Scientists studying dust mites think it’s possible the allergens might have a 10-year half-life. So the same poop and old shell could be in your home for 20 years unless you do something about it.¹¹

You can also put things you can’t wash, like soft toys or small pillows, in the freezer for at least 24 hours to kill dust mites.

You know why you should do the laundry as effectively as possible. Now let’s look at how, what and when. And always check the care label before following any of these tips.

Our advice is mostly for washable fabrics. But don’t worry, dry cleaning can also kill dust mites¹⁰ and should greatly reduce the amount of dust in clothing.¹ You can also put things you can’t wash, like soft toys or small pillows, in the freezer for at least 24 hours to kill dust mites.⁶

You know why you should do the laundry as effectively as possible. Now let’s look at how, what and when. And always check the care label before following any of these tips.

The hot cycle (120–130°F) is likely to kill the most mites.

The dust mites living on your clothes, bed linens and so on are likely to die by drowning not scalding when you do the laundry. Any water temperature will reduce their numbers a lot. Also, as we said before, water doesn’t have to be hot to remove dust mite allergens.

Adding bleach to your detergent while washing whites and colorfast items can remove even more dust mite allergens—up to 98%.².

Tea tree oil, eucalyptus and spearmint all have insecticidal properties.³ A few drops in your detergent may be especially useful for pre-soaking items that can’t be hot washed to kill dust mites. But contact with chemicals or any natural essential oils is not always a good idea if you have allergies. So ask your healthcare provider before using laundry additives

5. Wash all the bed linen every week

That means sheets and pillow cases—the soiled bedding in closest contact with your skin. You might do this as a matter of course and wonder why we’ve made this one of our tips. But (unscientific) surveys suggest that some people leave it a lot longer than a week between bed changes. And hot wash if you can.

Your child’s cuddly fabric toy is likely to go to bed with them and collect dust mites and their allergens. Check the maker's care instructions to see if it’s machine washable, or you can hand wash it. Don’t forget to check for batteries, metal pieces and sound boxes first.

If it isn’t doable, you won’t do it. Maybe you already have a weekly laundry day for your clothes. Include things that may not get washed as often as they should, like winter hats and scarves. Then there are the throws and cushion covers, and dog or cat bedding. Dust mites love pet dander too. All these need a regular clean.

If it isn’t doable, you won’t do it. Maybe you already have a weekly laundry day for your clothes. Include things that may not get washed as often as they should, like winter hats and scarves. Then there are the throws and cushion covers, and dog or cat bedding. Dust mites love pet dander too. All these need a regular clean.

If it isn’t doable, you won’t do it. Maybe you already have a weekly laundry day for your clothes. Include things that may not get washed as often as they should, like winter hats and scarves. Then there are the throws and cushion covers, and dog or cat bedding. Dust mites love pet dander too. All these need a regular clean.

8. Sort laundry and wash mite-infested things separately

2. Vermeide die Verbreitung allergener Erdnussproteine

• Mache es dir zur Gewohnheit, am Tisch zu essen und einen Teller zu verwenden.
• Reinige Küchenoberflächen, an denen Erdnussrückstände vorhanden sein könnten, mit einem Einwegtuch.
• Dasselbe gilt für Pfannen und Utensilien, wenn du mit Erdnüssen kochst.

3. Und achte darauf, sie nicht versehentlich zu essen

• Teile weder Tassen noch Besteck, da Erdnussproteine im Speichel zurückbleiben können.
• Warne auch dein Date, dass du niemanden küssen kannst, nachdem er oder sie Erdnüsse gegessen hat.
• Lasse dich von den Hunden anderer Menschen nicht ablecken, es sei denn, du weißt sicher, dass ihre Besitzerin oder ihr Besitzer erdnussfreies Haustierfutter und Leckerlis kauft.

High altitudes and hospital rooms have a chance of being dust-mite free but it’s not realistic for most homes.¹,⁵ Even if you follow our dust mite laundry tips, you may need symptom relief. Options range from simple saline nasal sprays and eye drops to antihistamines, corticosteroids and decongestants.⁹ Ask your pharmacist for advice. Or talk to your healthcare provider. They can also tell you about allergy immunotherapy.

Allergy immunotherapy is a longer term treatment which takes 3–5 years. The aim is to retrain your immune system with repeated tiny doses of your allergen so that it reacts differently.⁹ It could help to reduce your symptoms, if it’s suitable for you.

Dust mites don’t like heat, whether that’s hot water, a spin in the tumble dryer or being ironed. But washing in either hot or cold water will drown many mites and remove a lot of their allergens. You can stick with your usual powder or liquid detergent but using a laundry additive or certain essential oils as well may kill more mites.

Fewer allergens should mean less trouble from dust mite allergy symptoms. But you may still need short-term relief or even allergy immunotherapy, a long-term treatment.