Starting Over Talk - Peer Coaching Support Site

Speaking of mites... my daughter was watching something the other day and a commercial for one of those mattresses came on... and the announcer stated that the weight of your mattress would double because of the mites.. over a certain amount of time. Of course I told her when she told me what he said.. that they want you to buy a new mattress...
http://www.health.com/health/qanda/0,23514,1102867,00.html

A funny thread re: the topic on a SNOPES forum...
http://msgboard.snopes.com/message/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/47/t/000478/p/1.html


I agree with you about Oprah's manners. Sorely lacking... to publicly humiliate her relatives over pillows.. I have a few older pillows here myself.. and was just thinking today that I should pick up a couple new ones. I think she was being very ungracious and doubt many relatives are going to invite her to their homes anymore. I am sure it's no problem if she has her sheets done every other day... She has hired help most likely to do it for her! She probably has multiple sets of bedding!

The health article did say that the dust mite issue could be minimized by putting covers on the mattresses. I usually wash my sheets once a week. But I think when my son was in college it was lucky if they got done once a semester!

KPW, I have also heard that saying about your mattress weight. I had believed it!! I have a pad on mine but, I'm not sure if it keeps the mites out. They advise plastic or rubber and mine is fabric.

I have been on-line researching the best ways to get rid of dust mites. It is a major undertaking. You have to completely empty the bedroom, then clean the floors with water or wax. They advise you to pull up all carpet. You cannot get them out of carpet very easily.
You must wash every surface in the room including curtains every 10 days. I honestly don't see how I will have the time or energy to do all of that work.

They also advise you to buy a dehumidifier. The mites need high humidity to live. My house if very humid. Our weather here is very humid. I have a ripe environement for them.

There is also a chemical that will kill them called benzyl benzoate. I am buying that stuff.

If I didn't suffer from allergy problems, I would just put it out of my mind and not let it bother me. But, I have pretty bad symptoms, so, I think I have to try to curtail it and see if it will help me.

My biggest question is how to clean my vacuum cleaner. Mine is the type without a bag. It has a plastic compartment. I guess I can rinse it out with that mite killer chemical, but, what about inside the vacuum and the hoses? I don't want to spread them to other parts of the house. Any thoughts on that?

Debby, You could make yourself go nuts by trying to approach every angle. Maybe you should check some allergy sites.. I do know people who've gotten rid of wall to wall carpet because of allergy issues. I never thought it was related to mites..but if they are a common problem.. then mites, mold, mildew and dust are all top allergens.. Fortunately I'm not sensitive to these ...yet anyway. My area people commonly develop newer allegies as they get older. More often than not, it's the hayfever or seasonal type to grasses or tree pollens.

I know my hose detaches from my machine..(but my machine does use bags) I think it would be pretty easy just to hose it out. I mean the mites need skin cells to feed on.. I used to put moth balls in my vacuum bag... as I had heard it would help kill fleas in the carpet. Then I heard that can actually be harmful to people. Fortunately no flea problem right now. My carpets are very old.. I steam clean them once a year. But they really need replacing. My upstairs does have wood floors under the carpets...but hubby likes the carpeting.. Maybe I should find some good articles about dust mites and forward them to him! Can't hurt! Might be able to get my hard wood floors sooner rather than later!

To touch down on the Oprah and Gayle drive across country would have been more interesting had they been in disguise and no one recognized them instead of all the hoopla when they walked in a place. So I was real disappointed in the thing.

As for dust mites and the likes. I am asthmatic and severly allegic to them and I got allergy shots. I stay out of old dust be it books in the bookshelf or places like garges or attics. My bedding don't affect me cause its what I call everyday dust and when I wash my sheets and pillow cases--its done in hot water in the washer. I keep my water temp set very high otherwise you do not get rid of bacteria or mites.

I have no problem with wall to wall carpet. None of us can live in a bubble. My allegist told me this dust mite does not live above the Va. border and north. Which is true cause I was never asthmatic in my life till I moved south. I am also allergic to my cats. I was not at first but after years of dander build up on walls I had bad asthma attacks. So I bi-weekly clean my walls with a cleaner. And I also bought and expensive air filter that is for cat dander. Allegist will test you to see what you are allergic to. If you aren't allergic to dust mites then you have nothing to worry about. Oprah don't know what she is talking about. You cannot see mites without a microscope and she has gotten too out of touch with people.

We live with bacteria and mites and coexist just fine. We can't be sterile. Unless you are allergic to these things or its a bad bacteria you have no reason to rid your house of them. or give it a second thought.

I saw the show about the dust mites... several times, and admit it impresses me every time! The first time I saw it... I couldn't vacum my mattress fast enough... I even put my pillows in the dryer on hot for 10 minutes... hoping to kill off the suckers... LOL. It really is disturbing to think of the mites... yuk.

I just got something in the mail from Costco... there was a coupon for new pillows... I think I'm ready for new ones... LOL.

As far as the kitchen tips... it's always good to be reminded of potential dangers... I generally use a plate for cutting of poultry or meat, and then put it in the dishwasher, or if I breading something I do it on aluminum foil... then toss. I never was in the habit of using cutting boards... guess I didn't want to wash them... LOL.

We've cut down on dust mites in carpet....'cuz it's just ALL hardwood floors!! I hate carpeting...of course we have kids, dogs, and cats....so carpets are a horrendous breeding ground!!

I wash sheets/pillowcases in hot water and add bleach. We just use the cheapy pillows from Wal-Mart or Target, so they actually get replaced every few months. I actually can't find a comfortable pillow for me...so I change often as I still am searching!

We are lucky to live in a very dry climate...but we live right next to a big, open field on a ridge and the wind blowing the dust, pollen, etc is a killer.....I'm on zyrtec! And I need it!

Debby, I have to honestly force myself NOT to dwell or I get heebie-jeebied out by mites, germs, molds, etc. I have to do what I can and then let the rest go.....I always say that I'm half of a germaphobe.....but I don't have enough time or energy (or money or help like fancypants Oprah!! LOL) to be a complete germaphobe!!!!

And about her trip.......I did enjoy it.....Gayle's part, anyway! Oprah exaggerated several things and came across as the biggest prima dona, better than everyone, poop don't smell person I've seen in some time!!! It's not that I also don't appreciate the wonderful things she's done...I just think she has an ego the size of Donald Trump's!!