Tea tree oil has a range of household uses, one of them being an effective yet natural pest control. This natural oil has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties and when made into a spray can effectively treat dust mites on a range of furniture.
Essential oils contain compounds that repel or kill insects, including dust mites. The best essential oils for getting rid of dust mites are clove, rosemary, and eucalyptus oil. Add 20 drops of oil to four ounces of witch hazel, and spray your mattress, couch, drapes, and other dust mite hangouts.
Wash bedding regularly
A temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes kills dust mites, according to one study.
Use Diatomaceous earth to destroy dust mites
Diatomaceous earth is a natural fine powder made from silica rock that you can sprinkle on surfaces where dust mites live (beds, pet beds, furniture, carpets...) to kill them. It works by piercing their exoskeleton as they pass through it, which will kill them instantly.
Though too small to see with the naked eye (only about . 33 millimeters long), dust mites are easily visible through even a cheap microscope. You can pick up an inexpensive microscope from any store that sells toys, a hobby store, or a thrift store and use it to discover whether your home has dust mites.
You cannot feel dust mites crawling on your skin. The allergic symptoms are caused by inhaling the microscopic fecal matter and shed skins. The dust mite feeds on shed human and animal skin cells.
Three most important functions to human life are heartbeat, breath and sleep. An active allergy to house dust mites (HDM) can interfere with breath and sleep. Wheezing, sneezing or itching, caused by an allergic reaction, is a known risk to sleep.
Dust mites occur naturally and can appear in nearly all homes. Humidity is the most important factor in determining whether a house has high levels of dust mites. This is because dust mites do not drink water like we do; they absorb moisture from the air.
Use a HEPA air purifier for dust removal. You need a high quality HEPA filter with sufficient air flow to effectively clean your room so you are not breathing in the dust mites and whatnot. Cover your pillows and mattress in an allergen cover.
Dry vacuuming doesn't pick up dust mites. Consider steam cleaning carpets when possible. In addition to cleaning the carpet, the heat of the steam kills dust mites. You can buy chemicals (ascaricides) that kill dust mites and that you can use on carpeting and furniture.
Keep your mattress and pillows in dustproof or allergen-blocking covers. These covers, made of tightly woven fabric, prevent dust mites from colonizing or escaping from the mattress or pillows. Encase box springs in allergen-proof covers. Wash bedding weekly.
Wash bedding weekly.
Wash all sheets, blankets, pillowcases and bedcovers in hot water that is at least 130 F (54.4 C) to kill dust mites and remove allergens. If bedding can't be washed hot, put the items in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at a temperature above 130 F (54.4 C) to kill the mites.
Use a high-temperature steam-cleaner to kill mites effectively. Products are available that can be sprayed on carpets to kill mites; these are effective but should be used with care if you suffer from respiratory symptoms, and should not be used in areas where children play on the carpet, or on soft toys or pillows.
Use a tea tree oil/eucalyptus spray - According to TheOrganisedHousewife.com, regularly dropping a few drops of tea tree oil or eucalyptus spray into your laundry will kill dust mites. Tea Tree Essential Oil is a natural antiseptic, antibacterial, and deodorizer.
Results. In the laboratory experiments more than 80% of mites were killed after immersion in 0.2% and 0.4% solutions of eucalyptus oil for 30 and 60 minutes (Fig. 1).
Since dust mites are so minuscule, you need a magnifying instrument to see them, such as a microscope. When you put them under the glass, though, you'll see that these critters look very similar to little multi-legged arachnids, like spiders. Let's not forget that dust mites are descendants of the arachnoid species.
Predators. The predators of dust mites are other allergenic mites (Cheyletiella), silverfish and pseudoscorpions.
Spray Lysol on dust surfaces to kill dust mites
After cleaning dust surfaces with a vacuum, apply and spray Lysol on your furniture and fabrics.
Dust mites live and multiply easily in warm, humid places. They prefer temperatures at or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity of 75 to 80 percent. They die when the humidity falls below 50 percent.
When a person who is sensitive to the dust mite breathes in these particles, they can cause allergy symptoms, including sneezing, coughing, runny nose, congestion and itchy, watery eyes. Dust mites can also cause asthma symptoms, such as coughing or wheezing.
Allergies often get worse at night as laying down increases congestion and common allergies like dust mites thrive in your bedroom. To reduce symptoms, try showering before bed, washing your bedding regularly, and sleeping with your head elevated.
Allergen levels are at their highest between May and October, the peak breeding season of house dust mites. Most of the mites die during the winter, but the allergen-containing dust is stirred up by heating systems. This often causes the symptoms experienced by affected patients year-round to worsen during the winter.
Joining you in bed are countless dust mites and bacteria, not to mention lots and lots of your own dead skin. Dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says you should wash your sheets at least every two weeks — maybe more, depending on factors like whether you live in a warm climate and whether your pet sleeps in your bed.
To a dust mite, your pillow is heaven, filled with the tasty dead skin cells that they love to feast upon.