I have severe allergies and my doctor said I have a strong reaction to dust mites. I have already bought special mattress covers and wash my bedding weekly but I am thinking about getting a Levoit air purifier for my bedroom as well. Will the purifier actually remove the mites themselves or just reduce the allergens they create? Since dust mites primarily live in bedding and carpet I am confused about how an air purifier that cleans airborne particles can make a real difference to my allergy symptoms. Should I be focusing on controlling humidity instead of cleaning the air or do the two things work together to reduce the mite population and my reactions? Any advice from fellow mite sufferers would be great.
Air purifiers with a True HEPA filter will not remove the live dust mites themselves because the mites are heavy and live on surfaces like your mattress and carpet. However the purifier is extremely effective at capturing the microscopic dust mite feces and disintegrated body parts which are the actual airborne allergens that trigger your severe allergic reactions.
The key is to run the purifier continuously especially when you are disturbing the bedding or walking on the carpet which kicks the allergens up into the air. Running the machine on a high setting for about thirty minutes after you make the bed or vacuum will ensure that all those airborne allergens are captured before they resettle.
You must understand that dust mites need humidity to survive. They thrive when the relative humidity is above 50 percent. The best strategy is to combine your air purifier for airborne allergen removal with a good dehumidifier to keep the humidity below 50 percent which helps kill off the mite population over time.
I am a severe dust mite allergy sufferer and using a Levoit air purifier in my bedroom has made the biggest difference in my nighttime symptoms especially when combined with allergen-proof bedding. I noticed far less sneezing and congestion because the machine removes the airborne triggers while I sleep.