Search Results for: blog how to kill dust mites

How to Kill Dust Mites

While we don’t often think about them, the fact is that there are thousands of little creatures living with us and maybe even on us. Ew. I am talking about dust mites, and if you have allergies or asthma, you know all too well how dust mites can affect your health or the health of your family. Dust mites can make allergies and respiratory illnesses get worse. It is important to eradicate them whenever you can. Dust mites can live in all sorts of places, from your bedding to beloved family toys. Of course, they can also live in the … Continue reading →

Dealing with Dust Mites

Dust mites are popular… as far as allergens go. These tiny critters are to blame for allergies in a lot of people (myself included). So how do you keep the dust mites out of your upholstery and bedding? Here are some tips. Wash your pillows quarterly. Mark your calendar if you have to, but make sure you send your pillows through the washer four times per year. Wash your curtains quarterly, too. Wash your sheets and blankets at your washing machine’s highest setting. A study from South Korea found that temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit killed one hundred percent of … Continue reading →

Channelling the Home Gurus

Every once in a while, while I am taking care of my home, I think of those home gurus and all of their advice. Some of it is very good: “Only surround yourself with the things that add meaning to your life,” and some of it is bad: “Bathrooms should be cleaned three times a day.” Ack, really? Still those home gurus have done a lot to help us with turning our houses into homes. Which home guru do you most relate to? Peter Walsh Super clutter organizer Peter Walsh wants people to “live rich and full lives without drowning … Continue reading →

Stain Beaters

Don’t throw away that clothing or linen item! Instead beat the stain and get it out with the following tricks and tips. With any stain, it is important to try to attack it as soon as possible after it happens. Stains can set in, especially if they have been through the dryer. Red Wine Stain First apply some salt to the stain. The salt will absorb some of the color. Next, place the item over a bowl or a sink and pour boiling water over the stain. After that, ou can launder the item as usual. Dirt Dirt stains are … Continue reading →

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Are you ready for spring cleaning? It is almost that time of year. Get a head start and make the process easier when you establish a spring cleaning checklist that works for you. Here is how to begin. The first thing you should do is to jot down a spring cleaning checklist by room. This will makes things easier on several levels. You can easily hand off a room to someone else, such as another member of your family or hired help. Having a room by room checklist will also ensure that the most important jobs get done and nothing … Continue reading →

Wash Me, Please

There I was down in the basement, picking up our new playroom yet again. The kids were upstairs in the living room playing a new dance game on the Wii. They were having a lot of fun, judging from the giggling and the various stomps and booms I was hearing through the basement ceiling. I admit that I had an ulterior motive for being down in the playroom–to identify some items that could get passed on to other kids. Every once in a while, I would climb the basement stairs and ask the kids, “Hey, can we donate item x?” … Continue reading →

Banish Bedroom Allergens

Did you know that over time your mattress will actually gain weight? it will weigh more than when you first purchased it. Do you know why? It is because of the added weight of dust mite colonies that are living inside of it. When you consider how little an individual dust mite might way and then the number of them that have to get together in order to change the weight of your mattress, it is scary, isn’t it? Yuck. There are many things that you can do in order to reduce the dust mites, and therefore the allergens in … Continue reading →

Germs in the Laundry

Did you know that there were germs hiding in your laundry? These germs can make you and your family sick. Here is what to do about them. If you aren’t washing all of your laundry in hot water (and I certainly don’t), then you are not getting out all of the germs and bacteria that could be making your family ill. Laundry washed in cold or luck water only gets out about 80 percent of existing bacteria. Where is all of this bacteria coming from? There is bacteria living in dishcloths and kitchen towels, underwear and bath towels, among other … Continue reading →

Our Love Affair with a Floor Steamer

Well, I’ve been wanting a floor steamer for a while, and we finally got one! We took the plunge. Would it be a household help or an extra chore? We purchased the unit from Target and were ready to go. Like any new toy in the house, my husband and I battled over who would get to try it first. I wanted the steamer for deep cleaning without using chemicals. My husband wanted it as a substitute for the everyday mopping we had been doing with the Swiffer Wet Mop. We are analytical people and were ready to converse on … Continue reading →

Rhinitis May Explain All The Sneezing

I probably sneezed over a thousand times during my pregnancy. Beginning at around six weeks, I started experiencing mild cold symptoms that lasted for the duration of my entire pregnancy. It was really annoying, and I found myself constantly telling others, “I’m not sick, I promise!” Nearly a third of pregnant women develop a condition called pregnancy rhinitis. It happens when the nasal passages become inflamed due to the increased levels of estrogen and increased blood volume in the body. There is no cure, except giving birth, of course, but there are some things you can do to minimize the … Continue reading →