Dust mites are tiny little relatives of the spider. They’ll munch on the discarded skin cells that people and their pets shed daily. Getting rid of dust mites can be difficult because these microscopic arachnids can live in your carpet, sheets, bedding, mattresses, curtains, upholstery, and almost any cloth-like material in your home.
Although dust mites are not known to bite or harm humans they can cause allergic reactions in some people so some people can find relief by ridding their homes of both dust mites and dust mite feces and body parts.
These are actually the allergens created by dust mites. Keep in mind that it is pretty much impossible to completely eradicate dust mites from your home since they are microscopic.
However, you can implement some of the following strategies to prevent and reduce any dust mites already present in your house.
Humidity:
Attempt to reduce the humidity in your home to 50 percent or below by running your air conditioner or a dehumidifier. Dust mites thrive in a humid environment so create the opposite. If you go this route first attempt to bring the humidity in your bedroom down since this is where most dust mites congregate.
- Use allergen-impermeable covers for your pillows and mattresses if you are experiencing dust mite allergies. These plastic allergenic covers will help keep the dust out of your bedding.
Bedding:
Washing all your blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and bedding in hot water once a week will kill dust mites. Dry your bedding in a hot dryer as well to kill any dust mites that survived the wash cycle.
If you have bedding materials that are non-washable you can place the bedding in a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer overnight, this will kill dust mites as well.
This step alone often removes most dust mites in your home since mites typically congregate on your bedding since it can get the most food from these areas.
- Any bedding or clothing with wool or down can attract dust mites so you may want to replace such items with synthetic materials. Down pillows and bedding should be replaced every 6 months to 24 months because the after that time period they can gain up to fifteen percent of their original weight in dust mite waste.
- Removing or replacing carpet and placing tile, wood, or linoleum make is much more difficult to dust mites to find places to live in your home. The same thing goes for curtains and upholstered furniture. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to do this unless you’ve tried some of the above steps and you are still experiencing significant allergies.
- Use a mop or wet rag to clean up the dust from your floors. Vacuum carpeted floors and invest in a strong vacuum if your carpet does not seem to be getting cleaned well. You can find vacuums with specially designed filters to trap dust mite allergens. Look for HEPA filters or double-layered microfilter bags because these work best for trapping the dust mite allergens inside the vacuum cleaner. Change out your filter about once a year.
- When vacuuming, wear a mask to prevent inhaling too many allergens. You can also wait around 20 minutes to let the dust settle to re-enter the recently vacuumed room.
Pets
Groom your pets outdoors so that most of their dander stays out there. Remember dust mites will feed on your pet’s dead skin cells as well so you want to minimize this. Vacuum anywhere your pets like to hang out weekly and replace their bedding as well occasionally.
Professional Dust Mite Help
If you’re interested in professional dust mite control, you can answer a few questions below to get in contact with a few pest control professionals. Several companies will send you free quotes so you can compare prcies and save money.
I am at the end of my rope. My face is taking a beating. I haven’t said anything to anyone about what I think is happening to me because it’s kind of gross and embarrassing to talk to anyone about. I believe I have been the victim of a dust mites infestation for more than a year. I don’t know who or where to turn to. I am desperate for help . Help me please!
Nancy,
Thanks for visiting my website! You should really have a professional come and take perform an inspection for dust mites to make sure that is the issue. There are other things that people can sometimes confuse as a dust mite problem. We had one reader think they had dust mites because they were getting a rash but after further inspection it turned out they had mold problems in their home. Since this is affecting your health, please get a professional to come take a look. You can fill out a little information here (it is not just for termites!) and get a couple companies to contact you with free estimates and you can explain further what the problem is. Sometimes they can get a pretty accurate guess about what you are dealing with just from a phone conversation and then confirm with a professional inspection.
Is there any possibility that if you know you have a termite problem in your home that it can cause dust mites? I have termites that burrow through the ceiling in my living area and dust mites in another part of the house which is a corner bedroom? Any reply if helpful, thks.