Wash your bedding regularly … Covers made of non-porous fabrics such as vinyl or plastic tend to be cheaper, and are highly effective. Founded in 1991, SES has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been awarded "Best of the Best 2017," “Top Rated Professional,” and “Elite Service Award" by HomeAdvisor. Pillows and mattresses are host to all kinds of things, including hair, dead skin and even dust mites. Reduce the places where dust mites can grow. Step 3: Wash the mattress in hot water. Be sure to ask your specialized mattress cleaner exactly what chemicals they are using to remove the dust mites, as some chemicals can cause adverse reactions based on allergies. Keeping dust and humidity down in your bedroom will help discourage mites from proliferating, and putting a filter in your central air will help keep them out of your home. By using our site, you agree to our. After the 15 minutes are up, vacuum up all of the baking soda from the mattress so that the dust mites are sucked away as well as the baking soda. The good news is, a little cleaning and reorganizing can do a lot to improve your mornings. Always wash and dry your sheets on the "hot" setting and replace your pillow if it is over two years old. Make sure to get one that zippers up and … For allergy sufferers, this is extremely important! If either of the above options listed are not working for you, it is best to bring in an expert to help you rid yourself of these pests. Flipping the mattress effectively … Here's how: 1. Scott McCombe is the CEO of Summit Environmental Solutions (SES), a family-owned local pest solutions, animal control, and home insulation company based in Northern Virginia. To prevent dust mites from clinging to your mattress, invest in a dust-proof mattress cover to protect it against dust mite allergens settling in. This may help reduce dust mites, though it hasn't been proven. If your mattress and pillows are still in good shape, consider giving them to someone you know who isn't allergic to dust mites. Compared to hiring professional pest control services, this is an easy and more cost-effective way to get rid of mattress dust mites. Dust mites eat skin flakes and dander, so your pet can make your problem worse. These work by blocking histamine, which is released when your … To make matter worse, 95% of the mites are found within 1.5 cm from the top of the mattress. Mix one cup of baking soda with a few drops of essential oil of your choice. There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Expert Interview. 1. Start by washing your sheets and bedding in water that's at least 130°F to kill the mites. Also, if you're allergic to dust mites, you're probably also allergic to pet dander. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. You are required to sprinkle a mixture of baking soda and an essential oil on the mattress and leave it for fifteen minutes. Then vacuum it all off using the hose … If you have a rug in your room, clean this regularly too, since dust mites tend to linger on fabric. If you’re looking for one of our top tips to killing dust mites that linger … We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. One more tip for people with old-fashioned, two-sided mattresses: You can kill off dust mites simply by flipping your mattress once a month (or more often). Spring Cleaning: Wash Everything & Treat Your Carpet With the Best Dust Mite Insecticides. Throw away old bedding and other soft surfaces. 2. Place the items in the washing machine and wash them with hot water and … Not only is it easy to help prevent the dust mites, but you can also get rid of them if you currently have them. These covers, made of tightly woven fabric, prevent dust mites from colonizing or escaping from the mattress or pillows. Meet the Somnox Sleep Robot: A Smart Sleep Aid for Better Rest, Your Guide to the Best Black Friday Mattress Deals, The Best Mattresses for RVs and Camper Vans, Top 7 Picks for Bed Basics and Sleep Accessories, How to Wash Sheets and Other Bedding Accessories, Buying Guide: Selecting the Right Mattress Size. A small portion of dust mites is entrenched within the mattress, while some may gather at the base of the bed. References. Improve Bed Hygiene. Our body sheds thousands of dead cells every day. When it comes to your pillows, mattress, and box spring it is not practical to wash … The best first step you can take ... 2. Rubbing alcohol. Removable mattress covers can also help to reduce an influx of dust mites and can be purchased at your local Mattress Firm store. Mix a cup of baking soda with a couple of drops of an essential oil of your choice. Wash regularly. They are known to live anywhere there is high humidity and a good source of food, making human mattresses and bedding the perfect spot. And, therefore, known to live wherever there are humans. Mix two cups of distilled water with two tablespoons of tea tree oil and two tablespoons of eucalyptus oil (which repels most bugs, including dust mites). Humidity promotes a warm and comfortable temperature for dust mites to thrive. It can take time, energy, resources and a good bit of patience to clean your mattress. Clean comforters and pillows 2-4 times a year. Clean your sheets and mattress regularly as well as employ some of the other action items listed above. How to Get Rid of Dust Mites in Your Mattress. Dust Mite Remedy for Pillows. Remove the pillowcases, sheets, blankets, and covers from your bed. Because you can't launder wall-to-wall carpeting, it can be hard to drive dust mites from it. Encase box springs in allergen-proof covers. Change your filter at least every three months, or whenever it seems dirty or clogged. [1] X Expert Source Scott McCombe Pest Control Specialist Expert Interview. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 27,819 times. Starve the Enemy. Here's the good news. Wash your bedding with hot water weekly. When working to remove dust mites from your mattress, remember that they can also live in your sheets and pillow as well. Dust mites are small creatures that become a large problem quickly, so it is best to tackle this problem head-on. Dust mites are incredibly small insects (almost impossible to see with the naked eye) that feed on flakes of shed human skin. … These vacuums often have extra features such as UV light to kill mites and powerful motors to eliminate mite fragments. Dust mites … Wash your bedding in extreme temperatures. You can also get rid of them on surfaces with a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Wash them in water that is at least 130 °F (54 °C). Do Not Make Your Bed. Using a vacuum without a HEPA filter can actually worsen your problem, spreading the dust mites from one surface to another. For an effective and breathable option, consider a microfiber polyester cover, a cotton cover with a laminated nylon layer, or even a very tightly woven cotton cover with a high thread count. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Remember, dust mites are only a problem for people who are allergic to them. Mix a cup of baking soda with a couple of drops of an essential oil of your choice. Use a dehumidifier to keep levels below … For more tips, including how to prevent dust mites from getting back into the air after you have vacuumed, read on. Dust mites are microscopic, insect-like pests that live in house dust. Flip your mattress and repeat these steps for the other side. Scott McCombe. Keep your mattress and pillows in dustproof or allergen-blocking covers. Removing Dust Mites In Bed. Cooler temperatures will not kill off the mites. Then simply sprinkle baking soda on the mattress and let it sit for 15 minutes. 7 expensive beauty products you can make yourself. Dry your bed linen in the dryer. How can I naturally get rid of dust mites? I was happy to find a few things that will help. There are a number of different types of mites including dust mites, spider mites and rodent mites, all of which can bite humans and live on a variety of different fabrics. I decided to see what I could do to help prevent and get rid of dust mites. Wash your bedding with hot water every week to get rid of dust mites. This flies in the face of everything your parents tried to instill in you. Use dust mite spray… We use cookies to make wikiHow great. This article has been viewed 27,819 times. Dust mites can be found all over your bedding. Talk to your doctor about the following treatment options for dust mite allergies: Over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamines. While you can't completely eliminate dust mites from your home, you can significantly reduce their number. Kill mites by cleaning your bedding in hot water, and buy cases for your mattress and pillows. A handheld dust mite vacuum (see Amazon) can, therefore, be an effective and convenient tool to get rid of dust mites in your mattresses. Without knowing it, you could be sleeping with possibly millions of dust mites in bed. Some people sprinkle baking soda on their mattresses and rugs and then vacuum it up. If you're allergic to dust mites, you probably wake up every morning wishing there were something you could do to get rid of them. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Get-Rid-of-Dust-Mites-in-Your-Mattress-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-Rid-of-Dust-Mites-in-Your-Mattress-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Get-Rid-of-Dust-Mites-in-Your-Mattress-Step-1.jpg\/aid9856117-v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dust-Mites-in-Your-Mattress-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"