Clean and ventilate your home regularly
- Try to keep your house clean, with minimal clutter, and maximised air circulation.
- Avoid using feather dusters and invest in microfiber cloths instead.
- Vacuum regularly and consider regular steam cleaning
- Opt for non-toxic cleaning products (link here)
- Open your windows and allow fresh air to circulate throughout your house.
- Consider investing in an air cleaner with a good quality (high efficiency) particulate filter.
- Piles of clothing, books and stuffed toys can accumulate dust, so try to keep them clear and minimise clutter wherever possible.
Reconsider your home furniture layout
Dust mites accumulate on soft furnishings and areas that accumulate dust and lack air circulation. If you have a house that is heavily carpeted and plenty of fabric covered furnishings, you are more likely to accumulate dust mites.Consider switching to a minimalist furniture layout; opt for rugs, tiles, floorboards or linoleum, instead of wall-wall carpet, and remove clutter where possible. Also consider switching from fabric-covered to leather-covered sofas and furniture.
For soft furnishings and bedding
- Change your sheets and blankets on a regular basis. Make sure to wash them at a minimum of 55 degrees celcius to kill dustmite, OR hang them in the sun or place in a clothes dryer on a high heat during the drying process.
- Try to vacuum all soft furniture regularly. If you have direct skin contact with your soft furnishings (sofa cushions), consider covering them with a cotton sheet cover that you can remove and wash regularly.
- To protect your mattress, consider adding an allergen barrier. Make sure you choose one that is dust-mite proof, so that skin flakes and dust mite cannot migrate through the barrier.
- Direct sunlight also kills dustmites, so on warmer days, make sure you take any heavy bedding or blankets out in the sun to ventilate.