Dust mites?

[Lindy Loo]

I posed the question 'Where do dust mites come from?' to a vacuum cleaner rep yesterday, while he demonstrated a �2500 cleaning system!! He didn't know the answer!! Given that my house had been empty (no carpets etc) for 1yr and everything I moved in was brand new including, the beds, where do they come from!! Searched the web and only found answers about what they are and how to control them. Has anyone got any ideas??

[bobtheduck]

where they come from is that they breed like any creature every house has them however clean they are from the same family as the spider, they cannot live in humidity below 45% so reduce the humidity in your house

[bobtheduck]

where they come from is that they breed like any creature every house has them however clean they are from the same family as the spider, they cannot live in humidity below 45% so reduce the humidity in your house

[Lindy Loo]

Yeah but how do they get there in the first place if the house was empty and everything was new and unused?!

[dorset 1954]

Have you got any, then? How do you know? If you've an allergy, could it be something else? Sorry if I sound stupid/dismissive - I tend to think of a house thick with dust as normal. But, please, I'm interested to learn.

[peanut]

it was probably a kirby or electrolux salesman huh? dustmites feed off of your dead skin wich is all over every house and they are on your body too feeding on the dead skin that has not fallen off yet. they are microscopic you dont feel or see them but they are there. they are mainly in your bed and pillow. they are forced out of the pillow and bed whenever you move around. then you end up breathing them in. that it why some people wake up feeling still tired. the best way to avoid this is to either put a plastic cover on your matress and pillow or purchase a very powerful vacuum cleaner to clean the house with. and no your $200 plastic cleaner will not do it. that will however clean the fuzz and surface dirt. your stuff may have been new and unused at one point in time but so was everything else in this world and dustmites exist everywhere. you may have brought them home from another home and they multiply in your house.

[NetSquirrel]

I don't have a definite answer for you, but there is some general information on mites here http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th5i.htm. There are many species of "outdoor" mites that are similar to the dust mite. This suggests to me that the dust mite could be a relatively new species or variety of mite - specially adapted to live within people's houses and being spread from home to home on people's clothing. Alternatively, dust mites might naturally feed off the dead skin of other mammals, such as rabbits, perhaps spending most of their lives buried in their fur, like fleas but without the bloodsucking. From this situation, the occasional dust mite would inevitably drift in through a window etc., and multiply inside the house.

[bobtheduck]

interesting point about waking up still tired didnt know that

[cheyenne]

you should have your carpets steam cleaned twice a year,then you can just buy a henry for around �100 quid.

[peanut]

yup, the dustmites are not the only reason for waking up tired but it is one reason. that is cuz dustmites eat 100 times their own body weight in one day. obviously that means they poo alot to. all of this dead skin, poo and the mites themselves get into your system when you breathe it in from your bed. most hotels clean their matresses and this is why alot of people feel so good when they have spent the night at a hotel.

[Lindy Loo]

Thanks everyone for the answers. I was just curious, plus wanting an answer to something I didn't know!! (the where do they come from bit!) Yes peanuts it was the Kirby, Brilliant machine but well out of my price range. Still I couldn't turndown a free demo could I! (total vacuum and shampoo of the room of my choice...the largest!!) Plus the chance to win a new car or 5k!! I'm not that silly! :-) Thanks for the link NetSquirrel I'll check it out