8 Ways To Get Rid of Dust Mites

Dust mites can worsen symptoms in people with indoor allergies. Some common ways to get rid of dust mites include washing and changing bedding regularly, removing dust, and maintaining low humidity in your home.

Dust mites don't cause allergic reactions because of direct contact, like a bite. They're an allergen because their waste products, such as feces, are left in dust.

These microscopic pests may cause allergy flares when you sit on a couch or rest in bed. Read on to learn how to get rid of dust mites and reduce allergy symptoms.

What Are Dust Mites?

Dust mites are tiny pests that look like insects and usually live in house dust. They like to eat flakes of dead skin, or dander, that people and pets shed. Dust mites are also linked to allergies and asthma.

Dust mites can technically live anywhere there's dust. You can usually find them in the following spots:

• Bedding
• Carpets
• Curtains
• Mattresses
• Upholstered furniture

Allergy Symptoms

Dust mites don't cause allergic reactions based on bites or stings. The reactions are due to inhaling proteins from dust mite feces or urine and decaying dust mite bodies.

Dust mites probably will not cause any issues if you're not allergic to them. They can spark an allergic reaction and make allergies and asthma symptoms worse in some people.

Allergy symptoms can include:

• Itching
• Rashes
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Swelling

How To Get Rid of Dust Mites

You can't completely eliminate dust mites. They may end up in almost all homes: Around 80% of U.S. homes have at least one bed with dust mite allergens.

Getting rid of dust mites isn't a one-and-done treatment. They come back, which is why regular cleanings are important. If you follow the tips below and still have allergy symptoms, it may be time to see an allergist. They can learn more about your allergies and provide treatment options.

1. Buy Toys You Can Easily Wash

Dust mites can affect soft toys. If you have children who play with them, consider only keeping toys you can throw in the washer and dryer.

2. Choose New Bedding

You can regularly clean your bedding, but some may be difficult to keep free of dust mites. Large, bulky duvet covers are often hard to wash. Consider swapping a duvet cover for a washable blanket or quilt.

Decorative bedding, such as bed skirts, throw pillows, and throw blankets, provide additional environments for dust mites to settle. You may want to skip these while making your bed.

3. Maintain Low Humidity

Humid environments—like a steamy bathroom—attract dust mites. Make sure the humidity inside your home is lower than 50%. Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to keep humidity inside your home low. You can also purchase a hygrometer to keep track of humidity levels.

4. Remove Carpeting

Carpeting is a breeding ground for dust mites. Carpet tends to catch and trap flakes of dead skin cells. Wall-to-wall carpeting attracts dust mites and is particularly difficult to clean. Consider replacing wall-to-wall carpeting with hard surface floors, including tile or wood.

5. Use Allergen-Proof Mattress and Pillow Covers

Allergen-proof covers can protect your mattress and pillows from a dust mite infestation. Covers with zippers that keep them tightly shut around your bedding trap dust mites and prevent them from multiplying. The dust mites inside the covers will eventually die, and others will be unable to enter.

It's still important to clean your bedding if you have allergen-proof dust covers. Be sure to wash your covers regularly.

6. Use a Damp Cloth To Remove Dust

Using a damp cloth to clean your house can efficiently remove dust by preventing it from escaping into the air and resettling in a different area. Use water or disinfectant to wet your cloth. Toss dirty clothes in the washer or shake out the collected dust outside your house.

7. Vacuum Often

Vacuum your carpet and upholstered furniture regularly to get rid of dust. Add double-layered microfilter bags or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to your vacuum to efficiently clean the dust off your carpet and upholstered furniture. Consider replacing your upholstered furniture, which attracts dust mites, with washable covers.

Vacuuming is not the most effective method of removing dust, but it can decrease dust allergy symptoms. If it makes symptoms worse, you may want to forgo this option.

8. Wash Your Bedding

Dust mites thrive in bedding. You shed flakes of dead skin on your bedding, which dust mites use as food. It's important to change and wash your bedding frequently.

One of the best ways to get rid of dust mites is to wash all your bedding—including sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and duvet covers—on a hot cycle of at least 130 degrees. If you can't wash your bedding in hot water, place it in the dryer for 15 minutes at 130 degrees.

You can also try freezing any unwashable items for 24 hours if you cannot wash or dry them. Freezing your bedding will not get rid of the allergens, but it kills dust mites.

A Quick Review

Dust mites are microscopic insects that eat skin flakes you and your pets shed. Dust mite allergy symptoms are your body's reaction to the dust mites' feces.

The best way to treat a dust allergy is to get rid of the dust where the pests hang out. Change and wash your bedding often, remove dust from upholstered furniture and curtains, and vacuum frequently.