STUDY RESULTS: Lemon Oil – 61% of the dust mites were immobile after 30 minutes and 80% were dead after 2 hours. Lavender Oil – 86% were immobilized after 30 minutes and 87% were dead after 2 hours. Tea Tree Oil – 100% of the dust mites were immobilized after 30 minutes and were dead after 2 hours.
The three below are my favorite. #1 Lavender – I'll spray this essential oil in from a mist bottle and I'll spray it on my bed. Dust mites hate it, but I love it. Lavender calms the body and the mind.
Essential oils contain compounds that repel or kill insects, including dust mites. The best essential oils for getting rid of dust mites are clove, rosemary, and eucalyptus oil. Add 20 drops of oil to four ounces of witch hazel, and spray your mattress, couch, drapes, and other dust mite hangouts.
Wash all sheets, blankets, pillowcases and bedcovers in hot water that is at least 130 F (54.4 C) to kill dust mites and remove allergens.
At the highest doses, the essential oils of the two lavender species and of peppermint killed 100% of the mites, both by direct contact and by inhalation. Eucalyptus oil was the least active.
Another great essential oil to help eradicate dust mites and bring you relief is Lavender essential oil. Known for its calming properties, spraying lavender on bed sheets can also make dust mites flee.
Kill dust mites immediately with tea tree oil
Spray this solution around your home on your upholstery, bedding, carpets, and rugs at least once per week to keep dust mites at bay and make you home smell fresh.
Three most important functions to human life are heartbeat, breath and sleep. An active allergy to house dust mites (HDM) can interfere with breath and sleep. Wheezing, sneezing or itching, caused by an allergic reaction, is a known risk to sleep.
Dry vacuuming doesn't pick up dust mites. Consider steam cleaning carpets when possible. In addition to cleaning the carpet, the heat of the steam kills dust mites. You can buy chemicals (ascaricides) that kill dust mites and that you can use on carpeting and furniture.
Mite allergens are found in dust-filled textiles in the highest concentrations; these include upholstered furniture, carpets, curtains and plush toys as well as beds. Allergen levels are at their highest between May and October, the peak breeding season of house dust mites.
Tea Tree Essential Oil is a natural antiseptic, antibacterial, and deodorizer. Eucalyptus oil, in specific concentrations, has been scientifically proven to kill 99.99% of dust mites. If you are into natural cleaning options and remedies, this is definitely a good place to begin at killing off dust mites.
A study done by the University of Sydney, Australia, says that adding Eucalyptus oil to your wash will eliminate 99% of dust mites from the bedding.
Add double-layered microfilter bags or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to your vacuum to efficiently clean the dust off of your carpet and upholstered furniture. Steam cleaning can also kill dust mites at 200 degrees, so try using a steam cleaner on your carpet and upholstered furniture once per season.
Lavender, with its earthy, sweet smell, has a soothing, calming effect. You can use it to make tea, tinctures, and even soaps and lotions. It's also helpful for purifying the air by lowering carbon dioxide levels and cleansing bad smells.
In the laboratory experiments more than 80% of mites were killed after immersion in 0.2% and 0.4% solutions of eucalyptus oil for 30 and 60 minutes (Fig.
A soothing favorite for centuries, lavender repels fleas, moths, mosquitoes, and many other insects. While oil extracted from the flowers makes an effective mosquito repellent, the plant itself can also ward off unwelcome insects.
Both steam cleaning and dry cleaning will take care of surface soil, but dry cleaning will not kill dust mites. Also, steam clean chairs, sofas, couches and carpets. Steam clean carpets and rugs on a regular basis. Once again, it will at least kill the mites even if it doesn't eliminate the allergens.
Spray Lysol on dust surfaces to kill dust mites
After cleaning dust surfaces with a vacuum, apply and spray Lysol on your furniture and fabrics.
Cover mattresses and pillows with allergen encasements. Wash bedding in hot water (at least 120 degrees F) once a week. Reduce clutter, stuffed animals, and other places where dust mites live. If that's not possible, wash stuffed animals weekly in hot water (at least 130 degrees) to kill and wash away dust mites.
Though too small to see with the naked eye (only about . 33 millimeters long), dust mites are easily visible through even a cheap microscope. You can pick up an inexpensive microscope from any store that sells toys, a hobby store, or a thrift store and use it to discover whether your home has dust mites.
Although they may “hitchhike” on clothing, dust mites do not live on people. They feed primarily on dander, flakes of dead skin that fall from people and animals.
Joining you in bed are countless dust mites and bacteria, not to mention lots and lots of your own dead skin. Dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says you should wash your sheets at least every two weeks — maybe more, depending on factors like whether you live in a warm climate and whether your pet sleeps in your bed.
Baking soda is a pretty potent weapon against dust mites in your bed. Using it is a simple process as well. Add a little bit of essential oil to the baking soda and then spread it across the top of your mattress, then vacuum. This is a proven way to help rid your mattress of a dust mite infestation.
My research showed that a study, Williamson et all (2007) proved conclusively that some essential oils quite effectively could and would kill dust mite colonies. They found that the most effective essential oil against both lice and mites was tea tree oil.
The answer is yes … with an asterisk. Research shows that using hypoallergenic mattress covers, pillow covers or blankets is an effective way to reduce your exposure to those dust mites. That's welcome news, as the idea of those little insects roaming around is pretty creepy.