House dust mites, and their faeces which contain microscopic enzymes, are common in house dust. House dust mites feed on moulds, as well as animal and human skin flakes. They flourish in textiles, such as bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture like sofas and carpets and after the Christmas period it is time your house is due a clean out and a good one at that and nobody likes mites..
Household dust can be a concern, as it may contain allergens such as dust mite faeces and pollen. Mattresses, bedding, upholstery and carpets can all accumulate unseen dust.
There are a lot of misconceptions about how to best remove the allergens found in dust from your home.
Dyson’s research has shown that the best way to deal with bacteria, pollen and dust mite allergens is to remove them from your home completely. That’s why Dyson focuses on designing vacuum cleaners that pick the dust up, have cyclones that are incredibly efficient to keep it in the machine, as well as filters and seals to make sure it doesn’t get emitted back into the home.
When it comes to cleaning your home this spring, here are some things you can do.
- Vacuum mattresses on a regular basis to remove dust mite allergen and skin flakes which dust mites feed on. Vacuum both sides of the mattress with a vacuum cleaner with an advanced filtration to prevent the allergen being placed back into the room by exhaust air.
- Wash bedding on a hot wash to destroy allergens. Washing the bedding on a 60°C or 90°C wash will help to break down allergen (proteins) and reduce the amount to cause allergies.
- Wash or replace duvets and pillows to reduce the amount of dust mite allergen and skin flakes present in your bed.
- Remove dust from kitchen cupboard tops. This is an often overlooked place that dust collects and through air movement can be displaced into the kitchen air. Either remove with a vacuum with an advanced filtration system or by dusting with a clean damp cloth or cleaning wipes.
- When dusting either use a clean damp cloth or cleaning wipes which traps the dust more easily or use a vacuum with an advanced filtration system which will collect the dust. A vacuum cleaner with different attachments and suction is ideal for dust round your home.
- Vacuum your home after dusting so that any dust that has been disturbed and placed onto the floor is removed and not redistributed around the home by normal activity.
- Move furniture that can be moved and vacuum the places not often vacuumed, such as under the furniture.
- Vacuum the sofa and chairs regularly; these can harbour not only large debris but also dust mites, skin flakes and other allergens such as pollen and food allergens. Wash any coverings and cushions to reduce the level of dust caught within them.
- A lot of dust can gather in curtains and blinds. Make sure vacuum them regularly or launder them if possible and practical.
- Remove dust from walls by dusting with a damp cloth or cleaning wipes or using a HEPA filtered vacuum. Dust on certain wall types can contribute toward the growth of mould; if the room is humid and not well ventilated the dust can act as the nutrient source for the growing mould.
- Clear kitchen sides and cupboards to deep clean. Use a vacuum with advanced filtration to remove dust and debris then wash with warm water and detergent – make sure you follow up by drying all surfaces.
- Dust lights and light fittings. A lot of dust can gather in lampshades and light fittings which can burn on hot bulbs producing VOCs and odour or be moved round the room by the production of warm air round the bulbs.
- Empty the fridge and freezer and clean all surfaces with warm water and detergent or cleaning product. Vacuum round the back and under the fridge and freezer without forgetting the cooler element on the back as this will have the added benefit of improved performance.
- Dust behind radiators; a hidden place often missed during normal cleaning. Significant dust collects behind the radiator, and this can be distributed around the room by the air flow produced by the warm air from the radiator. The radiator is not hot enough to prevent bacteria from surviving and can be maintained viable in the dust contained behind the radiator.
- Deep clean cupboard, wardrobes, and drawers in the bedroom. This is a place rarely emptied and cleaned but dust and fibres can accumulate in the very place you keep your clean clothes. Dust mites can live anywhere there is a source of food; so wherever there is dust there is the possibility of dust mites.
DYSON’S BEST-SELLING VACUUMS FOR THE ULTIMATE SPRING CLEAN (all available on www.dyson.ie or in Dyson stockists nationwide
The Dyson Gen5 detect™ vacuum ( €849.99 www.dyson.ie)
Dyson’s most powerful cordless vacuum features a new fifth generation Hyperdymium motor, delivering powerful suction. The machine also features a fully sealed, whole-machine HEPA filtration system, engineered to capture 99.99% of particles down to 0.1 microns , as small as viruses. A new Fluffy Optic™ cleaner head has also been re-engineered, revealing twice the amount of microscopic dust for increased brightness and range so you can see exactly where to clean.
Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean cordless vacuum (€599.99) https://www.dyson.ie/vacuum-cleaners/sticks/dyson-v15/detect-total-clean
The most awarded cordless vacuum on the market. 240 air watts of powerful fade-free suction⁶ with up to 60 minutes run time to deep clean your whole home.
Fluffy Opticᵀᴹ cleaner head reveals twice the amount of invisible dust on hard floors.
Digital Motorbarᵀᴹ cleaner head powerfully removes dirt and dust, automatically de-tangling hair and adapting suction across different floor types.
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine (€899.99) https://www.dyson.ie/vacuum-cleaners/wet-dry/v15s-detect-submarine/yellow-nickel
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine™ wet and dry vacuum cleaner.
Dyson’s powerful vacuum now washes hard floors.
Removes spills and tough stains.
Reveals 2x more invisible dust.
Captures hair without tangling.
Dyson Vis Nav robot vacuum (€1299.99)
Launched in mid 2023 to much acclaim, Dyson’s Vis Nav robot vacuum is the most powerful robot vacuum cleaner with 6 times the suction of any other robot vacuum.
It has Intelligent 360° vision system analyses its surroundings, building a map of your home, so the robot can see where it needs to clean.
This little beast deep cleans across all floor types, right up to the wall and under low furniture. With intelligent obstacle avoidance and dual link suspension, it gets in where it needs to clean.
The Vis Nav Automatically adapts its suction power when more dust is detected, with up to 65 minutes of fade-free suction.
Customise your clean, receive cleaning reports and set rules and routines with the My Dysonᵀᴹ app. Also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, simply connect to Wi-Fi.
Dyson Omni-glide™ + vacuum (€419.99) https://www.dyson.ie/vacuum-cleaners/multi-directional-vacuums/omni-glide-plus-gold
The Dyson Omni-glide™ + vacuum features Dyson technology, concentrated and rearranged in-line, allowing it to lie flat³ and clean in tight spaces. The omnidirectional Fluffy™ cleaner head glides effortlessly in all directions – forwards, backwards, even sideways – with two motorised Fluffy™ rollers to pick up everything from large debris to fine particles.²
- Dyson’s slimmest, most manoeuvrable vacuum for hard floors
- The first omni-directional Fluffy™ cleaner head.
- Our first button-operated cordless vacuum
- Includes light-pipe crevice tool allowing you to see where you’re cleaning.
