Almost every home in the UK has unwanted lodgers - the common dust mite. You can't see them because they're so small, but left long enough, you will definitely start to notice their presence. And lots of people are allergic to them, with 20% of the population suffering from the little blighters.
The mites are often to blame for causing conditions like asthma and eczema, because their droppings cause an allergic reaction in some people. But there are ways to reduce the amount of mites in your home.
Simple measures like airing your bed, hovering your mattress and carpets daily, and opening your windows when you're cooking and cleaning can all help. Dust mites don't like being too cold, too hot or too dry, they love humid conditions like a snug bed or a cosy carpet.
To prevent the fiends getting too comfy, you can replace feather pillows and duvets with synthetic ones. You can also use cotton sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers to combat the crawlies. Vinyl flooring or floorboards will also put them off because they won't be able to nest in it the way they do in carpets.
Mites thrive on eating our dead skin cells, which we shed around 50 million of every day. So it's very important to hoover regularly and keep your house as dust free as possible. Once the summer arrives, you'll be able to get rid of even more of them because they don't like sunlight and they'll get blown away on the breeze if you leave your windows open.
If you think you may have an allergy to dust mites, you might be experiencing feelings of a tight chest, wheezing when you breathe, itchy, red skin or watery eyes. If you are, you should see your GP as soon as possible and try ridding the mites from your house by following the advice above.