But if that sounds like too much of an inconvenience to do before your morning coffee, a regular thorough vacuuming once or twice a month will also likely help. You can make a plan to do it every time you wash your bedding. Dust mites desire moist environments.
For the majority of people weekly vacuuming will keep dust under control. Other ways to combat dust: Wash at high temperatures. Using a 60 degree cycle for things like bedding, duvets and cushions will kill dust mites and denature allergens.
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.
Wash the bedding and dust covers with your regular detergent in warm water. To ensure that all of the dust mites have been killed, dry in an automatic dryer at a high temperature for at least 10 minutes.
Wash Your Bedding in Hot Water
Any temperature over 122 degrees Fahrenheit should suffice. This is the minimum temperature required to kill off bugs. Understandably, you can't haul your entire mattress into the washing machine, so make sure you use a removable cover on your bed for washing.
These can come from both animals and humans, found in mattresses, carpeted areas, lounging areas and furniture. Numerous dust mites have a short life span of 10-30 days.
Dust mites love to live in bedding as the body heat and perspiration we produce during sleep creates the perfect cosy environment for these microscopic opportunists to thrive.
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.
You can spray your mattress, pillows, carpets and soft furnishings with a gentle allergen-neutralising treatment like HomeCleanse. When used according to the instructions, it can reduce your exposure to allergens by up to 90%. Rather than killing the mites, HomeCleanse simply denatures the mite allergens.
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.
Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or a special double-thickness bag, which collects dust-mite particles and pollen. Standard paper bag filters may allow the stirred-up allergens to escape back into the room. Dusting and vacuuming stir up dust, making the air worse until the dust settles.
Reduce the places where dust mites can live.
Remove upholstered furniture or use furniture with smooth surfaces. Remove drapes and curtains. Cover mattresses and pillows with allergen encasements. Wash bedding in hot water (at least 120 degrees F) once a week.
Dust mites do not bite you or carry diseases, but their presence in your home, or even worse the bed where you sleep each night, can cause severe allergy issues including: Nasal congestion. Coughing or itchy throat.
Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in our pillows, furniture and carpets. They're not the same thing as bed bugs. To reduce your exposure to dust mites, follow these tips. First step, in terms of reducing dust mite exposure is to buy dust mite proof encasements for your pillows, mattress and box spring.
WASH PILLOWS OFTEN
Almost all pillows except foam ones can go in the wash. Just be sure they are fully dried to eliminate all leftover moisture. Since foam pellet and solid foam pillows cannot go in the dryer, they should be regularly vacuumed or periodically replaced.
House dust mites are translucent to white in color and have been described as “globular” in shape [3]. Although young bed bugs (called nymphs) are translucent to yellow before they have fed, once they have a blood meal they are red.
The CDC's top recommendations for avoiding dust mites includes using an allergen-proof mattress and pillowcase covers in addition to washing your sheets weekly.
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.
Predators. The predators of dust mites are other allergenic mites (Cheyletiella), silverfish and pseudoscorpions.
Although they may “hitchhike” on clothing, dust mites do not live on people. They feed primarily on dander, flakes of dead skin that fall from people and animals. Upholstered furniture, pillows and mattresses typically harbor more dust mites than carpeting.
By airing your bed in the morning, you are cooling down the sheets and as such making it a less hospitable environment for dust mites. If you make your bed as soon as you wake up, you trap this warmth which will enable dust mites to multiply and can lead to an increase in allergies.
The buildup of dust mites, along with mold and bacteria will lead you to want to change a mattress after seven years or so for reasons of health and hygiene.
Fortunately, an air purifier is great for dust removal, including dust mite allergens, and can help you breathe easier. An air purifier also prevents sickness by killing harmful airborne germs. Being exposed to dust mites at home on an ongoing basis can have a dramatic impact on your health.
If you can't put your mattress out in the sun and fresh air, baking soda is the next best thing. Sprinkle a layer over the entire top of the mattress and leave for several hours (or better yet, apply before an overnight trip). Baking soda will break down acid and absorb any remaining moisture or odor.