Dyson 2022 dust study reveals potential Malaysia dust mite problem – here’s what you need to know

As a country, Malaysia attracts visitors from around the globe on account of its scenic attractions and decadently delicious food but the hot, humid climate also unfortunately attracts visitors of another sort that are tiny, silent, microscopic, teeming in the millions and which likely have already set up residence right this very minute in your own home.

While they go by many names, most of us know them colloquially as dust mites and as things go, the Malaysia dust mite problem is a potentially huge health issue. 

@hitechcentury Interesting facts about Malaysian cleaning habits from the latest Dyson Global Dust Study 2022 and what dust mites look like up close! #techtok #dysonduststudy #sembanggadget #v12detectslim #cleaning #dustmites #fyp #dyson ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

What are dust mites and why are they a problem?

Dust mites are relatively harmless on their own and primarily love living in damp and humid places like sofas and our beds which are warmed by our body heat.

They don’t bite and simply eat dead skin cells which we shed in profusion daily though they do look like nightmarish rejects from a canned Netflix horror flick under a microscope.

The problem here is that they poop out a ton of faeces with up to 20 ultra tiny faecal pellets a day which can cause a host of health issues including eczema, rosacea and dermatitis including the usual problems like itching, sneezing and runny noses. 

Add in the fact that the average home and bed can host thousands if not millions of them and you have a problem. For more in-depth details on Malaysia dust mites and dust mites in general, check out our prior feature on the dust mite problem where we interviewed one of Dyson’s foremost experts here.

What is the Dyson 2022 dust study and what is the Malaysia dust mite problem about?

As the world’s leading authority in cordless vacuums with a cutting edge array of offerings culminating in this year’s V12 Detect Slim which has a special laser that detects invisible motes of dust, it goes without saying that Dyson takes the science of cleaning in a dead serious fashion – they even have a special farm in the U.K dedicated solely to breeding dust mites for experiments. 

Their latest Dyson 2022 dust study investigates the cleaning habits and behaviours of different countries around the world and dives deeper into the impact  that household dust can have on our health. The comprehensive study, undertaken by 32,282 respondents from 33 countries across the world revealed several interesting facts on Malaysian cleaning habits and by implication the potential Malaysia dust mite problem.

The exhaustive Dyson 2022 dust study which covers the United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, KSA, UAE, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and India.

Malaysians are standing out in the study but in an entirely different fashion with 57% of surveyed respondents only motivated to clean their homes only when there was visible dust and dirt in 2022 compared to the 40% global average. And the rest of the statistics are even more colourful to say the least.

While 85% of Malaysians grasp the fact that household dust can contribute to health problems like asthma, only 26% were aware that dust mite faeces are a potential trigger for allergies.

The scary part? While a freshly made bed can look welcoming and pristine with 100 thread count sheets, it could be a potential dust mite megalopolis teeming with them in the millions living in the crevices between the mattress and in between sheets for months, laying eggs and creating multiple successive generations of dust mites.

Tellingly enough, 73% of Malaysians were not aware that dust mite faeces is the main trigger for allergies though only 45% are aware that dust mites are a contributing factor for allergies.

Another interesting factor is that in Malaysia, more than half of households own a pet and of these, 2 out of 5 Malaysians (35%) allow their furkids to sleep on their beds. While our furkids are precious, there is also a potential array of health concerns. According to the Dyson 2022 dust study:

• 8 in 10 pet owners are unaware that food residues can reside on their pets
• 7 in 10 pet owners are unaware house dust mite faeces can reside on their pets
• 7 in 10 pet owners are unaware that viruses can reside on their pets
•6 in 10 pet owners are unaware that bacteria and skin flakes can reside on their pets 

On the bright side and contrary to popular belief, pet hair doesn’t directly contribute to allergies but some allergies are triggered by allergens found in pet dander.

The study found that 7 in 10 pet owners in Malaysia only groom their furkid with a brush or comb and while this reduces the amount of hair shed, microscopic particles remain that can be spread around the home and potentially your bedroom. 

On top of dust mite faeces, other potential contaminants that are almost microscopic in nature can potentially cause allergies like bacteria, pollen and more all of which can accumulate not just on a mattress but all around the house too.

When viewed under a microscope, dust consists of an interesting assortment of dead skin flakes, hair strands, pollen, mould spores, bacteria, plant fibres and more. While it looks like a clod of dust to us, it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for Malaysia dust mites. In tandem with our hot and humid climate, it’s literally Valhalla for them.

How to deal with the Malaysia dust mite problem?

Seeing Malaysia’s hot and humid weather, our homes are a literal happy hunting ground for dust mites. What is the solution to dealing with dust mites and their literal crap?  Starving them off from their food sources.

To eliminate their food sources, you’ll need a sufficiently powerful vacuum cleaner that can pick up microscopic bits of dead skin, pet dander and the like. No dust means less dust mites and less dust mite faeces.

Unfortunately, simply mopping and wiping a floor isn’t going to do the job and you’ll still need a deep, thorough vacuuming of home surfaces including mattresses.

“Using a wet cloth to clean surfaces is fine, but the sequence of cleaning tools matter. Dampening dust on floors – even fine dust invisible to the naked eye – could mean that you’re creating a habitat  more favourable to dust mite and mould proliferation,” explains Monika, Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson.

“Dust is most effectively  removed with a vacuum cleaner first, before going on to wipe surfaces. Even then, it is important to  use a vacuum cleaner with effective filtration and sealing technology to ensure that whatever you  vacuum remains trapped and is not expelled back into the home,”  adds Monika.

Dyson Trade Up Promotion for Malaysia Details

To tackle the Malaysia dust mite problem effectively, you’ll still need to vacuum surfaces in the house first but not just any vacuum would do. You’ll need a vacuum with sufficiently powerful suction capable of sucking in all these tiny bits of debris and a sufficiently high quality filter to trap them in for disposal, which is what the new Dyson V12 Detect Slim is built to do from the ground up. 

Featuring Dyson’s own patented Hyperdimium digital motor, the V12 Detect Slim is able to generate a powerful 150AW of suction power to capture dust, debris and dead skin cells in a five-layered filtration system for a deep thorough clean. Better yet, the V12 Detect Slim has a special green laser attachment that detects tiny motes of dust that are typically undetectable to the human eye for a truly thorough clean. 

In Malaysia, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim is available from RM2,999 and can be purchased at the official online Dyson store at www.dyson.my , Dyson Demo stores at The Gardens Mall and Mid Valley Southkey, and Dyson Service Centre & Store – TTDI. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to pay full price as you can take advantage of the Dyson trade-up deal that is ongoing until 31st July 2022 where you can trade-in an old vacuum cleaner, purifier or fan of any make and in any condition at any Dyson Demo store to enjoy RM500 off the price of your new Dyson V12 series vacuum.

Alternatively, you can also purchase it only with the special promo code TRADE500 and enjoy the same RM500 trade-in offer at the online Dyson www.dyson.my store and pass over your old vacuum in at a later date. For more details you can check out our prior feature on the Dyson Trade-Up Deal for Malaysia here.