How to Clean Your Mattress From Dust Mites
Dust mites are insects that eat scales from dead human skin. Although they are so tiny that you would need a microscope to see them, they thrive indoors and exist in high numbers in even small amounts of dust. In fact, thousands can live and reproduce rapidly in a mattress at any one time -- creating an accumulation of live and dead bodies and feces that can make you sick. As a result, it is extremely important that you thoroughly clean your mattress and/or box springs and sleeping area to kill existing mites and then continue to clean regularly to manage their numbers. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Large plastic bags
- Plastic shipping or mattress bag
- Plastic sheeting (optional)
- HEPA filter household vacuum
- Upholstery/carpet cleaner
- Anti-allergen shampoo
- Dehumidifier (optional)
- Dust mite allergy mattress/box spring covers
- Dust mite allergy pillow covers
Instructions
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Remove the bed linens from your mattress and/or box spring. Set the linens aside for laundering.
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2
Place your pillows in a bag. Place the bag in a freezer, or outside if the temperature outside is at or below freezing, for at least 24 hours.
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Seal the mattress, and box spring if applicable, completely in plastic -- encase it in a plastic shipping or mattress bag or wrap it with plastic sheeting -- to kill the dust mites. Wait at least 12 hours. If you can sleep elsewhere, keep the pieces sealed 24 to 48 hours.
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Remove and dispose of the plastic.
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Vacuum the mattress, box spring, bed frame and surrounding area -- including walls, floor or carpet -- with a household vacuum that has a HEPA filter. Vacuum slowly so that you're using the vacuum suction efficiently to pull out as much debris from within the mattress as possible.
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Attach an upholstery tool to your upholstery/carpet cleaner. Add anti-allergen upholstery/carpet shampoo to your cleaner as directed by the cleaner manufacturer and then clean all fabric-covered surfaces. Wait for the mattress to air-dry or use a dehumidifier to dry it out.
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Cover and seal your mattress and/or box spring with dust mite proof allergy mattress/box spring covers.
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Dress the bed with fresh, clean bed linens. After 24 hours, remove your pillows from the freezer or outside and then cover with dust mite proof allergy pillow covers and a pillowcases.
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Launder your bed linens and vacuum the mattress thoroughly with the HEPA-filter vacuum at least once a week to manage the mite levels. Repeat the thorough cleaning process every 30 days.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have dust mite allergies, ask or hire someone to clean your mattress from dust mites for you. If you're planning to clean the mattress and area yourself, wear a long-sleeve shirt, pants instead of shorts, and a NIOSH-approved mask.
Always wash your bed linens with your preferred laundry detergent in hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill the dust mites and flush away their debris, feces and eggs.
Always keep extra bed linens stored in sealed containers.
