Dust Mites

[Guest guest]

Bob:

A great way to kill dust mites is to raise the temperature to 140F and hold it there for 120 to 180 minutes. This will effectively kill all bugs in your house and it will not harm most contents and architectural elements. Take a look at the ThermaPure web site for additional info. This said, raising the temp will kill them critters, but it does not necessarily remove the bio-mass. A lot, maybe most >90%, of the bio-mass can be removed via the aggressive conditions and cleaning methods employed by ThermaPure’s technicians; which will be superior to just HEPA vacuuming. Albeit, there will be some remains that are stubborn to remove. Whether or not what remains can be aerosolized is a matter of debate. Killing the critters is easy. Making the space “free” of dust mite remains is altogether another chore. Same goes with powders or any other “treatment.”

For what it is worth....

--

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

President

KERNTEC Industries, Inc.

Bakersfield, California

www.kerntecindustries.com

Bob,

Granted, it is more affective to remove the carpet that is laden with mold spores than it is to try to clean it.  This is also true of carpet laden with dust mites.  I believe a homeowner would resist removing the carpet, for example in a living room.  Does anyone know of an affective means to remove mold spores?  Also, does anyone know of an affective means to deal with dust mites in a carpet?  I have seen powders advertised that are suppose to kill dust mites in a carpet but I don’t know how affective they are.  I suppose after killing the dust mites one would still need to HEPA vac a carpet to remove their feces.

Thanks

Bob , MS, CIH, CIEC

Los Angeles, California

 

Re: Carpets in workplace linked to adult asthma risk

Stuart,

Thanks for posting that article. The statement:

" When mold problems were present at a person's workplace, and there was wall-to-wall carpeting there, the risk of developing asthma more than quadrupled. "

Is really significant. The a number of times we have tested carpeting or carpet dust in homes with mold problems and the carpets store and release the spores in significant quantities. Most of the time, it takes considerable HEPA vacuuming and carpeting cleaning to get the embedded spore levels to acceptable levels at a significant cost.

It is better to eliminate the Wall to Wall carpeting and install a VCT floor that can be washed. Yes, the noise level goes up, but the IAQ improves.

Rarely, do we find businesses or schools that properly clean carpeting. Miles has been doing a study on this with some very interesting results.

Bob