground that room has been... Eugh.. (I give up!)

[nymom]

My husband has been reluctant to get rid of existing carpeting as well. But it makes a massive difference. Lots of dust also collects on a headboard or on slats in a cot etc, along the skirting. I would use a damp rag to clean those very regularly, and do it first thing in the morning so dust resettles out of the air by the evening.

[Fuschia]

New mattress, with anti allergy cover

Laminate flooring is best anti mite

Hot wash all bedding regularly

[yeknomyeknom]

We've been researching steam cleaners for our carpets and the good ones say they kill dust mites.

[Pam50]

http://www.vorwerk-carpets.com/en/unternehmen/allergy.opl

Expensive, but are lovely!

[RoLo1]

Thanks all, much appreciated.

Not sure what to do next! Funnily enough not sure if steam cleaning is right or wrong having looked at way too many websites and getting myself tied up in knots - the steam kills the mites, but the humidity encourages those not killed to thrive (bit of a quandary! I guess you could steam clean things outdoors, let them dry and then hoover the dead mites up - as they cause the allergy). It's such a mission - such a difficult allergy to deal with.

[alieh]

I have a really bad dust mite allergy and I have to say, carpets are the absolute worst for me. Bare minimum soft furnishings, including curtains that can be washed a few times a year, make such a difference. I have dust mite covers on my mattress and pillows which helps. I do find that if there are no carpets I can manage without having to have the duvet washed very often, but if I'm staying somewhere with carpets it's like the dust mite allergy "bucket" gets full and then dust mites anywhere put me over the edge! I am living in a rental house now with carpets and I've had to more than double my asthma medicine dose - can't wait to get back to a completely non-carpeted space so I can breathe!

I would really recommend pulling up the carpet as a start and ditching any extra soft toys (which it sounds like you have already done). Can you roll up the carpet and save it in case you think it hasn't made a difference and then have it relaid?

I have no problem with wood floors even ones with loads of gaps probably chock full of dust! It is just fabrics and textiles that cause me problems.

[alieh]

On flooring, you could probably get someone to refinish the floorboards, fill in gaps, flatten nails, etc. This would almost certainly be the cheapest option.

Or I know people with allergies often recommend Marmoleum, which comes as click flooring and sheets? I've heard rubber can be a bit of a nightmare to clean because the dust almost gets stuck and smears if that makes any sense?!

[shaunag]

I had a dust mite allergy as a child. It still rears its head occasionally if I'm somewhere very dusty, but for the most part has subsided. I had to use a nasal inhaler as a kid (really not pleasant). All good tips above, another is to keep any furry pets out of the bedroom (and if you don't have any, maybe go to a hairless variety if you plan on one)? All household hair becomes dust and it just helps minimise the breeding ground. My dad was really bad and he had a special anti allergy carpet in his bedroom, I recall my parents moaning about the cost, but it was really nice underfoot! Hope your little one starts feeling a bit better soon.

[GinaG3]

My sister has 'environmental' allergies including dust mites and all pollens. My daughter suffers from moderate to severe eczema that we believe is exasperated by airborne allergens, as such we do all the following in our houses.

Wash all bedding at 60, steam clean surfaces, use a allergy Hoover such as a Henry, wipe down all surfaces especially in the bedroom including bed frame, drawers, windowsills, door frames and skirting. I think lavender or tea tree oil is supposed to be good around the bed (ie. rubbed in to the bed frame or slats) as its a repellent to dust mites. Try to limit soft/cuddly toys, these are the devil! Air mattress as often as possible. Dust mites also hate sunlight so allow as much as possible in to the room, also air the room daily.

It's really hard work but you can significantly reduce the allergen level in your home through a strict routine.