Prevent Mite Infestations in Your Home

Dust mites are found in every home and are one of the most common causes of allergies in young children and adults. They love our houses because they are warm and moist.

It is only natural that you would want to remove dust mites from your home but do you really want to use poisonous chemicals to achieve this? It is far better to control them with natural methods. Here are some methods for you to try in your own home. When performed regularly, they will help to reduce the mite population in your home. Even if you don’t think that you have an allergy right now, you will be surprised how these improvements will improve the way you feel generally.

Dehumidify the environment

Mites love moist environments, which is why this first step is to evaluate whether your home has from excess humidity. This could be due to its location, construction or your lifestyle. Some families produce more moisture than others because of the way that they live their lives! If humidity is high, you can use either natural or electric dehumidifiers, to reduce it very effectively.

Ventilate your rooms daily

This is related to humidity and fresh air. Mites develop more easily in moist and warm environments and that is why they congregate in places like bed sheets, quilts, sofas, curtains, down feather bed spreads, mattresses or cushions and rugs. If you can do without any of these – get rid of them!

If not, it is vital to ‘air’ them every day by throwing open a window. If possible, leave bedding in direct sunlight whenever you can.

Clean with rosemary vinegar

Rosemary vinegar is a great cleaning agent that mites hate! Prepare it by letting a few fresh branches of rosemary steep in vinegar for one week. Use it all over the home as a disinfectant and natural cleanser on furniture and the floor.

Use diffusers with essential oils

Aromatic diffusers not only fill rooms with wonderful aromas, but they also fight mites naturally because they hate the smell! The following fragrances would be suitable:

• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Peppermint
• Tea tree
• Lavender

You don’t have to buy a diffuser. Simply add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water and spray your rooms throughout the day. Use good quality essential oils only artificial aromatic essences.

Purify the air with plants

An inexpensive and natural solution for purifying the air in rooms is to place pot plants in them. However, it is important to select the correct type of plant that will regenerate the air, such as:

• Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Areca, indoor bamboo): This plant is highly effective at cleaning the air throughout the day. You will need to wipe its leaves but it requires little further care other rather occasional watering.
• Sanseviera trifasciata (Snake plant, mother-in-law’s tongue, Saint George’s Sword): This plant converts carbon dioxide into oxygen overnight – making it perfect for the bedroom.
• Epipremnum aureum (Golden pothos): The pothos is a typical indoor plant and is very easy to look after but it must not be exposed to direct sunlight.
• Other plants that you could choose include spider plants, ivy, ficus, or dieffenbachia.

Weekly washing

Any fabrics in your home are a potential hiding place for mites. Try to wash them every week. Add  rosemary vinegar to the softener. If you have a tumble drier then this is a good way of drying them but hanging them out in the bright sunlight is even better and more environmentally friendly.

Don’t forget to clean sofas, chairs, carpets and rugs as well.

Insecticide Products

There are commercial insecticide products available on the market today and they have been designed to prevent mite proliferation. However, they are costly and you could end up spending a fortune. It may be best to simply invest in a anti-mite pillow, pillow case or mattress.

Not all commercial products are as effective as they claim to be!