Children, elderly people and people with breathing problems are extremely susceptible to airborne allergens. The American Lung Association reports that controlling allergies and asthma begins at home. By reducing the allergens around your home that trigger attacks, you can breathe easier and reduce your susceptibility to future episodes.
When it comes to allergies, there are thousands of irritants that can potentially cause allergy and asthma attacks, but researchers estimate that at least 80% of these attacks are triggered by 1 common culprit: Dust Mite Feces.
Sounds nasty, doesn't it? It is!
Have you ever seen a dust mite up close? Chances are you wouldn't. Dust mites are microscopic creatures that lurk about your home unseen. When magnified, however, these itty, bitty insects look like spiders!
Seven thousand of these creatures can fit on a single fingernail! Up to two hundred million dust mites can infest your home at any given time, and they can double their population in ten hours! But that's not the real problem. The real problem is that each dust mite can produce up to 40 pieces of feces a day. It's protein in the feces that causes most allergy and asthma attacks.
Carpeting, furniture, mattresses, pillows and stuffed animals serve as breeding grounds for dust mites and are littered with their dead bodies and waste. In fact, it's estimated that at least one-tenth of the weight of your 2 year old pillow is dust mite feces.
As you walk across your carpet, any feces in the fibers are launched airborne and can hang around in the air for quite some time, ending up in your eyes, nose and even in your lungs.
Dust mite feces is one of the hardest allergens to control, but it's not impossible. There are steps you can take today to help rid your home of this problem.
- Place your mattresses and pillows in allergy-impermeable covers.
- Wash your bedding and pillows in hot water once a week.
- Vacuum regularly, using a HEPA filter so that microscopic allergens aren't released back into the air through the vacuum's exhaust.
- Have your air ducts cleaned once a year.
- Use a dehumidifier. Dust mites breed rapidly in high humidity.
- Professionally clean your upholstery, drapes and curtains every 6 - 12 months.
- Most importantly, clean your carpets every 3 - 6 months using hot water extraction to get your carpets thoroughly cleaned.
To get all the dirt, allergens, chemicals and other pollutants out, major carpet manufacturers recommend one cleaning method above all others - hot water extraction like we here at Lack's Cleaning use. A shampooer that you rent at the store can't even begin to deliver the same results. Here's why:
- For every 18 degree increase in water temperature above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the water's cleaning ability is doubled. This means hot water extraction can get your carpets 4 to 5 times cleaner...
- The truck mounted equipment used for hot water extraction shoots the cleaning solution into your carpet at a high pressure to break up the allergens, dirt and other pollutants.
- Then the equipment uses strong suction to draw out all residues, including dust mite feces from your carpet, leaving you with not only a clean carpet but also a healthy carpet.
- Carpets dry in 2 - 3 hours, leaving you with a clean carpet and less allergens to trigger an attack.
In addition to health concerns, with regular professional cleaning and proper maintenance, your carpets will last longer and look better for years to come. In fact, many carpet manufacturers require you to have your carpets cleaned annually to maintain your warranty.
We use only hot water extraction to give your carpets the most thorough cleaning you've ever seen. In addition, we fully guarantee every cleaning job we do.
Tired of sneezing, headaches and a stuffy nose? Relief might be just a phone call away. Give us a call at (623) 412-0155 and we'll schedule your FREE in-home cleaning audit. Together we'll evaluate your carpet, tile or upholstery cleaning needs and I'll leave you with your FREE written cleaning audit.