You can’t see dust mites, but you couldn’t go wrong by hunting them in furniture. That’s right. Most of the mites are found in the bed but don’t neglect other types of furniture like the sofa, cupboard, dresser, and storage racks.

Dust mites will breed uncontrolled as long as the furniture accumulates dust (including skin flakes), and located in an environment the fuelled their growth.

I’ve spent the last 4 years battling dust mites in my home, and here are some helpful tips to tackle the pest in your home. Let’s start by removing dust mites from this single piece of furniture that houses possibly millions of them.

Removing Dust Mites In Bed

Without knowing it, you could be sleeping with possibly millions of dust mites in bed. To make matter worse, 95% of the mites are found within 1.5 cm from the top of the mattress. A small portion of dust mites is entrenched within the mattress, while some may gather at the base of the bed.

A steamer will be handy to kill dust mites that are lingering near the surface. The hot vapor from a steamer not only destroy the mites but also denature the allergen.

What about some of the mites that are deep within the mattress? You’ll need to get one of these special UV vacuums. The vacuum has a motorized beater, which vibrates again the mattress and sends the mites to the surface. The mites are then sucked into the vacuum and trapped by the HEPA filter.

As mentioned, some mites may gather at the base of the bed. This means you’ll need to flip the mattress and remove the mites on the bedframe via vacuuming.

Do consider using a mite-blocking mattress and hypoallergenic bedding. It helps to keep most mites on the surface and not deep in the bed.

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Eliminating Dust Mites In Carpet

To be honest, if you have dust mite allergies, you shouldn’t have a carpet installed at all. Apart from the mattress, the carpet is the next largest breeding spot for dust mites.

And destroying dust mites in a carpet easy, particularly if it’s a high-pile one. You’ll want to go all out when ridding dust mites from the carpet.

Remedies like salt, baking soda, and diatomaceous earth helps. You should also consider getting dust mite powder and sprinkle them on the carpet.

Researchers discovered that a combination of vacuuming and dry steam cleaning is effective in killing dust mites in the carpet.

Therefore, using a carpet cleaner can turn the tide in the tough battle of eliminating the tiny pests in carpets.

Killing Dust Mites In Sofa

Removing dust mites from the sofa is quite tricky. It depends on what your sofa is built of. If you’re using an upholstered sofa, read the cleaning instructions.

  • W – Water is allowed.
  • S – Dry cleaning/mild detergent and steam cleaning are allowed.
  • SW – Use vacuum only.
  • X – Use dry cleaner detergent only.

Your work is made easier if steam cleaning is allowed. It is by far the most efficient way in destroying mites and allergens in upholstered furniture.

The next best thing you can do is vacuum the mites off the sofa. Sprinkling baking soda, salt, and diatomaceous earth also help in killing the mites.

As for leather sofa, it requires a more delicate process. Steam cleaning is still possible on leather sofa, but you’ll need to check the manufacturer’s instruction for the right setting.

Alternatively, sprinkle baking soda on the sofa and let it rest for a while. Then, remove it with a cloth or a vacuum.

Don’t stop by just cleaning the surface of the sofa. Take a sneak beat at the underneath and often, you’ll be greeted by a layer of dust. The presence of dust often indicates a breeding spot for dust mites.

Move the sofa away and remove the dust with a vacuum. Follow up with a steam mop to ensure none of the mites survive.

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What About Cupboards, Racks, and Dresser?

When you have severe dust mite allergies, you don’t want to ignore other pieces of furniture at home.

But before you do so, coverup with an allergy mask, particularly when you’re tacking open racks that have been accumulating dust for months.

Use a microfiber cleaning cloth to gently remove dust from the rack or cupboard. I also spray essential oil dilution onto the surface as a finishing touch. Some of the oils are proven to kill dust mites.

For enclosed furniture like cupboards, you may want to consider disrupting the growth of mites. I use desiccant to keep the humidity low in cupboards, which stunts dust mite growth. Placing UV germicidal lamps in a cupboard also helps to destroy the mites in it.

Some of the mites may be breeding underneath or behind the furniture. You’ll ensure that such spots are free from dust too. A low-profile robotic vacuum can make cleaning difficult spots easier.

Final Thoughts

As effective as the mentioned methods are, you’ll need to maintain a regular cleaning schedule to keep the mites population low.

No, you can’t get rid of dust mites completely. If you stop cleaning the furniture, it’s only a matter of time before the mites grow in numbers.

Hopefully, this guide helps in your battle against dust mites.