Dust mite allergens are proteins contained in dust mite poo, their secretions and their body parts. If you don't want to sneeze or wheeze then you need to get rid of not just the dust mites but what they leave behind. That's hard when dust mites live in our mattresses, pillows, bedding, furniture and clothing.
Some people swear sunlight will rid your clothes, carpets and bedding of dust mites, but allergy researcher at the University of Sydney, Euan Tovey, says it's not a straightforward solution. He says leaving your rugs or carpets in the sun to 'bake' for three hours will kill all the dust mites, but it won't get rid of the poo, secretions and body parts — the allergen.
Dust mites and allergens can be removed from rugs by washing them with soapy water, then leaving them out to dry.
Get our newsletter for the best of ABC Everyday each week. Dr Tovey says dust-mite allergen is highly soluble and washing in warm water with normal laundry detergent removes close to 97 per cent of the allergens.
As for mattresses, Dr Tovey says it's best to use a washable mattress protector and wash it regularly with all your other bedding. Choose a bed covering that can be washed, or use feather bedding. Feathers are good because the weave of the cover is so fine mites can't get in, or the allergen out.
It is specifically designed to rid your carpeting and upholster furniture of harmful dust mite allergens and provide 90 days of allergy relief. Another side benefit of X-mite is it actually cleans while it denatures. Hard surfaces can be effectively vacuumed and mopped regularly. With hard surface floors, you will actually remove the dust mites, their feces, and their body parts.
Replace your upholstered furniture with hardwood, leather, or synthetic leathers. Not able to ditch your couch, curtains, and carpet? You can apply denaturing agents. These are number 1 on the list of Top 5 Allergy Control Products. Denaturing agents are available as sprays and powders. Window coverings: Remove draperies and replace them with hard surface blinds.
If curtains and valances remain, they must be washed or vacuumed and treated with the anti-allergen spray. Dust catchers: Remove dust catchers and wipe down all hard surfaces at least every 7 days. When cleaning and dusting, everyone always has an aid they use to clean around the home. Personally, I like Allerdust Dusting Aid.
It not only gets rid of dust mites but also helps with pet dander and mold. Just spray some more is not better on an old tee shirt and get to cleaning. It picks up mites and mold particles before they get a chance to become airborne. A great product to have when trying to get rid of dust and mites.
While you are at it, get rid of the excess clutter and dust catchers in the bedroom. Do you really need 12 pillows on the bed? When it comes to your pillows, mattress, and box spring it is not practical to wash these items every 7 days in hot water.
Because of their thickness, denaturing sprays and powders only have limited effectiveness. Since it is impossible to remove dust mites and their allergens from your bed, you must put a barrier between you and the mites.
You want to kill the mite, so do it in a manner that will provide allergen relief. Starve them to death! So, how do you starve them?
Cut off their supply of food. This is the natural way to get rid of dust mites and their allergens. Protect your mattress, box spring, and pillows in special zippered dust mite-proof covers. This puts an allergen-proof barrier between you and the mites. The cheap ones only last a year or two and will need replacing. Their food supply will be limited to what is already in the bed or pillow. Slowly, over the years, they will die of starvation.
From the first night you sleep on dust mite proof covers you get relief. You will not be exposed to the dust mites, their shed body parts, or their feces! Possibly my foam mattress had been slightly toxic to me.
Whatever the reason, this all-cotton mattress allergy protector has been well worth the investment Also, hang your comforters, bedspreads, and blankets outside in the sunlight especially if you have wool or silk.
The sun will kill the mites. The downside to this tip is that bedding can collect pollen and grass when outside. If you can get an item in the washing machine, you can wash them away!
Remove and wash all bed linens once a week while the zippered cover remains behind as your dust mite proof force field. Most hot water heaters are not set at temperatures this high for safety reasons. While water that hot will eliminate dust mites, you could scald yourself in the kitchen or bathroom. Also, water hot enough to kill mites and denature their proteins is hot enough to damage fabrics and fade colors. Such a bad idea! So how can you eliminate dust mites without causing bodily harm to you or your family members?
Wash with De-Mite or Allergen Wash! De-Mite Laundry Additive contains tea tree oil, oil of wintergreen and benzyl benzoate. It will safely eliminate dust mites from anything you can safely wash in the washing machine. By using De-Mite you can eliminate dust mites from your bedding by washing in warm or cold water.
Not only will you eliminate dust mites, but you will also save on energy costs by using cooler water temperatures. Allersearch Allergen Wash utilizes super surfactant agents and ACARIL to eliminate allergens from bedding, clothing, stuffed animals, towels, and rugs. Once again, if you can get it in the washing machine, Allergen Wash will eliminate the dust mites while removing soil.
The big difference between eliminating allergens and dust mites with De-Mite and eliminating with Allergen Wash is how they work. The Allergen Wash surfactants remove soil and allergens and the De-Mite will denature anything left behind. The De-Mite is an additive that must be used in conjunction with your detergent to eliminate dust mites.
Once the water begins filling the washing machine, add about 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice. With essential oils, you can do your normal wash routine. To eradicate dust mites you can also wash using high temperatures. Using hot water requires more energy which could cost more money. Doing laundry that includes colored fabrics might not be ideal for hot temperatures.
Another approach that works to eradicate dust mites is freezing laundry before washing. The freezing method is primarily recommended for pillows and stuffed animals because they are smaller and more easily fit in a freezer.
However, sheets and blankets can also be placed in a freezer. The freezing temperatures will kill all live dust mites and larvae. After hours the laundry can be removed and placed in the washing machine. A regular rinse cycle will wash out the dead dust mites and fecal matter. If you do the freezing method before washing then essential oils and high temperatures are not needed.
Even better if they are laying in a pile. Wash clothes frequently. I usually add essential oils when I do laundry with clothes. Yes, dust mites can live in wool. There are a few laundry detergents that have the ability to kill dust mites. Most of the detergent specializing in allergies, use essential oils as an ingredient. I like Allersearch. They offer reasonably-priced products and have excellent reviews. For a laundry additive, I like DeMite which comes in a 1 liter bottle and lasts a long time.
You can read my full article on dust mite laundry detergent here. Dust mites can die in the dryer as long as the temperatures are above degrees. If on low settings the dryer is usually around degrees.
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