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The millions of dust mites and germs living in your bed linen could make you seriously ill

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The tiny microorganisms living in your bed sheets leave behind droppings and body fragments that can contribute to colds, asthma and hayfever, whilst the germs present can cause food poisoning.

Even after you wash your sheets, they could still be riddled with dangerous germs, such as Norovirus and Salmonella, which will not be removed just by washing your linen.

The faeces produced by dust mites can bring on allergic reactions, with the body producing histamines to deal with the perceived threat.

It has been suggested that dust mites could be to blame for up to 80 per cent of all asthma cases.

They can cause rhinitis, a cough, dry eyes. They can disturb sleep. People with other allergies can have them made worse

If people have a cold, the cold and flu virus. It can survive on the bed linen and it can survive a wash.

Norovirus can be carried with no symptoms. You might not have pyjamas on, it’s easy to pass it to the linen.

Someone with food poisoning could be excreting salmonella into the bed.

In addition, every bed has an average of 10 million dust mites living in it.

The organisms thrive in warm and moist environments.

Experts have also suggested that dust mites are encouraged by the collection of human skin cells lining our beds.

Humans shed half an ounce of skin week and a lot of that will be in the bed.

Dust mites like warm moist environments, the bed’s the perfect environment. They reproduce so there will be about 10 million per bed.

Often people are away in the day, so they shut the windows and the moisture stays in the house. Houses are more insulated and there are no drafts so there can be a build up of humidity.

“If you make the bed when you go out that traps the duvet and the moisture, and the dust mites have a great time. In two years, 10 per cent of the weight of a pillow will be made up of dust mites and their droppings”, she added.

Just because it looks and smells clean, doesn’t mean it’s hygienically clean. People have this notion that simply putting dirty items into a washing machine will kill all germs, but that’s just not the case. Contagious bacteria and viruses such as Influenza and E.coli can survive low temperature washing, increasing the potential risk of infection for your family

For laundry washed at low temperatures,  using an antibacterial laundry disinfectant is recomended.

The faeces produced by dust mites can bring on allergic reactions, with the body producing histamines to deal with the perceived threat.

It has been suggested that dust mites could be to blame for up to 80 per cent of all asthma cases.

They can cause rhinitis, a cough, dry eyes. They can disturb sleep. People with other allergies can have them made worse

If people have a cold, the cold and flu viru can survive on the bed linen and it can survive a wash.

Preventive Strategies for Dust Mites

Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to maintain relative humidity at about 50% or below.

Encase your mattress and pillows in dust-proof or allergen impermeable covers .

Wash all bedding and blankets once a week in hot water (at least 130 – 140°F) to kill dust mites.

Non-washable bedding can be frozen overnight to kill dust mites.

Replace wool or feathered bedding with synthetic materials and traditional stuffed animals with washable ones.

If possible, replace wall-to-wall carpets in bedrooms with bare floors (linoleum, tile or wood) and remove fabric curtains and upholstered furniture.

Use a damp mop or rag to remove dust. Never use a dry cloth since this just stirs up mite allergens.

Use a vacuum cleaner with either a double-layered microfilter bag or a HEPA filter to trap allergens that pass through a vacuum’s exhaust.

Wear a mask while vacuuming to avoid inhaling allergens, and stay out of the vacuumed area for 20 minutes to allow any dust and allergens to settle after vacuuming.

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