The rooms in the house

From largest source to smallest. You have to choose where your time and money go: bed first, couch second, floor third.

1. 1

   Your mattress

   Exposure: Very High

   By far the biggest source. Eight hours a night, moisture and dead skin cells, and it can't go in the washing machine. A mattress lasts ten years: what you leave in it in year two, is still there in year eight.

   Hier let je op Ten minutes weekly, both sides, including seams and edges.

   Rode vlag Replacing your floor when your mattress has never been cleaned.
   How to clean a mattress →
2. 2

   Pillows and duvet

   exposure: high

   Close to your face, so the exposure per gram is high. Good news: many pillows and duvets can simply be machine washed.

   Hier let je op Check the wash label. If it can be washed at 60°C, this kills mites and washes away allergens.

   Rode vlag Washing at 40°C. This doesn't reliably kill the mites.
3. 3

   Your bank

   exposure: high

   The forgotten source. You sit on it for hours in the evening, often with bare arms and legs, and it's never washed. Most of it collects under the loose seat cushions and in the seams.

   Hier let je op Remove cushions separately from both sides, and wash decorative pillow covers with them.

   Rode vlag Only do the visible surface and skip the cracks.
4. 4

   Cuddly toys and children's textiles

   exposure: average

   A cuddly toy that goes to bed with you every night is a mini mattress.

   Hier let je op Wash at 60°C where possible. If not possible: put in the freezer overnight AND then wash.

   Rode vlag Only freeze it. The mites will be dead, but the allergen will still be present.
5. 5

   Carpets and floor coverings

   exposure: average

   Definitely a reservoir, but per gram of substance usually less allergen-rich than a mattress. High-pile is more unfavorable than low-pile.

   Hier let je op Slowly vacuum with a device with a demonstrable filter class, and ventilate while vacuuming.

   Rode vlag Install a smooth floor and then never mop it wet.
6. 6

   Curtains, box spring, and cracks

   exposure: low

   Little exposure per hour, but there are places where dust builds up for years if you never go there.

   Hier let je op Include a few times a year in a larger round.

   Rode vlag Starting here while your mattress hasn't been taken care of yet.
7. 7

   And where is it definitely not? In the air

   exposure: negligible

   Dust mite allergen particles are relatively heavy. They briefly float up when you turn over in bed and settle again within minutes. Also not: in wood, stone, or on a smooth floor – without fibers and moisture, there is no living environment.

   Hier let je op Focus on textiles, not on the air.

   Rode vlag Buying an air purifier for dust mites. It makes more sense for pollen or pet allergens.

If your symptoms persist despite these measures, discuss them with your general practitioner. Not every morning congestion is caused by dust mites.

Three measures, in this order

Two of them cost nothing. The third is for anything that doesn't fit in the washing machine.

1. 1

   Wash what you can

   60°C, weekly

   Bedding, pillowcases and many duvets can be washed at 60 degrees. This kills the mites and washes away the allergen - the only measure that does both.
2. 2

   Keep dry

   below 50% humidity

   Dust mites absorb moisture from the air. Ventilate for ten minutes every morning with the window wide open, and leave your bed unmade instead of making it immediately. A hygrometer costing a few euros can make this measurable.
3. 3

   Cleaning what can't be cleaned

   mattress, sofa, cushions

   Loosen from the fibers, vacuum, and hold in a filter that is fine enough. Otherwise, you're just moving the allergen instead of removing it.
   Meet the MiteMaster® MX6 →