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Killing dust mites on stuffed animals is not hard. The hard part is getting rid of the dead dust mite and its parts. A dead dust mite is just as bad as a live one.
Many stuffed animals and toys can be put in the wash just like any piece of clothing. The problem with washing some stuffed animals is that they lose that soft, fluffy, cuddly feel.
Others completely disintegrate and the stuffing gets everywhere, we had a few do that.
We decided one of our daughter's bunnies needed to be washed. Needless to say, it was a very dumb idea. When we opened the washing machine there was stuffing all over, the head was almost torn off and had a hole in the side of its head.
Sadly there was too much damage, lost stuffing and looking at the fabric it would not have been possible to sew it up anyway. Funny, our daughter probably had the bunny for 10 plus years without tearing it up and we destroyed it in 10 minutes.
You don't need scalding-hot water or a high-heat dryer to get rid of dust mites on stuffed animals. Very hot water and high heat are hard on stuffed toys, and there's a gentler way.
We recommend freezing the stuffed animal or toy for a day or two. Freezing will kill the dust mites and not harm the toy. Once they have thawed out you can just put them in the dryer on air or low for about 15-20 minutes to shake them up. The dust mite allergens will get vented out.
If the stuffed toy is dirty, you can either hand wash or put them in the wash on the short gentle cycle with warm or cold water. Be careful with a top loader. That is what tore our bunny up.
If you want to make sure all the dust mite allergens are neutralized you can add some Demite laundry additive in the load or use the Allersearch Allergen Wash. After they have been washed put them in the dryer with a load of clothes that you are drying on the low to medium setting.
Another thing you can do is vacuum them. I know it sounds strange but a good vacuuming every week removes some of the dust mite allergens as well as dirt and fluffs up the fur at the same time.
Wishing you the best of health
The Allergy Store
Want more ways to reduce allergens at home? See our free Practical Guide to Allergy-Free Living, built on allergy expertise we’ve been sharing since 1989 and covering dust mites, pet dander, air quality, laundry, and more.