Dust Mite Guide › How to Get Rid of Dust Mites in a Mattress
You can’t really clean dust mites out of a mattress, so dry the room out and seal the mattress in. Lower your bedroom humidity, put allergen-proof covers on the mattress and pillows, and wash your bedding regularly. Vacuuming and sprays don’t fix it: vacuuming doesn’t remove live mites, and mite-killing sprays aren’t recommended.[1]
Dust mite allergen collects in settled dust in bedding, carpet and upholstered furniture.[1] Your bed is where you shed skin, the mites’ main food, for hours every night, and most exposure to mite allergen happens while you sleep.[3] For the biology, see What Are Dust Mites?; for why the allergen matters, see Dust Mite Poisoning.
Humidity is the most important factor in whether dust mites thrive, because they absorb water from the air instead of drinking.[3] An allergy practice parameter advises keeping home humidity between 35% and 50% and using a hygrometer to check it.[1] In one study of homes through two humid summers, homes kept below 51% humidity (mostly with a dehumidifier and air conditioning) went from about 401 to 8 live mites per gram of dust after 17 months, and ended with more than 10 times less allergen than humid homes.[4]
The Dust Mite Guide recommends aiming for about 40% to leave a buffer, and covers choosing hygrometers and dehumidifiers in detail.
Allergen-proof encasements put a barrier between you and the mites and allergen already inside. Allergy specialists strongly recommend them for the mattress, box spring and pillows.[1] Woven microfiber covers with a mean pore size smaller than 10 microns can block the main mite allergen while still letting air and moisture through.[1] As the Dust Mite Guide puts it, a cover can save you from needing an expensive replacement mattress.
This is the Dust Mite Guide’s view, not a medical rule. An item that keeps making you sick and can’t be cleaned may be effectively damaged. If a mattress is old, has been damp, or can’t be covered, replacing it may be the cleaner start. Put a cover on the new one from day one.
Not practically. An allergen-proof cover cuts off your exposure to what is inside, and keeping indoor humidity between 35% and 50% makes it hard for mites to survive and multiply.
Vacuuming with a HEPA-filtered vacuum can remove some allergen, but it is not capable of removing live mites, so it is a supporting step rather than a fix.
Allergen-proof encasements put a barrier between you and the mites and allergen inside the mattress. Allergy specialists recommend them for the mattress, box spring and pillows.
The Dust Mite Guide suggests washing bedding and pillowcases every two weeks. Allergy organizations recommend weekly washing in hot water, so weekly is the safer choice if you can manage it.
Allergy specialists do not recommend acaricides (mite-killing chemicals) because they do little to lower allergen levels and raise concerns about chemicals in the home.
Usually a cover is enough. If a mattress is old, has been damp, or can’t be covered, the Dust Mite Guide’s view is that it may be effectively damaged; if you replace it, put a cover on the new one from day one.
Itchy at night? See Do Dust Mites Bite?
Get the free, practical plan for your whole home: Read the Dust Mite Guide →
This page is for education only and is not medical advice.