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We get asked the same questions multiple times a day: "How do I get rid of dust mites?" and "How do I kill dust mites?" — because they cause so many problems for so many people.
According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of dust mite allergy include those common to hay fever, such as sneezing and a runny nose. Many people with dust mite allergy also experience signs of asthma, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing, as well as skin rashes. By taking steps to reduce the number of dust mites in your home, you may get control of dust mite allergy symptoms.
We've been helping people do exactly that since 1989. Here are the 6 most effective methods we know.
6 Highly Effective Ways to Get Rid of Dust Mites
- Get Rid of Their Home — or Make It Uncomfortable
- Starve the Enemy
- Hot Water Washing and Laundry Additives
- Frequent Vacuuming and Dusting
- Deep Freeze
- Desiccants
Before we get into each method, let's cover the basics — because the first rule of warfare is to know your enemy.
Know Your Enemy: Dust Mite Facts
- Dust mites, their body parts, and their feces are the most common household allergens.
- Allergens are the source of sneezing, coughing, itchy, watery eyes, stuffy noses, eczema, and asthma.
- Dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed on shed human skin cells.
- Dust mites do not bite you. You cannot see or feel them.
- They prefer areas that are dark, moist, and full of their favorite food.
- Your mattress, pillow, and blanket are the perfect environment to meet all their needs.
One more critical fact: a dead dust mite is just as bad for you as a live one. The allergen comes from their body parts and feces — killing the mite doesn't remove the allergen. This is why dust mite-killing sprays alone are not an effective allergy control strategy. You need to remove or block the allergen, not just kill the mite.
#1 — Get Rid of Their Home (or Make It Uncomfortable)
Dust mites look for places that are dark, warm, and full of shed human skin cells. They love fiber surfaces. Removing dust mites from fabric surfaces requires a multi-pronged approach.
Carpeting
Carpets hold the dead body parts and feces that make up normal household dust. You can spend money on carpet cleaning and it will look and smell cleaner, but you can't really clean carpet deep down where the allergens live. Even steam cleaning may kill mites but won't remove the allergens already embedded in the fibers.
That's why allergists consistently recommend hard surface flooring — tile, hardwood, laminate, engineered wood, vinyl, or concrete. Small throw rugs that can be washed weekly are acceptable. Everything else should go.
If replacing carpet isn't financially feasible right now, X-Mite Carpet Treatment is a cost-effective alternative. It's specifically designed to rid carpeting and upholstered furniture of harmful dust mite allergens and provides up to 90 days of relief. As a bonus, it actually cleans while it denatures.
Furniture
Just like carpet, upholstered furniture is a hiding place for allergens that can't be thoroughly cleaned. Replace it with hardwood, leather, or synthetic leather when possible — hard surfaces don't collect allergens and are easy to wipe clean.
If you can't ditch the couch, curtains, or carpet, apply a denaturing agent. These are available as sprays and powders — look for "ADMS Anti-Allergen Spray," "X-Mite Powder," and "Anti-Allergy Solution Spray." They work by breaking down the protein that causes the allergic reaction.
Window Coverings
Replace draperies with hard surface blinds. If curtains and valances stay, they must be washed or vacuumed regularly and treated with anti-allergen spray.
Dust Catchers and Clutter
Wipe down all hard surfaces at least every 7 days. For dusting, we like Allerdust Dusting Aid — it gets rid of dust mites and also helps with pet dander and mold. And while you're at it, clear out the clutter and excess pillows from the bedroom. Do you really need 12 pillows on the bed?
#2 — Starve the Enemy
When it comes to your mattress, box spring, and pillows, it's not practical to wash them weekly in hot water. Since you can't remove dust mites and their allergens from these items, you need to put a barrier between you and the mites — and starve them to death.
Encase your mattress, box spring, and every pillow in zippered dust mite-proof covers. These allergen-proof encasements create a physical barrier that cuts off the mites' food supply — your shed skin cells. Over time, the mites already inside the mattress die off. From the very first night, you stop being exposed to dust mites, their shed body parts, and their feces.
A few things to know when choosing covers:
- Full encasement matters. The cover must zip completely around all six sides of the mattress. Fitted-sheet-style covers that only wrap the top and sides offer no real protection — allergens can migrate freely through the exposed bottom.
- Pore size matters. Dust mite allergen particles are 10–40 microns in size. Our AllergyCare™ covers have pore sizes between 3.2 and 5.3 microns — far smaller than required to block allergens completely.
- Cover every surface. Don't forget the box spring and every pillow on the bed — including the spare ones. An uncovered pillow is an allergen source inches from your face all night.
Also: hang comforters, bedspreads, and blankets outside in direct sunlight when you can (especially wool or silk). The sun will kill the mites. Just know that bedding left outside can collect pollen, so this is a trade-off depending on your allergy triggers.
→ Not sure which dust mite cover is right for you? Read our buying guide.
#3 — Hot Water Washing and Laundry Additives
If you can get an item into the washing machine, you can get rid of allergens in it. Remove and wash all bed linens once a week — while the zippered encasement stays on the mattress as your permanent dust mite force field.
Here's the catch: regular washing alone won't eliminate dust mites. The water in your washing machine would need to reach 140°F to kill the mites and neutralize the allergens. Most home water heaters aren't set that high for safety reasons.
The solution is a laundry additive specifically designed for the job:
- De-Mite Laundry Additive — contains tea tree oil, oil of wintergreen, and benzyl benzoate. It safely eliminates dust mites from anything you can machine-wash, even in warm or cold water. Great for bedding, clothing, stuffed animals, and towels.
- Allersearch Allergen Wash — uses super surfactant agents and ACARIL to eliminate allergens from bedding and clothing. The difference between the two is how they work: De-Mite kills the mites directly; Allergen Wash uses surfactants to physically remove allergens from the fabric during the wash cycle.
Steam cleaning is also effective for items that can't be machine washed — it's all-natural and kills mites on contact. Dry cleaning will handle surface soil but won't kill dust mites.
#4 — Frequent Vacuuming and Dusting
Always dust with damp cloths — never dry. Start at the top of the room and work down, so anything disturbed from higher surfaces settles onto areas you haven't cleaned yet.
Tip: Don't dust right before bed. Wait at least 2 hours after dusting before sleeping in a room — even damp dusting stirs some particles into the air, and you want to give them time to settle first.
Vacuum with a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner. Canister models are generally preferred over uprights because they have better seals. Look for a completely sealed system so dust and allergens don't leak back out of the unit. Avoid bagless models — emptying the bin releases collected allergens right back into the air.
Use the same top-to-bottom rule for vacuuming as you do for dusting.
#5 — Deep Freeze
Your freezer wasn't really designed to store bed linens — and the chicken and ice cream might object. But freezing works extremely well for stuffed toys and small pillows.
Place the item in a sealed plastic bag and put it in the freezer overnight. If your child can't bear to be separated from a favorite toy overnight, do it first thing in the morning and leave it for 6 to 8 hours.
After freezing, toss the item into the dryer on the air-only (no-heat) fluff setting. This restores the shape and removes the dead mites. Then hand it back to your child knowing you did your part.
#6 — Desiccants
Dust mites don't drink water — they absorb moisture from the air around them. That's why they thrive in humid environments. Drying out the space makes it inhospitable.
Common household desiccants include borax (the traditional laundry additive — look for 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry aisle), calcium chloride (also sold as "Pickle Crisp Granules" by Ball in the canning aisle), and silica gel (available at craft stores, used for drying flowers).
Spread desiccants in areas where you want to reduce moisture. Important note: there is no strong scientific consensus that desiccants directly kill dust mites at typical household use levels — but by reducing humidity below 50%, they make the environment significantly less hospitable. Combined with the other methods above, humidity control is a meaningful part of a complete approach.
The Bottom Line
Sadly, you can be the cleanest person in the world and still have a problem with dust mites. They feed on shed skin cells — something every human produces regardless of how clean their home is. If you wake up every morning with bleary eyes, a runny nose, and a cough, you may be under attack from these microscopic opponents.
Dust mite allergens are at the center of most household allergies. They're hard to beat, but now that you know what you're up against, you can prepare to fight back — and win.
If all of this feels overwhelming, don't worry. The Allergy Store has been helping people with allergies and asthma since 1989. Call us at (800) 771-2246 and we're happy to walk you through the right approach for your situation.
Shop all dust mite allergy relief products →
Works Cited
Mayo Clinic. Dust mite allergy — Symptoms and causes.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dust Mites.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding allergies, asthma, or other medical conditions.
Want the complete picture? Everything on this page is part of our free Practical Guide to Allergy-Free Living — 35 years of allergy expertise covering dust mites, pet dander, air quality, laundry, and more. Start at the beginning or jump to the section that matters most to you.