[CARPET KNIGHTS]

No normal hot water extraction does not disinfect and kill dustmites! neither does it go on protecting the carpet against the problems i stated earlier for up to 12 months

I have had no problem marketing this product and as of yet have never been asked for test documentation. Although i know that i would be satisfied if i were told that it had been certified in a different country.

The thing with UK testing is that to be tested and certified by an organisation like allergy uk for instance costs in the region of i think £10,000 and then there is an annual subscription fee which i'm not sure what it is but do know that it is in the £1000's. This cost would need to be passed on to the end user! It has been tested using the same tests that would be used in the uk.

[Spot On cleaning]

Goron

So are you saying that carpets cleaned with a truck mount at a higher water temp than many portable machines and a greater pressure does not boil the little critters to death in a carpet.

Why is it then that many websites today advertise the fact that it does kill them. Whil'st i am not criticising allergy treatments, i would like to talk to someone who has had it done for say a 12 month period to tell me whether it was beneficial to their health, or the emperors invisible set of clothes

Dave

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys,

There is little doubt that the rise in asthma is due to increased polution and it's chemicals which are blamed for this.

The public therefore perceive chemicals as being bad and carpets as a harbinger of such products along with dust mites .

Hard floors are perceived as being easier to clean which they are!

Personallly I wouldn't  routinely spray a carpet with insecticide or an enzyme based product  , there are other safer ways of reducing dust mites , one of the best being reducing the relative humidity.

I have for many years believed in using the minimum amount of chemicals  something which started when as an R&D chemist I became aware that supposedly safe quantities of chemicals were not in fact safe , just an industry agreed compromise.

Cheers

Doug

[AJCleaningServices]

...I wil try to find the link to info on mites and post it here

The following two / links should take you to asthma.org.uk website. 

The following is a quote from the first link: “Exposing young children to allergens such as cat fur and house dust mite does not increase the risk of them developing asthma, suggests a new study.”

...I have done a very good research and what I have found was that dust mites do not affect you no matter what health problem you have got, UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO THE "MITES"...

The following is a quote from the second link: “If you know house-dust mites trigger your asthma, you may be able to reduce some symptoms by following all the recommendations below. However, if your symptoms do not improve using these measures, there is no point in continuing them.”

...The best solution to combat dust mites is a steam cleaner...

The following link should take you to an abstract from a study done by Department of Immunology, University of Glasgow, it is calledThe use of domestic steam cleaning for the control of house dust mites.

You can do your own Google,
Regards,
Arthur

P.S.

Some time in the past I was thinking of adding mattress cleaning service to my business.  I have done a very good research and what I have found was that dust mites do not affect you no matter what health problem you have got, UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO THE "MITES".  The best solution to combat dust mites is a steam cleaner.
Regards,
Arthur

You've done some "very good research" Don't think so, what research have you done? Read a leaflet from a steam cleaner manufacturer!!

Using steam to eradicate dust mites only kills the mites on the surface of the mattress, what about the millions left inside, the second the temperature is reduced they will find there way to the surface and the cycle starts again.

Arthur I find the amount of rubbish you write as fact worrying, can you only post when you know what you are talking about, I for one don't need your opinion on every topic, especially as you are so new to the industry and aren't yet even cleaning carpets or exterminating dust mites.

GaryJ do not forget, you still have a solution to your problem, I would not post a link to it just now... 

[garyj]

AJ ( yawn), you said you had looked into steam cleaning mattresses, then post a link showing the effectiveness of steam on carpets. Don't you think a link to how well steam performs on mattresses would be more in keeping with your original post

[craigp]

some one said HWE does not kill dustmites the link arther posted says it does, well, does not say HWE though just a 'domestic steam cleaner' whats that?

does HWE kill mites or not?, surly turning up the temp would

i would have though prespray would kill them, bit of powerburst up there backside!

[Art]

I'd like someone to clarify aswell as i was under the impression that HWE disinfected carpets and killed dust mites.
So could someone tell me please as i'd not feel i was being professional if i misinformed any of my clients .

Arthur

[Spot On cleaning]

As i said earlier, the suction alone of say a truck mount, the heat and the pressure would remove them. Obviously this statement would not bode well with the allergy treatment people who have obviously spent a fortune on a licence to sell it in the first place.

Imagine going to a customers house who has this treatment, and telling them they don't need it as hwe would kill them.

They might as well be buying a handful of magic beans. : :

Dave

[Mark Roberts]

I have a feeling they are using a steam cleaner using 100c like the ones for gum removal. Which none of us use for general use.

[stevegunn]

I'd like someone to clarify aswell as i was under the impression that HWE disinfected carpets and killed dust mites.
So could someone tell me please as i'd not feel i was being professional if i misinformed any of my clients .

Arthur

Temperatures over 60 degrees centigrade and under freezing will kill them

[Art]

Thanks Steve, that's what i was always led to believe

[Spot On cleaning]

So can anyone tell me why they would need an allergy treatment. Talk about selling sand to arabs.

I will have to come up with a gimic.  I know, if i clean your carpets i will spray them with a product that makes them luminous at night time so they don't need lighting

Dave

[AJCleaningServices]

After reading a lot of article about dust mates I have came to a conclusion that no matter what you use to kill and clean dust mites they will "come back" much sooner then you would expect.

The best way to combat dust mites is to maintain your home clean (regular vacuuming) and allowing plenty of fresh air and the sun light into your house (do not cover your bed with the duvet).
 
Regards,
Arthur

[carpetclean]

anyone tried and tested the ozone machine  for dustmites and the like !?

[John Kelly]

Ozone in the concentrations required to have any effect on dustmites would have be done in a cleared house over a period of time.
Not really a viable option.

[Spot On cleaning]

I would like to ask the question whether there is a range of products for the diy market that people can treat their carpets with.

If there isn't, then why doesn't the suppliers of allergy treatments sell directly to the diy market, or is it just easier to let the carpet cleaners do all the donkey work. After all, if you suffer from asthma, you will try anything and as a carpet cleaner selling the product you have them somewhat over a barrel.

Another point is why a licence to apply the stuff? The same with Scotchguard. A licence fee in itself must be expensive.

Dave

[Ian Gourlay]

I have seen such a product in  Tescos.

You have to repeat every two weeks.


Last time I saw it was on the clearance shelf.

[carpetclean]

Ozone in the concentrations required to have any effect on dustmites would have be done in a cleared house over a period of time.
Not really a viable option.
john kelly
 thanks for that john obviously impractical when people want you in and out as soon as possible

[Alan Brooker. Aqualink Carpet Care]

I beg to differ. Ozonated water will kill all micro-organisms on contact. Why do you think it is used in food preparation plants (veg and meat), drinking water treatment and the like. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that something over 3000 times more powerful an oxidant than chlorine that blows cell wall apart rather than breaking them down isn't goimg to have to much of a struggle nuking dustmites, unless they've got NASA issue body armour . No offence John

All the best
Alan

[Ian Hare]

Very true Alan.
However, whether a glorified wallpaper stripper (steam), HWE or ozone is used it will only touch the tip of the iceberg, most mites will be far away from the surface of mattresses and upholstered furniture and unaffected by any such cleaning process.
There are very few mites in carpet, by comparison.

 A carpet though, will hold fall out of faeces from furniture and beds, which is the main concern, this is trapped in carpet fibres and held safely out of harms way, and is removable by cleaning and treatments.
Hard floors will allow it to be disturbed constantly making it airborne and in the breathing zone for long periods. Even the act of mopping etc a hard floor results in much disturbance causing most of the offending small particulate dust to be airborne and not removed.