Fabrics like linens are the worst for dust mites, whereas tightly woven fabrics like silk can provide a great barrier. Silk bedding is great for allergies because it is tightly woven yet because it is a natural fibre it is still breathable.
Special fabrics like silk, organic cotton, and microfiber are your best bet against dust mites, while still remaining breathable enough to keep you cool while you sleep.
In order to enjoy a good night's sleep, free of dust mites and microbes, it's important to keep your bedding hygienically clean. You can help to do this by: Washing your bedding every week on a wash of at least 140°F, then drying it in a hot dryer. Replacing your bedding regularly.
Organic cotton, wool, and microfiber are all materials that make a good hypoallergenic sheet for fighting against a dust mite allergy.
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.
It's Hypoallergenic
If you have allergies, you may have experienced problems with dust mites while sleeping. Hypoallergenic materials are used to make eucalyptus sheets, which means they won't attract allergens. You'll be able to sleep soundly without being bothered by your allergies if you sleep on sheets like these.
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.
If you have a dust mite problem in your home, bedding—sheets, blankets, and bed covers—should be washed at least weekly in hot water (130 to 140 F) to kill the mites.
Bamboo bedding keeps your bed at a perfect temperature, which significantly reduces the chances of dust mites surviving. Bamboo rayon is both durable, soft and has the added benefit of protecting sensitive skin from rashes and other skin problems such as irritations and burning.
A general rule of thumb is that hot water—130 degrees Fahrenheit or higher—kills dust mites*.
Particularly with cold or warm-water washing, many mites die by drowning or are simply washed out of the substrate while still alive. In contrast, many newer washing machines are water-conserving front-loaders, in which the item is repeatedly wetted and spun, without it staying submerged in water.
Dust mites can live in the bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets or curtains in your home. Dust mites are nearly everywhere; roughly four out of five homes in the United States have dust mite allergens in at least one bed.
This special bedding (such as mattress covers) acts as a physical barrier that serves several roles: It keeps new dust mites from setting up residence in your mattress or pillow.
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.
If your mattress is not encased in a dust mite-proof case and you suffer from allergic reactions, you should vacuum your mattress at least monthly to reduce the number of dust mites. If the mattress has a dust-proof cover that is cleaned frequently, then a twice-yearly cleaning should be all that is needed.
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.
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. Excessive sneezing.
You may be able to tell you have dust mites in the home, by a continual round of some of the following allergic symptoms: Itchy nose. Stuffy or runny nose. Facial pain due to sinus pressure.
They love to burrow in your fabric and feast on your skin cells. And, for this reason, your bed is the perfect place to make their home. Unlike bed bugs, mites don't pose any significant health risks. However, dust mite proteins can trigger congestion, a run nose, watery eyes, and other allergic reactions.
Mop with vinegar.
Vinegar is highly acidic and will kill just about any mite that crosses its path.
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.
Lavender was the second most effective, and lemon oil the least, but still effective. STUDY RESULTS: Lemon Oil – 61% of the dust mites were immobile after 30 minutes and 80% were dead after 2 hours. Lavender Oil – 86% were immobilized after 30 minutes and 87% were dead after 2 hours.
Kill dust mites immediately with tea tree oil
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.