Kicking Off Your Shoes Helps Reduce Spread Of Dust Mites

DEAR READERS: Last time, the H.E. Explorer led us deep into the little known habitat of those mysterious and dangerous arachnids, dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and dermatophagoides farinae - dust mites. Like the vulture and the hyena, these voracious eaters are scavengers. But no messy roadkill for dermatophagoides, please. They dine exclusively on the skin scales of humans and other animals. Their habitat? Your house dust.

A Danish study found dust mite allergen (dust-mite feces, mostly) to be the estimated cause of asthma in over 50 percent of asthmatic patients in that country. The same and more may be true here in the U.S., where dust mite allergen is also the major cause of common allergies.

That should be enough to make you re-evaluate those dust bunnies you've been turning your back on. But the fauna factor is not the only thing you need to worry about. In addition to dangerous animals, your house dust probably contains a nasty cocktail of old pesticides, mold spores, lead, cadmium, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds.

Where does this stuff come from? Some you put there - bombing for fleas, spraying fabric protector on your sofa, sanding the old woodwork. Most you tracked in on your feet. Hence the first step in keeping your household dust to a minimum is a preventative one: Reduce track in.

The best way to do this is to declare your home a shoe-free zone. Post a sign outside asking people to remove their shoes. You can always make exceptions - the elderly, the very pregnant, the plumber - but if you're reasonably consistent about it, this policy can greatly decrease your dust.

The next best thing to no shoes is well wiped shoes. Buy an industrial-grade mat, place it at your doorstep and train family and friends to wipe their feet thoroughly before entering. Vacuum the mat once a month.

Shoes or no shoes, wall-to-wall carpeting is the archvillain of allergy problems - a bottomless reservoir of dust, impossible to clean. If you can, get rid of it. Wood and vinyl floors aren't cozy for dust mites and are easy to clean. Area rugs can be steam or hot-water cleaned every three years.

Upholstered furniture can also harbor amazing amounts of dust. Flat weave coverings hold less dust than plush ones do, and leather is best of all. When you replace a sofa or armchair, consider leather, especially if any family member has allergies or asthma.

One other option with carpets and upholstered furniture is to rub dust-mite-killing tannic acid products into them. These products are available at allergy supply outfits and are safe for humans and pets. They may discolor your furnishings, though. Try a little spot, first.

If a family member has allergies, tackle that person's bedroom first. Put dust-mite-proof covers on mattress and pillow - the single most important intervention. Use pull-down shades rather than curtains. Keep shelf acreage down to reduce dust-accumulating surface area. Deep six the rug. And get rid of stuffed animals.

If you worry about a child's room looking sterile, get creative with paint. If you really will wash it, use a washable area rug. Wash it and the bedding in hot water (130 degrees) twice a month - weekly, if your child has asthma.

You'll be crushed to hear that, if you have allergies, you should not be doing the vacuuming. If no one else can do it, wear a two-strap dust mask and leave the house for an hour as soon as you're done.

Vacuuming experts recommend an upright with a beater bar, for rugs, and you can now buy high efficiency bags for ordinary vacuums - a great innovation - at vacuum cleaner supply stores.

Dust mites need humidity. Deprive them of it by increasing ventilation. Crack a window in your room at night - yes, even if it's raining - and use kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans whenever you cook or bathe.

If you or a family member has respiratory allergies, especially asthma, you should probably institute these measures right away, as your doctor has no doubt told you. If you don't have allergies, or asthma, these dust-control measures are still a good idea, especially if you have young children. As indoor air expert John Roberts says, "Less dust, less risk." I'm not sure about his grammar, but I'm afraid his logic is irrefutable.

Resources

-- American Lung Association, 441-5100. Call and leave your name and address on their voice mail to receive a free copy of "Home Control of Allergies and Asthma."

-- Master Home Environmentalist Program at the Metrocenter YMCA, 382-5013. Call and arrange a free home environmental assessment. (Also, if interested, sign-ups are open for the next round of training for volunteers.)

-- Allergy Control Products, 1-800-422-DUST, and American Allergy Supplies, 1-800-321-1096, are mail-order companies that supply mattress covers, and other dust mite control products.

Susan McGrath's column runs every two weeks in the Home/Real Estate section. Send questions and comments to: The Household Environmentalist, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA, 98111.