Dust mites are a common household pest that can cause a variety of health issues, including allergies and asthma. To reduce the number of dust mites in your home, you need to take some proactive steps. Lowering the humidity and removing upholstered furniture or using furniture with smooth surfaces are two effective ways to reduce the number of dust mites. Additionally, washing sheets with hot water (130°F or more) can help reduce exposure to dust mite allergens.
You can also purchase mite-proof covers for pillows, mattresses, and box springs. An all-season wool comforter combined with a wool down pillow is also an effective way to reduce the number of dust mites in your home. To prevent dust mites from taking over your home, it's important to keep your home below 50 percent humidity. This will make it difficult for them to survive and reproduce. Additionally, you should remove upholstered furniture or use furniture with smooth surfaces that don't provide a good environment for dust mites.
You should also wash your sheets once a week with hot water (130°F or more) to reduce exposure to dust mite allergens. You can also purchase mite-proof covers for pillows, mattresses, and box springs. These covers will create a barrier between you and the dust mites, preventing them from getting into your bedding. An all-season wool comforter combined with a wool down pillow is also an effective way to reduce the number of dust mites in your home. Additionally, you should avoid buying foam mattress covers or Kapok-type pillows and mattress covers as these materials provide an ideal environment for dust mites. Finally, you should vacuum regularly and steam clean carpets and upholstered furniture to remove dirt from the surface.
Dry cleaning will not kill dust mites, so it's important to use steam cleaning instead. If you take these steps, you can reduce the number of dust mites in your home and improve your overall health.