Help please... think nearly all my orchids have spider mites.

[*Trouble*]

The bottom of the leaves on most of my orchids have a dusty looking residue, with spots of reddish dust. Some of the leaves have started to go yellow and few have already dropped off.
Never had a problem with my orchids before so didn't realise things had started to go wrong till nearly all the orchids were involved (mainly phals and dens).
Anyone know what I can use to get rid of the mites, anything I'd have in the house or could buy in a local garden store (in the UK)..?
My orchids all sit on my front windowsill, with radiators underneath (the only place light enough to let them grow well).
Any help/advice would be appreciated.

[Vanda lover]

Wash your plants well. You can use a soap based spray to spray them with. One of my favourite mixtures for insects is garlic and hot peppers put through the blender with some water. Strain it thought a coffee filter and add a few drops of dish soap. Keep an eye on them and spray again when needed.
Are you sure it's spider mites? Are there any tiny webs?

[Merlyn]

Use a 5x magnifying glass and you can tell if it's mites. I use Insectcide soap, there are different brands. It doesn't harm the plants as long as you don't put them in sunlight after spraying. I get a spray bottle of the stuff then a bottle of concentrate to refill it with later.

[silken]

If it is spider mites, keeping them warm and dry encourages the mites. That may be why they are showing up in numbers now near a heater and likely dryer air in the house in winter. Misting the plants will help control them until you are able to completely eradicate them.

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[Shirley]

I agree with silken, the dryness encourages spider mites. Wipe the back of a leaf with a damp wad of cotton and if it shows rusty pink it's probably mites. I use a cotton wad wet with isopropyll alcohol and wipe off all the leaves particularly the undersides. You'll have to keep at it for quite a while as they keep coming back. Is there any way that you can increase the humidity? Good luck!