Eliminate Dust Mites From Your Home With The Help Of This All-Natural Oil
Despite their small size, dust mites can cause big problems. They can trigger allergic reactions, respiratory issues, and even skin irritation for many. Luckily, one item has found to be effective at eliminating dust mites from your home: eucalyptus oil. This essential oil is affordable (a small bottle can be purchased at Walmart for under $5) and accessible, so this is a convenient solution. It's also completely natural, eliminating the need to use harsh chemicals in your home.
Dust mites are tiny arthropods that thrive in warm, humid environments and feast on human skin cells, pet dander, and other organic matter found in dust, meaning that they often live in our homes. They can also produce up to 200 times their body weight in waste each day. This waste becomes airborne and is easily inhaled, triggering allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Dust mites are particularly problematic in bedding, carpets, upholstered furniture, mattresses, floor dust, and other soft materials, where they can burrow into the fabrics and feed. In fact, one mattress can contain over 1 million mites, making it a hotbed for allergy sufferers. Fortunately, cleaning with eucalyptus oil could help you get rid of the dust mites in your home, which could in turn improve your health.
How to use eucalyptus oil to deter dust mites
To prove the effectiveness of eucalyptus oil against dust mites, a 1997 study published by The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that, when bedding was soaked for 30 to 60 minutes in solutions containing 0.2% to 0.4% eucalyptus oil, over 80% of the mites were eliminated. Because only a small amount of the oil was needed to achieve these results, the findings can prove beneficial when washing bedding at home to remove these pesky critters. Further, another study conducted in 2010 and published by the Korean Journal of Veterinary Science found that exposing dust mites to a small amount of eucalyptus oil was about 90% effective at removing them, showing how beneficial this oil can be when cleaning the entire home.
To clean bedding with this essential oil, fill a 4-gallon bucket with water and add 2 teaspoons of laundry detergent and 6 teaspoons of eucalyptus oil. Combine the detergent with the eucalyptus oil first and then add it to the water. Place the bedding in last and let it soak for an hour to ensure it works its magic, then wash as usual in a hot water laundry load. To eliminate dust mites from other areas of your home, add about 20 drops of the oil to a spray bottle filled with 4 ounces of witch hazel. You can use this spray on your mattress, curtains, carpets, and other upholstered items.
How often to clean and other ways to control dust mites
You can fight to get rid of these pests by using the spray around your home whenever desired and soaking your bedding in the mixture once a week. Further, you can also cleanse other fabric items like pillows and stuffed animals in the solution and then put them through a hot water cycle as well. However, while you should clean your carpets and bedding frequently, you only need to clean your mattress to remove dust mites twice a year. Ensure that your pets are safe when using eucalyptus oil to clean, as the Cabbagetown Pet Clinic says that it (along with other natural oils) can be toxic for them.
Additionally, there are also other steps you can take to reduce the presence of dust mites in your home. For starters, use allergen-proof bedding and mattress covers to prevent them from burrowing into the fabrics. On a weekly basis, be sure to vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean all carpets and rugs regularly. You may also want to consider using a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity in your home, as a dry environment will make it less hospitable to dust mites. Finally, an air purifier could also be beneficial for removing the mites and their droppings from the air.