By Dasha Sakharova
– “Good night, baby.”
– “Good night, sweetie.”
– “Good night, Hughes.”
What? You think you are alone in bed? Think again!
Every time you implant your face onto your pillow, you are making out with millions of multi-legged creatures—Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes—who call your bed their home. Dust mites are microscopic organisms who reproduce nonstop. They usually inhabit your sleeping quarters, feed on your dead skin and defecate everywhere. They love moist and humid environments – the kind you create under yourself when you sleep.
To top it all off, chances are you are allergic to them. These furry cuties eliminate protein as you sleep, and if you have even a mild allergy to dust, you produce antibodies to fight off the allergen. Your system then releases histamines that cause the irritating stuffed nose and itchy eyes in the morning (to name a few upper respiratory symptoms).
But just changing bed sheets and a pillow cover isn’t going to get rid of the dweller.
Mites cause more harm to you and more often than you realize, even if they are completely invisible to the naked eye. They live and die deep in your pillow leaving behind tons of feces – which means they continue to be a nuisance even in your fresh Tide®-washed and Downy®-softened sheets.
Did I convince you to take a second look at your bed-cleaning techniques? Here are five ways you can get rid of dust mites and improve your health:
- Wash your pillow in hot water at least twice a month (check your pillow for washing instructions so you don’t have to suddenly replace it).
- Consider getting a mite-resistant or hypo-allergenic pillow (synthetic pillows aren’t any better than feather ones).
- Wash all bed sheets weekly.
- Dust and vacuum the area around the bed (at least there!).
- Keep your room cool.
