Reduction of house dust mites and mite allergens: effects of spraying carpets and blankets with Allersearch DMS, an acaricide combined with an allergen reducing agent.

Two studies were made to determine the acaricidal and allergen reducing properties of Allersearch DMS solution. In Study 1, samples of dust and carpet containing living mites were treated, in vitro, with DMS solution. No living mites were found in dust after 3-4 min or in carpets 50 min after treatment. In Study 2, mite counts and allergen estimation made on bed blankets before and after spraying with DMS solution showed a marked reduction in mite numbers (95%) and allergenicity (100-fold). Mite numbers and allergenicity stayed at this low level for 6 weeks. At 16 weeks both mites and allergens showed a slight increase, but were still significantly (P less than 0.001) below pretreatment levels.