Dust mites are a terrible and sinister pest. They are not visible, but they are everywhere, almost in every house! You will never know that they live in your sheets until you get an allergy starting up. Do you suffer from nasal congestion and a runny nose but don’t have a cold? Have you got a body rash, watery eyes, and diathesis but you don’t have a food or pollen allergy? Perhaps house dust mites are to blame. How do you get rid of dust mites?
Here you’ll find a 5-step strategy to get rid of dust mites, based on entomologists’ advices. You can reduce the amount of dust mites in your house to a minimum so that they don’t cause an allergic reaction. To help you choose dust mites control products, we have studied the most effective ways to eliminate them.
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So, you should devise a plan to successfully eradicate dust mites. What steps are to be taken? Some of these steps may seem extreme, but don’t despair! If you are dealing with heirlooms, you may have to seek out specialty cleaners for such items, but your comfort and health is worth the expense.
Do you want to learn more? Read our detailed guide about the biology of dust mites and measures you should take to eradicate them in the house. A review of products will help you purchase the proper item.
Carelessness is one of the main problems, causing an initially harmless allergy to transform into chronic asthma.
Bronchial or chronic asthma in most cases is caused by the delayed treatment. The mutation and destruction of the respiratory system begins. This can be observed once dyspnea appears.
Asthma attacks (even lethal ones) are instigated either when you interact with an allergen or are loaded with heavy physical activity. Why is this happening?
The most common reason for that is that everyone thinks that this will never happen to them. Many believe that if they don’t eat spoonfuls of sugar and eat a healthy diet they won’t have an allergy. While those things are great for you, allergies can develop overtime, with our bodies becoming more and more sensitive to certain things. But the disease can actually develop even if you do not come in contact with the allergens.
The second mistake occurs when people suspect that they have an allergy and begin treating its symptoms. They use splattered vasoconstrictor drops when they have stuffy nose and think that everything is in order. When they have too much of allergenic food, they take antihistamines and feel excellent.
Eliminating the symptoms is not only useless for treating the disease itself, but is also a way to aggravate it to a point of no return. Allergy: is defined as an immune system response in the body to a substance it has become hypersensitive to.
Nasal congestion at night, snot and sneezing and a dry cough are the main symptoms of such allergy. The main criterion is that they occur at night. If you notice that in the morning after waking up you have a stuffy nose, and in the afternoon you breathe freely, it is a clear sign of a dust mite allergy.
Another symptom is the skin reaction: it can itch or redden. You may also find that your eyes are red and watery.
According to CNN, not only you but also your cat or dog can be allergic to dust mites. Its manifestation is similar to human allergy, as the symptoms include scabies, skin redness and sneezing and last all year-round, peaking in spring.
In addition, few people know that if you let your pets sleep with you, it provokes an even greater increase in dust mites.
Dust mites (also called bed mites) are one of the most perilous allergens of the modern world as they are very insidious and invisible. And unfortunately, each and absolutely every single one of you has some at home. The only exceptions are rooms with no upholstered furniture, kept as clean as operating rooms.
It is almost impossible to notice it as the size of dust mites is just 0.1-0.5 mm. According the EPA, they live in pillows, blankets, mattresses, upholstered furniture and even children’s toys. Dust mites prefer highly humid areas with an average temperature of 18-25 degrees.
According to The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, “House dust mites feed on human skin scales, pollen, fungi, bacteria and animal dander. Dust mites do not drink free water, but absorb water from the air and the environment”. This is why it is critical to reduce bedroom humidity (we’ll focus on that in the “Air Purifiers” section).
The scariest thing is that dust mites will always have something to feed on, as every human being disposes daily of about 1.5 grams of dead skin.
Mites leave behind some feces, which contain Der f1 and Der p1 proteins which the human skin. Contact with these feces can cause strong allergic reactions including eczema and dermatitis.
Sad as it is, you can’t get rid of dust mites fully. But, with an effort, you can reduce the amount of dust mites in your house to a minimum so that they don’t cause an allergic reaction. If you also suffer from dust mite allergies, like me, you may find it daunting trying to tackle their elimination. These allergens are literally “invisible” but can be very scary when you have sensitive family members, which I also have.
In my experience the most important steps to Eliminate Dust Mites are cleaning out all the old stuff, carpets, blankets. Cleaning and dusting the room thoroughly and regularly. Make sure that dust collectors and soft surfaces that cannot be washed are at a minimum. Investing in a proper air purifier is also so helpful. To help you choose the best control products, we have studied the most effective ways to kill dust mites.
You should always begin with the most impactful measures. You might have your grandmother’s rug, or feather pillows, which have never been cleaned and your old childhood quilts, but you will have to remove precious items from your bedroom and cleaned thoroughly. After they have been professionally cleaned you can test items back in your room to see if they cause you any issues, Otherwise enjoy them elsewhere in your house or send them along to someone else to enjoy. Or throw it all away and take the opportunity to redecorate your room, it could be bonus!
By the way, the lifespan of many objects is shorter than you think. According to various sources, pillows are supposed to serve from 2 to 5 years, blankets serve 5 years, and a mattress can serve a maximum of 10 years. Therefore, you only have two options: either to use these “relics”, or to take care of your health and replace them in a timely manner.
Having got rid of all the old things, it’s high time you do the “spring cleaning”. There is no need to prolong the process. First, the mites will be less likely to move in somewhere, and second, you need to decide and do everything at once.
Cleaning, the second step, involves a lot of work, so be prepared for a thorough clean-up.
According to the information from the entomologists from the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension, the most common habitat for the mites is in thick carpeting, heavy curtains, fabric covered furniture, beds, and pillows.
While the curtains and pillows can be dry cleaned, the mattresses can be covered with special encasements (see Step #4 for more details), what is there to be done with the carpet if you really don’t want to throw it out? You’ll have to thoroughly get rid of dust and house dust mites inhabiting it.
The scientists agree that the best dust mite control for carpet is cleaning it, specifically with a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner rather than a usual canister vacuum cleaner. Regular vacuums let the dust particles back out in the air while the HEPA filter ones retain the carpet contents within a container and only exude filtered air.
After you have vacuumed your carpets, I recommend a steam clean, you can rent steam cleaners at your local hardware store. or you can have a company come in and do it for you, Bonus they also can do furniture pieces. So your house will be allergen free in no time!
We’ll elaborate on HEPA when we move on to Step#3, and now we’ll describe the acaricides, which are ready-to-use products for treating carpets.
Before picking the best items, let’s talk about the active ingredients used in acaricides, i.e. the insecticides aimed at killing the dust mites and the allergens they produce.
The scientists warn that their effect is temporary and claim that it is both regular vacuuming and other measure that are most useful. The products’ contents vary and so acaricides’ active ingredients may range and include:
We’ll give more detailed information about them, and will elaborate below on the products which contain these chemicals and the use of which has been approved by the scientists.
Benzyl Benzoate
This chemical compound is widely used for killing different kinds of ticks: mange ones, dust mites etc. The entomologists claim that benzyl benzoate is one of the active ingredients used in the products registered for house dust mite control in U.S.
This fact is encouraging and gives an indication of the high efficiency of benzyl benzoate as a chemical with acaricidal properties.
Tannic Acid
Tannic acid is an organic acid, but no global research proves that tannic acid is 100% effective against dust mites. Certain scientists, however, assure that it is capable of reducing the number of dust mites and allergens.
There is, still, a disclaimer: it only denatures surface allergens, hence the temporary effect. Soon the weakened allergens are replaced with dust and new ticks from the depth of your carpet or mattress.
Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate (DOT)
Some of dust mite control products also contain such active ingredient, as disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT), which is a boron compound.
According to the specialists, “DOT kills mites in carpets and sofas, and, combined with vacuuming, effectively reduces total mites in carpets and mite allergen levels in carpets and sofas”. DOT advantage is that the toxicity of this compound is so low that it can even be used in schools.
Bio-enzymes
Most of the liquid carpet cleaners leading the Household Carpet Cleaners & Deodorizers category on vaguely mention such active ingredient, as bio-enzymes. In some cases, the formula isn’t even revealed. We haven’t been able to confirm with the specialist the kind of influence the enzymes which the cleaners contain have on dust mites, if any at all.
Dust mites are invisible to the naked eye, which is a significant complication. Therefore, only the allergy victims can rely on their perception after using such cleaners to judge their value.
One thing the scientists are unanimous about is that even if you use any kind of acaricide, you have to be cautious! They can further aggravate allergies for some of the patients!
The use of acaricides when eliminating dust mites alone won’t be satisfyingly fruitful. Vacuum cleaning is a must as the allergens are found in dust mites’ corpses and should there be removed.
It is the combination of artificial chemical treatment and vacuuming that will help you reduce the amount of allergens in the carpet.
Let us warn you beforehand that this is a difficult job to take up as the carpet will usually collect most of the dust at home. However, if you feel determined enough, here is the list of acaricides which are considered to be the most effective means of eliminating the mites.
We’ve listed several acaricides with truly active ingredients, as proven by the scientists. Most of them are powders which require subsequent vacuuming. Be warned, though, that the powders are not to be used with bagless vacuum cleaners.
According to the customer reviews, fine powder particles can clog all of the device filters. It is better to use such products combined with canister vacuuming and remember to insert a new bag inside right before carpet cleaning and dispose of it immediately after the process is finished.
The manufacturer is being very tight-lipped when listing the contents of this carpet powder for Check current price, but with the help of the U.S. National Library of Medicine Household Products Database information,, we’ve been able to learn that the active ingredient is benzyl benzoate.
Glade universal powder is promised to remove any odors from the carpet and to refresh it. Benzyl benzoate is supposed to help combat the dust mites. As per the manual, you have to spray the powder over the carpet, wait a bit and carefully vacuum to remove any debris. As a person with allergies I would be careful with any fine powder product especially anything heavily scented, which can cause me to have wheezing. But perhaps you are willing to give it a try.
Price: Check current price
Even though tannic acid can only reduce dust mites and neutralize their allergic waste, X-Mite is capable of much when combined with other dust mite control.
Your allergies may improve with this product in conjunction with full bedding encasements, weekly hot water bedding laundering with anti mite additive and dusting and vacuuming and an air purifier. To use try shaking the bag side to side to disperse fairly evenly, especially after “Brushing” in.
The manufacturer recommends conducting clean-up once in 90 days or more frequently if a high allergen concentration can be observed. Be guided by your well-being and your allergy reactions as the dust mites breed.
Price: Check current price
Finally, we present to you the least toxic item of all mentioned here carpet cleaner products, DustMitex spray for Check current price which is based on the DOT boron compound.
It is universal and will do for treating the entire house and removing fleas in house ans dust mites on the furniture, mattress, carpets and your pets’ beds. Its huge advantage is the double use of it:
The users claim that the product doesn’t begin working immediately, and the effect is instead cumulative, so make sure you have a treatment schedule, about every 2 weeks, for instance.
The effect (quite a decent one, by the way) will show if you are patient enough. The good thing is that it is harmless for people and pets so you can use it whenever necessary.
Many allergy patients avoid acute asthma attacks instigated by the dust mites thanks to this product. We’ll remind you that DOT is a compound that is has such a low level of toxicity that is permitted for use in schools.
Price: Check current price
As we’ve explained earlier, the scientists reassure that HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter vacuum cleaner is the most appropriate vacuum cleaner for allergy patients. We agree with them as you deserve the strongest dust mite protection, don’t you?
That’s why below we’ll enlist the best selling vacuum cleaners with HEPA filter. but first, let’s figure out why is HEPA so effective? What is the idea behind it?
HEPA isn’t a brand, but a filter type. The main purpose of HEPA filters is to hold not only large and small, but also very fine particles of dust and other allergens away from the air stream. In other words, it does something with which ordinary vacuum cleaners do not cope, because their filters function differently from HEPA. Compare:
The HEPA filters are not represented by a single type of filter, but 5 different ones which differ in accordance with their effectiveness. They are classified according to one and only criterion: the less fine particles manage to return back in the air flow after entering the filter, the higher the class is.
That’s why HEPA 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (14 being the most powerful HEPA filter – see the chart below for more information) are distinguished. The international standards presume that fine particles about 0.3 microns in size are used for testing such filters.
| HEPA-Fiilter Class | % of fine particles of about 0.3 microns in size retained by the filter |
| HEPA 10 | up to 85% |
| HEPA 11 | up to 95% |
| HEPA 12 | up to 99.5% |
| HEPA 13 | up to 99.95% |
| HEPA 14 | up to 99.995% |
Not all of the vacuum cleaner manufacturers specify HEPA filter class of a particular item, as it is the retention rate which is usually listed. With the help of our chart you’ll be able to determine the filter class on your own, or you can always ask the seller for the specifications on this aspect.
Naturally, the filter class affects the price of the vacuum cleaner: it is highly likely that more affordable models will be equipped with a HEPA filter of a lower class.
Despite being extremely effective, sooner or later, HEPA filters will require replacement as even though you can wash them, you won’t be able to wash away the finest dust particles from it.
Moreover, larger particles contribute significantly clogging the filter; in case the pre-HEPA filters in the vacuum cleaner omit them and they pass on to reach the HEPA filters.
That’s why timely filter replacement is not a waste of money but an investment into your health and cleanliness of the house and is definitely worth it.
The reviews of the customers which suffer from allergies and who are thus most sensitive to the dust level, dust mite or other allergens’ presence indoors, attest to this.
Most of them had no idea they were allergic to dust or dust mites until they replaced their regular vacuum cleaner with a HEPA one and noticed that such morning (and familiar for them) symptoms, as runny nose and sneezing are gone.
The right approach to deep carpet and furniture cleaning will help the allergy sufferers to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks, get rid of skin reactions etc.
Several best selling vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters compete for being the best one. Note that all of them are upright vacuum cleaners which are recommended by the scientists.
To put it simply, such a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner will ensure that the air remains pure after the cleaning and you won’t have to wait a couple of hours for the dust to settle in order to breathe easily in the room. This is an immense advantage for both allergy patients and healthy users of the product.
FYI: All the models are bag-less, so you’d better not combine them with carpet powders as small powder particles will clog these vacuums’ filters. That’s why you have two options:
Now that you’re familiar with the best selling bag-less HEPA models, you’ll also be able to pick a horizontally-discharging canister cleaner in the Household Vacuum Cleaners category.
At the moment this is the best mattress protector. It is made of hypoallergenic cotton and protects against dust mites, bacteria, fluid and allergens while it costs: Check current price.
It seems that in this case the manufacturers have taken into account everything that can possibly disturb anyone’s sleep, including the sleep of those who are allergic to dust mites (they claim that their “quality of life is much better now“) and those who suffer from asthma, eczema and other skin problems as well as those who sleep in the same bed with children, animals or like to eat there.
There is no point in praising it any more, as everything has already been mentioned in the feedback.
This set of hypoallergenic pillow cases and covers for Check current price will be the perfect complement to the previous mattress cover. The pillowcases come in standard sizes (you can even find king size), and are fastened with a zipper.
It is made of special breathable polyester, which does not cause discomfort during sleep and will lock away all of the potential allergens. Allergy patients confirm that their night sleep has improved, and they give a lot of valuable tips, for example, regarding washing these covers. Read all of the tips.
Allergy patients are confirmed to feel noticeably better once they switch from a feather pillow to a padded polyester one. It costs Check current price.
Here we come to the last and most important step. Now that older dusters are thrown away, the rooms are cleaned, mites are poisoned, the bed is new and safe, you are able to do something that unfortunately, was impossible for our ancestors to fulfill.
With the help of modern engineering, you can reduce the humidity in the room, kill the dust mites in the air and purify the air you breathe.
Remember! It is very crucial to reduce high humidity, as it is in the humid air where dust mites multiply fastest. Therefore, choose an air purifier without a humidifier and with a UV lamp!
Here is today’s best model, a #1 Best Seller in HEPA Filter Air Purifiers which complies with all of our requests. This purifier is equipped with powerful filters and a UV lamp which kills the germs around.
It can also remove a very wide range of odors and is quite compact.
For more details on how to choose the right air purifier, refer to: “5 Best Air Purifiers for Allergies”.
Summarizing!
Allergies are no joke and you can’t ignore them. Disregarding them can lead to chronic issues. That’s why we recommend you to consult a doctor. Allergy lab tests will help diagnose you correctly.
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Good post. I'm facing many of these issues as well..
Even if you are not allergic to dust mites, and you have not seen ticks in the house, I recommend Hypoallergenic Mattress Protector. If you suddenly find ticks in the house, your sleeping place will be protected. And also protect you from bedbugs and other pests.
Read this article as my doctor just diagnosed me with an allergy to dust mites, I cleaned everything last week and have a dachshund that sleeps with me. My heart will break if he can't sleep wirh me, I am in agony, all rashy on my back, severe sinusitis from it all, what can I do to eliminate the dust mite population on my dog?? I am starting the intense cleaning process, but is it all a list cause wirh keeping the dog in the bed?
HINT Discovered that dust mites was the cause of my daily morning sniffles besides small, spotty, red sores around my ankles and waistline. So glad I found this posting, bought the air purifier, big help! Have to vacuum almost every other day! Working on cleaning my carpets with suggested products. FYI: Have found that a simple, odorless, inexpensive spray of hydrogen peroxide on furnishings, beddings and itchy spots helps temporarily!
I just moved to a new beautiful home. Soon after moving in, I began to notice itching afterndxred marks/rash on my arms afterndxred feet especially. I wake up with congestion. The previous owners left the air conditioner on when we moved in and voluntarily cleaned the carpets.
There were at least 10 hypo allergenic filters for the air conditioner left afterndxredndnd the home so I'm pretty sure they had this problem before we moved in. My question is, if I remove the carpet will it help?
Is it possible to kill dust mites without insecticides?
Thanks! I used to think that dust mites mostly prefer carpets and kept forgetting about cushions. Now I noticed that it’s easier to breathe if I dry clean them regularly. Actually, I also treat furniture with DustMitex spray, my neighbor who has the same problem recommended it to me. But I understand that if I want to get rid of them at least temporarily, I need to make more efforts.
I think I won’t ever be able to kill dust mites! At least my symptoms won’t pass, I keep on sneezing. Change your bed sheets often and beat the cushions, it helps partly. In my case insecticides didn’t really solve the issue.
In general you can, if you have a good hepa vacuum cleaner and if you are ready to clean regularly. You still won’t be able to get rid of dust mites completely as they breed quickly, but a complex approach will guarantee better results. So you’d better do something about them. If you are not allergic, go for dusts. Stay healthy!
With so much increase in pollution and polluted gases disease like asthma, allergies, and skin problems like eczema has increased rapidly. But air purifiers are a way to prevent yourself from getting these diseases. I vacuum my entire house with my air purifier, it has given me amazing results, i got it from a local company
Great article, thanks for the product tips, does anyone know of a mattress that can prevent dust mites. I am in the market for a new mattress and already doing all the above steps? Thanks again
It turned out that I have been allergic to dust mites, but I understood it only after reading this article. This is a shock for me! I am confused about how to get rid of dust mites. Where should I begin?
Getting rid of dust mites is an important task – as dust mites mostly live in carpets, mattresses, and furniture, it’s better to begin with these “dangerous zones”. Here is what you should do: first of all, clean your apartments and get rid of the dust, and then clean your bed. In your situation, it’s better to protect a mattress with a special cover, otherwise dust mites will multiply and disturb you.
Please say how to get rid of dust mites in bed if my cat often sleeps with me?
If your pet sleeps with you, this doesn’t influence how to get rid of dust mites. When it comes to getting rid of dust mites out of a bed, firstly you should think about how to protect the mattress. It can contain dust, parts of skin, dandruff, hair of people and animals – it’s a perfect environment for dust mites. To avoid this, place your mattress into a protective cover and change bed linen as often as you can. The same with the pillows: choose anti allergenic pillows and covers for them – and then you can let your pet stay in bed!