Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Cleaning the House
• Part 2 of 3: Making the ticks unfavorable
• Part 3 of 3: Reducing Dust Mites

Dust mites are microscopic arachnids that live everywhere in the home, including in pillows, stuffed animals, bedding, furniture, blankets, and more. Despite their tiny size, dust mites can leave a significant amount of droppings that can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks. While all ticks in your home cannot be completely eradicated, there are steps you can take to reduce the number of ticks that can help alleviate allergy symptoms and reduce your risk of asthma attacks.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Cleaning the House

1. 1 Wipe off dust with a damp cloth. Dust mites feed on dead skin, pet hair, and other debris in dust, so they tend to be found in dusty areas. To get rid of dust mites, you should eliminate the source of their food, that is, wipe the dust with a damp cloth. Do this regularly and you can reduce the number of dust mites.
   • Use a damp cloth as a dry cloth will only spread allergens and dust throughout your home.
   • Wipe dust off furniture, shelves, books, jewelry, knickknacks, paintings, and other items where it collects.
2. 2 Vacuum the entire house thoroughly. The vacuum cleaner is also great for getting rid of dust, skin particles, dust mite droppings and other allergens. To avoid spreading dust and allergens, you should use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, which will trap allergens and prevent them from spreading through the house.
   • When using the vacuum cleaner, pay special attention to the floor, baseboards, furniture, rugs, rugs, and behind and under furniture.
   • Use the upholstery attachment to thoroughly clean folds, seams and hard-to-reach areas on upholstered furniture.
3. 3 Wash bedding in hot water. Dust mites can grow in bedding. Remove pillowcases, sheets, blankets, and bedspreads from the bed. Load all the removed laundry into the washing machine and wash in hot water using the standard mode. After washing, transfer the laundry to the tumble dryer and set to hot dry.
   • To kill dust mites, the temperature in the washer or dryer must reach 54–60 ° C.
4. 4 Clean curtains and drapes. Dust mites love blackout curtains as well as pillows and bedding. Remove curtains and drapes from the curtain rod and read the instructions for washing them.
   • If curtains are washable, remove all hooks, rings, or other accessories. Then load the curtains into the washing machine and wash them in hot water. When you are finished washing, transfer the curtains to the tumble dryer and use the recommended drying cycle (as indicated on the label).
   • Some curtains can only be dry cleaned. Take these curtains to a dry cleaning facility to eliminate dust mites.
5. 5 Wash toys. Dust mites like to hide in stuffed toys and other fabric items. Gather washable items, load into the machine and wash in hot water. Then transfer the items to the tumble dryer and turn on the hot dry mode.
6. 6 Freeze items that are not recommended for washing. Some items cannot be washed to remove dust mites from them. In this case, they can be frozen. Place each item in a separate plastic bag, seal the bags tightly, and place them in the freezer for at least 24 hours. The following things can be frozen:
   • pillows;
   • some toys;
   • delicate fabrics.

Part 2 of 3: Making the ticks unfavorable

1. 1 Reduce the humidity in your home. Dust mites prefer high humidity. The easiest way to reduce humidity in your home is to use a dehumidifier. You can also open windows in dry weather. Always turn on the ventilation when cooking, showering and other activities that generate water vapor.
   • Lower the humidity level to make dust mites feel less comfortable, which will slow down their reproduction rate.
   • Install a hygrometer at home to keep track of humidity, and keep it below 50 percent.
2. 2 Lower the temperature. Dust mites love warmth. The ideal temperature for them is 24–27 ° C. During the winter, keep your bedroom at 21 ° C, or even lower if you feel comfortable. In summer, turn on fans and air conditioners as needed and open windows to keep your home cool.
3. 3 Use a disinfectant spray at home. Products like Lysol are great for killing dust mites and make your home uncomfortable for these parasites. After cleaning again, spray with disinfectant spray where dust often collects. As a rule, these are the following places:
   • corners;
   • skirting boards;
   • floor;
   • shelves;
   • curtains;
   • areas near furniture.
4. 4 Use eucalyptus. Some essential oils, especially eucalyptus, are effective in killing dust mites. There are several ways to use eucalyptus oil to make your home uncomfortable for dust mites, including the following:
   • Add 20 drops of eucalyptus oil to your washing machine, especially when washing with cold water.
   • Fill a spray bottle with water and add about 30 drops of eucalyptus oil. Spray the mixture on rooms such as your bed, furniture, pillows, toys, rugs, and other areas where dust mites live.

Part 3 of 3: Reducing Dust Mites

1. 1 Get rid of the trash. Dust collects on unnecessary things, in which dust mites start. One of the best ways to get rid of dust mites is to eliminate their food sources. Although dust cannot be completely eliminated, it can be reduced by disposing, selling, or properly storing the following items:
   • books;
   • decorations;
   • picture frames;
   • various trinkets;
   • accessories;
   • decorative pillows.
2. 2 Wipe off dust regularly. Wipe dust off with a damp cloth - This simple method is great for reducing the amount of dust in your home and thus depriving dust mites of their food source. Use a damp cloth to keep dust and allergens away from your home.
   • Try to dust your entire home weekly.
3. 3 Wash your bedding regularly. Dust mites love to hide in bed, so keep it clean. To help reduce dust mites in your bedroom, wash your bedding in hot water (54–60 ° C) every week. Remember to wash the following bedding:
   • sheets;
   • pillowcases;
   • duvet covers;
   • blankets.
4. 4 Get rid of carpets. Carpets and walkways are one of the areas in your home where dust mites are most common. While regular vacuuming and washing (for small walkways and rugs) will help reduce dust mites, cleaning carpets altogether will be more effective. If possible, get rid of the carpets and replace them with the following:
   • tiles;
   • parquet;
   • laminate;
   • cork;
   • concrete.
5. 5 Replace fabrics that collect dust with an easy-to-clean material. Since dust mites are often found in curtains and curtains, you can replace them with something else to get rid of these pests.For example, plastic blinds or wooden shutters can be used instead of curtains, or fabric curtains and pillows can be replaced with similar leather and leatherette items.
   • Not only are these items easier to clean, they attract less dust mites than their cloth counterparts.
6. 6 Clean your pets regularly. Another major food source for dust mites is pet hair. To reduce the amount of hair in your home, brush your dogs and cats outside daily. In addition, bathing dogs once a month will also help reduce the amount of hair in the house.
   • Pets can also be allergic to dust mites, so keeping your pet clean is important to both of you.
7. 7 Use mattress and pillow covers. Made from plastic or hypoallergenic materials, these covers protect your bedding from dust mites, bed bugs and allergens. The covers are put on the mattress or pillows, and dust mites cannot get inside. They also protect against allergens on the bed.
   • To keep the mattress and pillow covers clean, wipe the plastic covers with a damp cloth once a week and wash the cloth covers.
8. 8 Improve ventilation in your home. This will reduce humidity, increase the flow of fresh air and reduce the amount of dust. All of these factors help to reduce the number of dust mites. For better ventilation, you can open windows, and use ceiling and portable fans (for example, in the kitchen and bathroom).