Dyson: tackle dust mites, dirt and allergens.

Down in the dust lab: Dyson microbiologists tackle dust mites, dirt and allergens.

Getting rid of household dust is scientific stuff. It’s made up of bacteria, mould, pollen, dust mites and pet dander — most of it invisible to the human eye. But it triggers nasty allergic reactions. One in three people suffer from allergies in the UK.

Dyson is thought to be the only appliance manufacturer with its own in-house microbiology lab, analysing all things that make us sneeze. It is home to over 10 million dust mites which are studied and analysed to make life easier for allergy sufferers.

Dust mites are the number one cause of allergies in the home. On average, there are 1000 dust mites living in a square metre of household carpet. The lab allows engineers to develop vacuum cleaners that suck up particles as small as 0.5 microns, while expelling clean air back into the air you breathe.