This is a guest blog post by Amy Fowler.

Sorry mom, as skin-crawlingly creepy as it might seem, the reality is that we live side by side with dust mites every day.

Any soft and warm environment attracts them; carpets, sofas, curtains, beds, pillows and even our children’s soft toys. In fact, a mere single square yard of carpet can harbour around 100,000 mites.

Yet most of the dust mites in your home are probably living in your mattress. Anything from 100,000 to 10 million.

Thankfully, they are largely harmless. They don’t bite nor are they interested in our live bodies in any way. Instead they feed on the dead skin of us, our families and our pets; as well as bacteria, fungi and pollen. Yet this doesn’t mean they don’t cause their fair share of problems.

Dust mites and their droppings are the trigger of many allergies. Most of us suffer very little, if at all. But some of us suffer greatly at the hands of these microscopic creatures and their waste, and if our children are suffering too, it’s not unusual to feel as if it’s the dust mites that are in control of our life.

So what can we do about them?

Sadly, there is no way to get rid of dust mites entirely; we can only reduce their numbers.

Clean regularly – yes, we don’t merely clean so our home looks nice; it’s good for our health too! Vacuum at least once a week using a good quality vacuum. Dust first, so that the particles settle and can then be vacuumed up. And steam clean your carpets at least once a year.

Change your sheets weekly, and wash them on a high heat (at least 70C). While your sheets are in the machine, vacuum the mattress. You can’t get rid of the mites inside it, but ensuring the outside of the mattress is free of dust and dirt will make a difference.

Control temperatures – dust mites enjoy warm, humid climates. If you live in a hot climate, ensure to use air conditioning. Even if you live in milder parts of the world; try to wrap up warm rather than overuse your central heating.

If your home is humid, invest in a dehumidifier.

Use dust-mite proof covers – you can buy covers for both pillows and mattresses that reduce your contact with the mites. If you want good quality covers without breaking the bank, try shopping at a mattress discounters or budget beds stores; they will usually sell accessories such as this too.

Steam clean – anything that you can’t put in the washing machine, such as your sofa.

Remove your carpets – perhaps a drastic move, but for those who suffer badly with dust related allergies; laminate, tile or wood flooring can make a world of difference.

Use an air purifier – an expensive but effective remedy. Air purifiers help to remove the mites waste along with their food sources such as skin particles.

This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of The Original Factory Shop, who supply budget beds and other discounted household goods.

Alright!   Now that you have some goals set, let’s continue on and establish activities to help us ACHIEVE these goals!

To me, this is a fun part, because I get to decide HOW I am going to achieve my goals.  It just helps make them more real to me, and not just a dream.

So let’s get started!

Take a look at each of your goals.  Answer the question:  What do you need to do to achieve this goal?

At first, just brainstorm and write down anything that comes to your mind that you might want to do.  Then, go back and narrow down the list to about 3 or 4 activities that you can do, to achieve this goal.

Now these activities are not set in stone.  You can and probably will adjust, delete or add to these activities as you go along.  It is a good idea to go over your activities every so often, to make sure that you  are on track to achieving your goals.

Here is an example of one of my goals and activities:

Home (be clean and organized)

1.  daily and weekly cleaning chores:   Fly Lady is a really good source for helping anyone get rid of the clutter and have a clean house.

2. finish decorating our house.  I keep changing my mind, so I never get a decision made.  So I just need to sit down, decide and do it!

That goal for me is really simple.  I know what I want to do, and I know how to do it.  It’s just finding the motivation.

So, now it is your turn.  I would LOVE to know if you are going thru this goal-setting process with me!

Do you know how to fold a fitted sheet?

I sorta do… I”m not perfect, but it gets the job done and I can move on to the more fun things in my life.

I wanted to share this video, that I found from You Tube via one of my friends on Facebook,  teaching how to fold a fitted sheet correctly.

I did learn a version of this from my sister several years ago, but this person takes it even further and when your done, you can’t even tell it is a fitted sheet.

Enjoy!

It’s getting to be that time of year again – time for Spring Cleaning!  I personally think that a key to spring cleaning is to get rid of clutter.  Here are a few tips to help you get started.

• Before you bring in something new, take something old out.
• Make sure that everything has a place.
• If it’s too overwhelming, start with a small area to de-clutter.
• Put things away as soon as you are done with them.
• Use a cleaning routine.

These are just a few things you can do to help get rid of the clutter.  Even by spending just 10 minutes a day, you can be well on your way to a clutter free home!