10 Ways to Rid Your Home of Dust Mites

All it takes is practicing good habits in terms of caring for your home to avoid the negative effects of dust mites. These negative effects can include skin irritation and rashes. And to make matters worse, these little insects can settle in virtually any part of the house. So today we are going to examine 10 ways to keep dust mites away from your home and your skin safe.

1. Mite Resistant Bedding

The main purpose of anti-mite bedding is, as you can probably guess, keeping the mites out of your mattress. The mattress is one of the mites’ favorite places to make their new residence. Bedding is made from a highly dense microfiber that the dust mites are unable to penetrate. In addition, it is also recommended to vacuum around the mattress and curtains to be completely sure no mites are hanging around.

2. Carpets

Particularly for those who have an allergy to dust mites, it may be worth considering avoiding laying carpet in your home. Carpets are an ideal shelter for dust mites, and too much carpeting can lead to your home becoming a dust mite hotel. If you already have carpeting in your home, though, it is recommended to wash the carpeting frequently at temperatures as high as 60 degrees Celsius.

3. Leave the Bed Unmade

It may seem trivial, but leaving the bed unmade for a while after waking up can help prevent a dust mite infestation. The reason for this is that it gives time for the mattress to air out and reduce humidity, which is exactly what dust mites are looking for.

4. Turn Down the Thermostat

Dust mites hate cold temperatures. If you can keep the temperature to 19 °C (66 °F) or below in your home, it creates a harsh environment for dust mites and makes it harder for them to reproduce.

5. Clean Your Kids’ Soft Toys

Stuffed toys that your children like to play with are ideal homes for dust mites. And if you suspect that the mites have already moved into your children’s toys, then immediately run through the washing machine at a high-temperature setting. You can also place the toys in plastic bags and put them in the freezer overnight.

6. Reduce Humidity

As we previously mentioned, dust mites love humid environments. So naturally, reducing the humidity in the home will further dissuade the insects from entering.

7. Routine Dusting

To keep the dust in the home at a minimum, make sure to vacuum as often as possible. Also, keeping the windows open is helpful, and make sure to wipe along surfaces and windows with a damp cloth. Doing this will also improve the air quality in the home.

8. Air Purification

Keeping the air fresh in the home does not take much work. Simply leave all the windows open for as long as possible to create a draft going through your house. Doing this just 20 minutes a day is all it takes.

9. Reduce the Plant Life Inside

Plant life can sometimes contribute to extra humidity in the air. Again, this is a red flag when it comes to avoiding an infestation of dust mites. There are, however, certain plant types that actually reduce humidity, so pay attention to this detail next time you are at the florist.

10. Change Your Sheets Regularly

Lastly, changing your bed sheets regularly will help prevent dust mites from becoming a problem. They should be washed at least every two weeks at a high temperature. And even if a few of the mites have made it to your sheets, this will prevent them from continuing to reproduce.