It might surprise you but killing ants once they are in the home is actually a bad idea. This is because the smell of their dead brethren brings more ants to the scene in order to carry away the carcasses. Think if you will of ants being rather like the armed forces in that they leave no one, or in this case ant, behind. Therefore the best way to prevent further swarms of ants is to engage in preventative measures.

The first phase in your ant prevention mission is to locate the main entrances ants use to gain entry into your house or apartment. Fill in any holes where possible and make sure there is no household garbage left near the doors to your home as these will attract all forms of insect and larger scavenger. Never leave food on windowsills as this is one of the primary entry routes for ants during the warm months when windows are left open.

Ants don’t like all food substances as one might have thought. They absolutely detest items such as red chilli powder, black pepper, mint and cinnamon. If you have a problem with ants walking across kitchen counters and tables then spread a little of these substances across the surfaces affected. The benefits of these are that they are not dangerous to pets and children and are extremely effective.

Open windows are one of the primary routes ants use to gain entry into the home. During the warmer months, it’s impossible not to have the windows open. That needn’t be a problem however as there are a few solutions you can use. Plant some mint and cloves in little shallow tubs and place on the windowsill. A ring of Vaseline or chalk around the window and door frames will also create an effective barrier. Ants will avoid these types of obstacles altogether. If you have a baby then you’re bound to have spare baby powder, this also works.

Another substance that ants absolutely detest and which will help you rid ants from your home is vinegar. This is cheap and in plentiful supply and can be mixed with water to form a more easy solution. Sprinkle some of this on surfaces which are particularly susceptible to ant invasion, especially food preparation areas.

Most of the solutions above will not directly deal with the ants already present in the home but they will stop further ants from entering. That said, after a few days of employing the above tactics, the existing ants will either die or leave the building. Always clear up dead ants when you see them to prevent the smell attracting their comrades. Regularly check for any new holes or gaps as well as renewing the natural remedies suggested above, especially during the hot summer months.

As with most things in life, prevention is the best form of dealing with unfortunate occurrences. When it comes to removing soap scum from a shower cubicle or bath, then this translates to cleaning the areas immediately after use. Catching the soap scum before it hardens means the job of soap scum removal is made a whole lot easier. The best way to do this is to simply wipe the surfaces of the bathtub or shower cubicle clean with a wet cloth after use. Whatever you do, don’t use any waxes or polishes to prevent the build up of soap scum. These will just create a dangerous and slippery environment in the bathroom.

One of the best ways to prevent the build-up of soap scum is to use gel soaps instead of bar soaps. This is because bar soaps contain talc and other minerals which are the main ingredient in soap scum. You should find the occurrence of soap scum greatly reduced by changing the type of soap you use when in the bath or shower. Regardless of this, the previous tip on wiping down the walls and floor of the shower cubicle and bath tub after each use is of prime importance in preventing soap scum appearing.

Looking for furniture? Browse my Bathroom Furniture section.

If you have soap scum already present and you need a way to remove soap scum from the bath or shower area, then these easy and home-made remedies can help. Warm vinegar which has been heated in a microwave can be poured or sprayed onto soap scum affected surfaces. When the surface is then wiped, most of the scum should come away reasonably easily. You can also use ammonia which is added to water. Make sure the ammonia is one third of the mixture. Again, like with the vinegar, spray or pour onto the soap scum affected area and then wipe away. Baking soda is another possibility and can be used in the same way although with this substance, it is best to leave for 30 minutes before removing with a damp sponge.

These home-made soap scum removal techniques should do the trick in many cases. However, if your soap scum is hard to get rid of then you will need to purchase a soap scum removal product from your local store. You can also buy a good variety online and I recommend this selection: Tilex Soap Scum Remover, 32 oz. Trigger Spray Bottle.

First of it, it’s important to note that vapor steam cleaning is different to the traditional forms of steam cleaning. The earlier models used hot water and suction to clean carpets and upholstery whilst the more modern vapor steam cleaner uses purely steam. This type of cleaning is likely to have originated in Italy during the inventions of espresso coffee machines which use a very similar method.

So how does a vapor steam cleaner work? Well, the cleaning machine uses an internal boiler where water is heated to between 150-300 degrees Fahrenheit or 66-149 degrees Celsius. Internal temperatures differ depending on the type and make of the vapor steam cleaner you buy. The steam is then safely allowed out to perform the cleaning process on various surfaces of your choosing.

The benefits of vapor steam cleaning are varied. One of the most popular is the ability to use ordinary tap water to fill the inner boiler. These negates the need for harsh chemicals and cleansers as well. On top of being kind to people with allergies and sensitivities to harsh chemicals, the process is also environmentally friendly. In fact, in regards to families who suffer from allergies, a vapor steam cleaning machine is pretty much required because it kills allergens directly on the surfaces where they are found rather that tossing them into the home’s atmosphere once again.

A vapor steam cleaner also means the use of dry steam. This is an important distinction to make between this and the earlier steam cleaners which often left carpets, upholstery and other surfaces damp and wet after cleaning. Mold and fungus love nothing better than wet and warm environments where they thrive. The vapor steam cleaning method instead has a low moisture content which is on average around 6% water. This kills dust mites, fungi, molds and even viruses immediately. Evaporation takes place soon after and thus the surfaces are left dry.

It’s important to use a regular vacuum cleaner on the carpet or other floor surface after the vapor steam cleaning is completed. The dry steaming will have killed all the bugs and fungus and will have also loosened dirt from the fibres of the carpet. Due to the prior vapor steam cleaning, the regular vacuum session will be many times easier than usual.

There are many surfaces where vapor steam cleaning can be used with great results. Any soft surfaces like those mentioned before such as carpets and upholstery, as well as stuffed toys and car interiors. Hard surfaces will also benefit and these include stone, tile and wooden flooring as well as windows, marble and concrete. Many vapor steam cleaners come with special attachments which can clean places that are hard to reach. This means crevices, grout and the areas beneath furniture can also be reached.

One of the most recommended dry steam cleaners is this Ladybug XLT 2300 Dry Vapor Steam Cleaner. You can read other people’s reviews of this product via the link in the previous sentence.

Clean Bedding – Dust mites love beds more than the laziest of humans. It’s where we spend up to a third of our lives and the one single location where we lose much of our dead skin. As noted in previous articles in this series on dust mites, these minuscule creatures eat discarded skin cells whether from humans or animals. With this in mind it is best to change bedding once a week and to make sure the sheets are washed in hot water. This will kill and wash away dust mites and their allergy inducing faeces.

If you suffer from dust mite allergies it will also be wise to get rid of any wool blankets, comforters or feather pillows and adornments. This will be an unfortunate impact on your interior design but it will also significantly reduce the places where dust mites thrive. Vellux is a good material to use and can take a lot of hot water washes. it might also be nice to have your cat or dog sleep with you but again, this just adds further discarded skin cells to the bed and will have a negative impact on your dust mite allergies. Get them their own bed on the floor.

Carpets – If the bed is dust mite hotel, the carpet is dust mite city. There is so much of it and so many places for dust mites to hide and feed. A vacuum cleaner doesn’t do much either for the dust mites are able to hang on to the fibres in the carpet and slot themselves into the many nooks and crannies that are visible if you look at the threading under a microscope. The best way to rid your carpets of as many dust mites as possible is to steam clean them. This should be done regularly, depending on your allergy symptoms. The hot steam will kill most dust mites.

Alternatively, you can make a major change in your decor scheme by throwing out all carpets in the home. This is drastic but if you have good floorboards underneath, it can be a blessing in disguise. There’s also choices in flooring which are easy to clean and do not lend themselves to dust mites. These include laminate, linoleum and wood. If you have very bad dust mite allergies, this is seriously an option to consider.

Temperature and Humidity – Dust mites love warm and humid environments. Therefore, one of the best ways to leave dust mites wanting an exit route is by keeping the home interior as cool as possible. Of course, this largely depends on your location in the world as well as the time of year but if possible, it’s best to keep a home below 70 degrees. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers can also be installed which will keep the interior spaces fresh and reduce humidity. The ideal humidity level for a private home is below 35%.

Clean the Home – “Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness” said John Wesley, the Anglican cleric and Christian theologian. Whether close to godliness or not, cleanliness will certainly lead to dust mites being ousted from your home. Not many people like cleaning but it’s essential and especially so if you suffer from dust mite allergies. In severe cases, the house should be completely wiped clean once a week.

Areas to think about cleaning are floors, beds, walls, shelves, tables, chairs and anywhere else where dust collects including on the top of picture frames and doors. It’s essential you carry out this cleaning using a damp cloth. A dry cloth will merely flick the dust into the air where it will settle on locations where you have already cleaned. The dust will instead stick to a cloth that is slightly wet. The same applies when cleaning wooden or other hard floor surfaces. Mop the floors instead of sweeping. Take down the curtains regularly and give them a good clean. Vacuum upholstery and give furnishings as good going over.

Dust Traps – The more you get rid of general dust, the less you will suffer from dust mite allergies. This means getting rid of anything which might unnecessarily collect dust. Think about replacing curtains and drapes with blinds or shades which are much easier and quicker to wipe down. Too many soft toys can be a dust mite haven and so if your child suffers from dust mite allergies think about reducing the number of teddy bears and other stuffed toys in their bedroom. Also, it’s important to clean the soft toys regularly.

Pets need to be bathed often and one can purchase omega fatty acids for their skin which reduces the amount of dead skin cells dropping off with a moisturising effect. To sum up, it’s important to search around the house for where dust most collects and to target those areas in a weekly clean. It’s going to be impossible to get rid of all dust mites in the home and it’s best not to assume you can. However, with the points mentioned above, you can drastically reduce the numbers and the resulting dust mite allergy symptoms.

There are also special sprays which can be purchased in stores and also online which can help reduce dust mites in the home. These include Steri-Fab or BedLam Insecticide which are both safe to use in the home environment.

There are three different species of house dust mite. These consist mainly of the American house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) and the European house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus). Both are different species but not noticeably so as to warrant separate articles. Also, both of these species occur worldwide and the European dust mite can be found in North America and vice versa.

House dust mites are tiny. In a good light and against a dark background, the body of a dust mite can just be seen. The average dust mite measures around 0.42 millimeters in length and 0.30 millimeters in width. Under a microscope one would see that both the male and female house dust mites are a creamy blue color and are rectangular in shape. All dust mites have eight legs.

Dust mites eat organic matter which includes skin cells shed by humans. They have a simple gut without a stomach and therefore often consume the same particle several times. Like similar animals, house dust mites like to eat matter that has been pre-decomposed by fungi.

There are numerous ways in which a dust mite is transported into and around the home. One of these is in dust bunnies, which are clumps of dust one often finds beneath furniture, radiators and in corners which have not been cleaned properly. These are made up of hair, lint, dead skin and dust which are kept together through static electricity and felt-like entanglement. Another way dust mites move from location to location is in air currents, but major and minor, which are generated through everyday activity in the home.

Dust mites don’t live for very long. On average a male house dust mite lives for between 10 and 20 days. Females live longer and if mated, can survive for up to 70 days, in which time they can lay between 60 to 100 eggs. On a more unsavoury topic, a single house dust mite can produce approximately 2000 fecal particles in a 10 week life span. This doesn’t include the partially digested enzyme-covered dust particles of which there are many more.

In the next article in this series I will explore dust mite allergy symptoms and how you can effectively reduce the number of dust mites in your home environment. Please subscribe to Home Interior Design Themes for further updates.