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Allergy Relief Guide

How to Get Rid of Dust Mites

You can't completely eliminate dust mites, but you can dramatically reduce them and their allergen with a focused plan. The highest-impact steps are encasing mattresses and pillows in allergen-proof covers, washing bedding weekly in hot water, and keeping indoor humidity below about 50% — dust mites can't survive in dry air. Beyond the bed, wash or freeze soft toys, swap carpet for hard flooring where you can, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and cut clutter. Aim for steady reduction rather than a one-time fix.

Educational guide Sources reviewed below · Updated
How to Get Rid of Dust Mites medical illustration with medicine, moon, bed guidance cues
A visual overview of a four-part reduction plan—not a one-time extermination.

Quick answer

You can't completely eliminate dust mites, but you can dramatically reduce them. The highest-impact steps are encasing mattresses and pillows in allergen-proof covers, washing bedding weekly in hot water, and keeping indoor humidity below about 50% (mites can't survive in dry air). Beyond the bed, wash or freeze soft toys, swap carpet for hard flooring where you can, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and cut clutter. Aim for steady reduction, not a one-time fix.

What you need to know

  • You can't fully eliminate dust mites, but you can substantially reduce them and their allergen.
  • The three highest-impact steps: allergen-proof encasements, weekly hot-water bedding washes, and keeping humidity below about 50%.
  • Hot water (around 130°F/54°C kills mites; some guidance cites a minimum of about 120°F) plus a hot dryer cycle reduces mite allergen in bedding.
  • Dust mites need moisture from the air — keeping humidity low (with AC or a dehumidifier) makes your home inhospitable to them.
  • Soft toys can be washed in hot water, or sealed in a bag and frozen for 24+ hours to kill mites (then washed/wiped, since freezing doesn't remove the allergen).
  • Reduce their habitat: hard flooring over carpet, fewer soft furnishings and clutter, HEPA vacuuming, and damp dusting.

Start Where They Concentrate: The Bed

Dust mites are densest where you sleep, so the bed is the top priority and gives the biggest payoff:

  • Encase the mattress, box spring, and pillows in allergen-proof (allergen-impermeable) covers — the most effective single step
  • Wash sheets, pillowcases, and blankets weekly in hot water (around 130°F/54°C kills mites; a hot dryer cycle helps too), and note some guidance cites a minimum of about 120°F
  • If your hot tap can't reach mite-killing temperatures safely, wash weekly and run a hot dryer cycle to reduce allergen

For the full bedding breakdown, see our allergy bedding guide.

Dry Them Out: Control Humidity

Here's a key point people miss: dust mites don't drink — they absorb moisture from the air, so they can't thrive in dry conditions. Keeping indoor relative humidity below about 50% (using air conditioning in warm weather and a dehumidifier in damp areas) makes your home inhospitable to them and is one of the most effective long-term controls. This also helps limit mold. Pairing low humidity with regular cleaning steadily brings mite populations down.

Soft Toys, Fabrics, and Flooring

ItemWhat to do
Stuffed toysWash weekly in hot water, or seal in a bag and freeze for 24+ hours to kill mites — then wash or wipe, since freezing doesn't remove the allergen
Carpet & rugsReplace wall-to-wall carpet with hard flooring where possible; use washable rugs; vacuum weekly with a HEPA-filter vacuum
Upholstery & drapesChoose smooth-surfaced furniture and blinds over heavy upholstery and fabric drapes, which collect mites
ClutterReduce items that collect dust and are hard to clean

Dust with a damp or microfiber cloth (dry dusting scatters allergen back into the air), and vacuum with a HEPA-equipped vacuum. See our allergy-proof bedroom and HEPA filters guides.

Keep It Up — and Treat the Allergy

Dust-mite control is ongoing, not one-and-done: keep washing bedding weekly, maintain low humidity, and vacuum and damp-dust regularly. Reducing exposure genuinely helps symptoms, but it works alongside — not instead of — treating the allergy itself with antihistamines and nasal corticosteroid sprays, and, for some people, immunotherapy. For the condition and its treatment, see our dust mite allergy and allergy treatment guides.

When to seek care

Routine

You have year-round symptoms you suspect are from dust mites and want to reduce exposure at home.

Prompt (within days)

Symptoms that persist despite a thorough dust-mite plan — consider allergy testing and treatment.

Urgent (same day)

Wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath indoors, especially with asthma.

Emergency (call 911)

Severe breathing difficulty or an asthma attack not responding to a reliever inhaler — call 911.

Practical next steps

Safe general steps

  1. Encase mattress and pillows and wash bedding weekly in hot water
  2. Keep indoor humidity below about 50% with AC or a dehumidifier
  3. Wash or freeze soft toys, and reduce carpet, upholstery, and clutter
  4. Vacuum with a HEPA filter and damp-dust regularly

Actions that need medical guidance

  • Confirming dust mite allergy with testing
  • A treatment plan when environmental control isn't enough
  • Whether immunotherapy could help long-term

Don't attempt without professional advice

  • Don't expect to fully eliminate dust mites — aim for steady reduction
  • Don't dry-dust or dry-sweep, which scatters mite allergen into the air
  • Don't rely on cleaning alone if symptoms persist — treat the allergy too

Frequently asked questions

Can you completely get rid of dust mites?
No, you can't fully eliminate them, but you can dramatically reduce them and their allergen with encasements, hot-water bedding washes, low humidity, and regular cleaning.
What kills dust mites in bedding?
Washing in hot water (around 130°F/54°C) kills dust mites; a hot dryer cycle helps too. Some guidance cites a minimum of about 120°F. Allergen-proof encasements also block mites from your bedding.
Does lowering humidity get rid of dust mites?
It's one of the most effective steps. Dust mites absorb moisture from the air and can't thrive in dry conditions, so keeping humidity below about 50% makes your home inhospitable to them.
How do I get dust mites out of stuffed animals?
Wash them weekly in hot water, or seal them in a bag and freeze for 24 or more hours to kill the mites. Freezing kills them but doesn't remove the allergen, so wash or wipe afterward.
Do I need to remove carpet for dust mites?
Where possible, hard flooring is better because carpet traps mites and allergen and is hard to clean thoroughly. If you keep carpet, vacuum weekly with a HEPA-filter vacuum.
Does getting rid of dust mites cure the allergy?
Reducing exposure genuinely helps symptoms, but it works alongside treating the allergy with medication, and sometimes immunotherapy, rather than replacing it.

Sources

  1. MedlinePlus (NIH/NLM) — Allergies, asthma, and dust
  2. American Lung Association — Dust Mites
  3. AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force — Environmental assessment and exposure control of dust mites (Practice Parameter)

Medical disclaimer: This guide is for general education and isn't a substitute for personalized medical advice. It doesn't provide dosing. Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your symptoms and treatment.

Portrait of Dr. Hannah H. Walford, allergist and immunologistMD

Medically reviewed

Dr. Hannah H. Walford, MD

Allergist and Immunologist

Website role
Owner, Medical Director and Medical Reviewer of Allergy Relief Guide
Professional affiliation
Stanford Health Care / Menlo Medical Clinic, Menlo Park, California
Areas of expertise
Food allergy, eczema, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma

Dr. Hannah H. Walford is a board-certified allergist and immunologist experienced in caring for adults and children with allergic conditions. Her areas of expertise include food allergy, eczema, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma. She provides medical leadership and review oversight for the educational health content published by Allergy Relief Guide.

Medical content is provided for education and is not a substitute for diagnosis or individualized medical care.

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