How to Clean Bed Mites

Bed mites, also called dust mites, are a common allergen that thrive in the warm, dark crevices of mattresses. Bed mites subsist on dead skin cells, and their feces are what cause allergy symptoms in some people. If you have been going to bed feeling well but waking up each morning with cold-like allergy symptoms, bed mites may be to blame. While there can be tens of millions of mites in your mattress, removing even a portion of them can have a significant impact on symptoms.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum
• Clean empty spray bottle
• Vinegar
• Mattress cover (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Strip your bed and wash your bedding in hot water. This alone removes a large quantity of bed mites. If you can't wash your bedding in hot water, wash it in whatever temperature is appropriate. You will still be removing a lot of bed mites. Hang your bedding out in the sun to dry if possible, as bed mites are killed by bright sunlight.

• 2

  Vacuum the area surrounding your bed. As you toss and turn at night, you cause plumes of dust to rise up from the mattress. These settle on your body, on your bed and on the floor surrounding your bed. If your vacuum has an attachment tool, use it to vacuum over the top of the mattress.

• 3

  Create a cleaning solution. Fill a clean, empty spray bottle with one part water to five parts white vinegar. Spray your mattress thoroughly with the solution and allow it to air dry. The spray will kill millions of bed mites. As it dries, the vinegar will evaporate and your bed will not smell like vinegar.

• 4

  Place an allergy cover over your mattress. The mattress cover will not clean or remove any additional bed mites, but it does keep the remaining bed mites from coming in contact with your body. It also helps prevent future explosions in bed mite populations by no longer allowing dead skin cells to build on your mattress.

• 5

  Place all of your bedding back on the bed. Try to control bed mites by washing your bedding weekly. Use the vinegar spray on your pillows, sheets and blankets in the mornings after you wake up to control bed mites between washings.