Allergy
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Comparative Study
Reduction of the mite-allergen reservoir within mattresses by vacuum-cleaning. A comparison of three vacuum-cleaning systems.
Mattresses are considered to be the main source of house-dust-mite (HDM) allergen. This study aimed to investigate different types of vacuum cleaners for their ability to reduce this allergen reservoir. Three types of vacuum cleaners were examined: a conventional vacuum cleaner, a water-trap cleaner, and a central vacuum cleaner. ⋯ Since the number of mattresses in the investigation was low, and niche formations of group 1 HDM allergen within the mattresses were observed, the results must be interpreted with caution. Furthermore, allergen-producing living dust mites were not affected by this method. However, intense vacuum-cleaning seems to reduce considerably the level of the mattress-bound mite-allergen reservoir, a fact which may be important in mite-allergic and mite-exposed families.