Dust mites are so small that people often ignore them – Until they get a deadly allergy attack. The term “dust mites” might conjure up harmless dust. Though they don’t bite humans, they’re anything but harmless.
In reality, dust mites are tiny spider-like creatures that feed on dead skin. They then defecate all over your pillows, mattresses and furniture. All of this is happening on such a microscopic scale that you can’t see any of it going on.
Unfortunately, the feces of these creatures is one of the most allergenic materials you can find in a household. If you or someone in the house tends to have allergic reactions, chances are these dust mites are going to cause them a lot of grief.
So how do you get rid of dust mites?
Wash All Bedding Weekly in Hot Water
Luckily, dust mites are relatively easy to kill. Just being in hot water for a short period of time will more or less destroy these creatures.
Get in the habit of washing all your bed sheets and your pillows once a week. This will help prevent any buildup of dust mites from happening.
Put Your Mattress in the Sun
Yet another weakness of dust mites is sunlight. Just being in the sun is enough to kill them.
So while your bedding is in the washer, put your mattress in the direct sunlight for a few hours. That’ll take care of any dust mites that made its way past your bedding to the mattress.
Vacuum Under and Behind the Bed
Dust mites thrive under beds and behind headboards. It’s common for people to go for months, sometimes even years without cleaning the undersides of their beds.
If you have a dust mite problem, that’s not really an option. Try to vacuum under your bed and behind your headboards no less than twice a month, preferably once a week.
Steam Clean Your Carpets and Furniture
Dust mites can also make a nice living in your carpets and in your furniture. Luckily, killing them isn’t difficult. Just one or two blasts of hot steam will do the trick.
Steam clean your carpet and all your furniture once a month.
If you follow all these steps, you’ll have killed all the dust mites under your bed, on your bed, on your furniture and in your carpet. By and large, your home will be dust mite free.
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