Dust mites allergies are a common problem in many households. Eucalyptus oil is commonly mentioned as one of the natural remedies in killing dust mites. While eucalyptus oil is a popular essential oil amongst aromatherapist, is it equally effective in getting rid of the tiny pests?

Let’s debunk the myth of eucalyptus oil as a dust mite killer.

What Is Eucalyptus Oil?

Does Eucalyptus Oil Kill Dust Mites

Eucalyptus oil is derived from the leaves of the eucalyptus trees. The eucalyptus trees are native to Australia and surrounding islands. Of more than 500 species of eucalyptus, only a couple are used to produce essential oils.

The Eucalyptus salicifolia and Eucalyptus globulus are the only known species that are useful as essential oils. The oil contains medicinal properties that are highly sensitive to heat. As such, the CO2 extraction method is commonly used to extract the oil from the dried leaves.

For centuries, eucalyptus oil is cherished for its healing properties. It is a well-known essential oil that helps to alleviate pain and inflammation. Besides that, eucalyptus oil is known to be anti-microbial and anti-fungal, which suggests that it has a strong chance of killing dust mites.

Is Eucalyptus Oil Effective In Killing Dust Mites?

Does eucalyptus oil kill dust mites? According to a study conducted by researchers in Australia, the short answer is yes. In the study, 80% of dust mites are killed in the laundry when immersed with 0.2% and 0.4% of eucalyptus oil solutions for 30 and 60 minutes.

There isn’t any doubt that eucalyptus is a lethal agent to kill dust mites.

However, there are a handful of other essential oils that proved to be more effective than eucalyptus in eliminating the tiny pests. A study published in 2006 has found that clove oil is outperformed 13 other essential oils, including eucalyptus, when it comes to killing off dust mites.

Caraway, fennel and chenopodium oils also edged out eucalyptus in terms of dust mites mortality in the study. Now, you have options if you couldn’t get a bottle of essential oil to address the dust mite woes in your house.

Is Eucalyptus Oil Safe?

Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extract and should be used with proper precautions. Avoid direct contact with skin when you’re using eucalyptus oil. Exposure to the skin may lead to developing complications on the nervous systems.

How To Use Eucalyptus Oil To Kill Dust Mites?

If you’re using eucalyptus oil to kill dust mites, there are two ways to go about it.

The first involved using eucalyptus oil as a dust mite spray. What’s needed is an amber glass spray bottle that protects the properties of the essential oil.

To make your own eucalyptus spray, you’ll first need to fill the bottle with water and add about 10 drops of eucalyptus oil into it. You can use the eucalyptus spray for beddings, carpets or rugs.

Eucalyptus is also handy when you’re doing laundry. As you may have realized, regular washing does nothing to kill dust mites that may be present in clothes or beddings. Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil into the detergent helps to destroy the dust mites during laundry.

Choosing The Right Eucalyptus Oil For Dust Mites

Buy At HerbsPro

As a commonly-used essential oil, there are many brands that claimed to have the best eucalyptus oil. So, how do you decide what’s good for killing dust mites?

Rule number one is to avoid buying a particular brand just because it’s cheap. The properties of essential oils may differ depending on the extraction process.

First of all, check out if the eucalyptus oil has a GC/MS test report. A GC/MS test verifies that the oil contains the components that are stated on its label.

Also, ensure that the eucalyptus oil is not extracted with steam distillation as the heat would have destroyed the natural properties.

Eucalyptus oils are usually bottled in an amber glass bottle to prevent exposure to UV. So you’ll want to be sure about that.

Other Ways To Remove Dust Mites From Home

After spending more than 1 year in battling dust mites, I can assure you that it’s a tedious process. It’s impossible to remove every single dust mites from your home.

Instead, you’ll need to make an effort in regular cleaning to reduce the dust mites population in the house. Besides using eucalyptus oil, here are some other methods that help.

  • Use a UV vacuum – The ultraviolet light has been proven to be effective in preventing dust mites eggs from hatching. It also kills a decent portion of dust mites. Using a UV vacuum cleaner helps to keep your mattress free of the allergy-causing pests.
  • Steam Cleaning – If you have carpets in your house, you’ll want to ensure that deeply hidden dust mites are destroyed. A steam cleaner will do a good job by killing the dust mites with boiling-hot vapor.
  • Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth – The powdery fossilized planktons are both natural and effective in killing dust mites. Diatomaceous earth powders have sharp edges that will pierce the shell of dust mites and the silica component will remove moisture from the pest. Make sure that you only use food-grade diatomaceous earth.

If you need more tips on getting rid of dust mites from your home naturally, check out this guide.

Bottom line is, eucalyptus oil works in killing dust mites. But as far as essential oils are concerned, it isn’t the most effective option. There’s no harm in using eucalyptus oil, but remember that it takes more than that to keep dust mites growth under control.

Have you tried using eucalyptus oil for dust mites? Are you having good results with it? Share your thoughts in the comment below.

Related: