Get Rid of Dust Mites for an Asthma-Friendly Home

Asthma sufferers may not always breathe easily, but the right cleaning routine can help.

Asthma affects 8.4% of the U.S. population as of 2010, including 18.7 million adults and 7 million children, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s Asthma’s Impact on the Nation report. This rate has increased since 2001, when asthma affected 7.3% of Americans.

However, asthma’s prevalence in women and children is on the rise. It affects 9.5% of people under 17 and 7.7% of people over 18. Asthma affects 9.2% of women (compared to 7% of men). This increase of asthma cases also means more money is spent on treatment: Asthma-related cases now cost $56 billion annually, according to the CDC.

A variety of external allergens trigger asthma attacks, and most of these allergens can be found in the home. These triggers include:

• Dust mites
• Pollen
• Tobacco smoke
• Pollution
• Burning wood or gas fumes
• Mold
• Pet hair or dander

Many of the solutions to these triggers, like our tips to get rid of dust mites, will add comfort to your life too.

With antihistamine medications costing anywhere from $13 to over $300 per month, eliminating allergens can reduce medical spending costs and provide a safer environment for you and your family.

Regular cleaning can help control many of these allergens, especially dust, but dusting and vacuuming aren’t enough. Using steam cleaning to get rid of dust mites and other allergens in home fabrics is more effective (and safer) than insecticides, carpet shampooing and dry cleaning. It is recommended to steam clean every six to 12 months in order to keep the home as clean as possible.