How to Control Dust Mites in Mattresses

While we sleep, our bodies dispel millions of dead skin cells every night. Unfortunately, dust mites, which are microscopic organisms that live and thrive in dust, feed off those dead skin cells and propagate in our mattresses. By taking a few precautions, you can reduce the chances of developing a dust mite allergy.

Things You'll Need

• Dust mite encasing
• Dust mite spray
• Vacuum cleaner with HEPA filtration
• Damp mop or rag

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Purchase special fitted sheets made of plastic to control the population of dust mites in your mattresses. These sheets, called dust mite encasings, seal off the dust mite population from the rest of your bedding, and effectively cuts them off from the food source (which is you, since dust mites live off your dead skin cells). Many of these plastic sheets have cotton or flannel covering on the outside, which makes them much more comfortable than the older types of encasings.

• 2

  Vacuum your mattresses every few weeks to control the dust mite population, using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. Use the vacuum between the mattresses and box springs, and thoroughly clean any edge of the mattress that comes in contact with a wall. Vacuuming the carpet underneath your bed will also keep the dust mite population under control, although it may be a better idea to remove the carpet and just go with hardwood flooring in all of the bedrooms in your house.

• 3

  Wash all of your bedding, including all pillowcases, blankets and sheets, at least once a week in hot water over 130 degrees.

• 4

  Avoid using a dry broom to sweep the area around your mattresses. Brooms merely kick up dust into the air, transporting dust mites from the floor right onto your bedding. A damp mop or rag is a much better way to clean the area and control the dust mite population around your mattress.

• 5

  Spray your mattresses with treatments that use tannic acid to control dust mite activity. These products don't kill dust mites per se, but they do de-activate the fecal matter that causes many dust mite allergies. You can find these products from online resources such as The Allergy Store (see Resources below).