Avoid the allergens

Avoid the allergens

House Dust Mite Allergy – Avoid the Allergens

It is possible to achieve a healthy, allergen-free home without expensive equipment, risky chemicals, or major renovations.


With a few adjusted habits, you can maintain a comfortable, allergen-free lifestyle, making your home a haven for you or your child with dust mite allergy.


With our scientific background, we’ve tried below to explain and describe the correct guidance.

Allergens

The most important allergens are found in dust mite droppings. For Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, nine allergen structures are now known: Der p 1, Der p 2, Der p 3, etc.

Under normal living conditions, these allergens are quite stable.

Avoid the Allergens

Dust mites love your home. You provide their favorite meal — flakes of dead skin — every day. They also like your home because it’s warm and humid.
They love moisture because they can’t drink; instead, they absorb water through their legs. That’s why they thrive in bedrooms — your bed retains moisture.
That’s where you should focus your main efforts.

Even if you focus on the bedroom, you should also watch the rest of the home.

If you have a dust mite allergy, we recommend:

  • Keep humidity low during colder months
  • Ensure ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom
  • Limit fitted carpets as much as possible
  • Ask yourself if you really need that old upholstered sofa or chair

TOP 10 TIPS - How to avoid allergens from house dust mites

  • Keep the humidity in the bedroom as low as possible. Aim for 35-50% RH in the cooler months.
  • Wash bedding in hot water (60°) once a week and dry it in the dryer.
  • Use a recognized house dust mite-proof cover on mattresses and pillows in the bedroom.
  • In case of severe discomfort, duvets should also have covers.
  • Use a mattress pad
  • In case of allergies - replace your mattress if it is 6-8 years old or older. Without allergies - 8-10 years old.
  • Do not make the bed or use the bedspread after sleeping.
  • Only use a bed with legs.
  • Aim for the same temperature in the bedroom as in the rest of the home during the day, and make sure that all interior doors are slightly open so that the air can circulate. You can turn down the temperature at night.
  • Avoid hard carpets - especially in the bedroom.
  • Clean your home regularly and use a
    vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

If this does not help - see a doctor and discuss which treatment is best for you.

Use Allergen-proof covers

  • Physical protection of mattress, duvet and pillows
  • Cotton and non-woven microfiber are not suitable.
  • Only use products that are CE marked in accordance with the Medical Device Regulation (MDR EU 2017/745)
  • Only use allergen-proof covers guaranteed for at least 50 washes at 60 °C
  • Always use a mattress protector
  • If possible, choose a fully sealed cover (with a zipper).

Use:

-Mattress cover

-Pillowcase

- Duvet cover

Leave it on permanently (remove and wash approx. 4-5 times a year)

Combine with a correct bedding routine

Use washable cotton covers on top of the allergen-proof layer.

  • Reduces wear and tear
  • For allergies - wash cotton sheet and pillowcases weekly
  • Wash allergen-proof covers 4-5 times a year
  • Always wash all bedding at 60 °C. This kills house dust mites
  • Change cotton pillowcases 2 x weekly if the user sweats a lot
  • For allergies - change mattress every 6-8 years
About washing bedding

Dust mites cannot survive temperatures of 60⁰C. Washing at 30⁰ removes most of the dust mite allergens, while 55-60ºC hot water is needed to kill the mites.

Source: ALK-Abelló

Replace your mattress

A new mattress can contain unacceptable levels of dust mites after just 4 months and up to 1 million dust mites after 1 year.

Manufacturers recommend replacing mattresses every 6-8 years for allergy sufferers - sooner if symptoms worsen.Using allergy-proof covers from day one can significantly extend the life of your mattress.

Using allergen-proof covers from day one can significantly extend mattress life.

Do Not Make the Bed Immediately

People lose between ½ and 1 liter of fluid each night while sleeping. If you make the bed with a blanket or duvet over the mattress to make it look inviting, you are ensuring that the moisture remains in the mattress and bedding. Instead, find a form of bed making that allows the mattress to breathe.

Only use a bed with legs.

When you are draining ½-1 liter of water each night, it is important that the mattress can breathe. It cannot do this if it is lying directly on the floor, so it should be provided with legs, and raised so that air can circulate unhindered under and around the mattress. This necessary ventilation is stopped if you store the bedding in, for example, a drawer under the bed, so you should avoid this.

Difference between mattresses?

Mites thrive on all types of mattresses, even water mattresses, if the temperature and humidity conditions allow it.

Control the indoor climate

  • House dust mites and mold thrive in high humidity, so keep the humidity below 40–50%. House dust mites do not survive humidity below 50%.
  • Get a hygrometer
  • Keep the bedroom at the same temperature as the living rooms during the day
  • Air out at least twice a day for 10 minutes with a draft
  • Install fresh air vents in the outer walls or windows
  • Leave interior doors open as much as possible to ventilate the home.
  • Ensure effective, mechanical extraction in the kitchen and bathroom/kitchen
  • Use a bed with legs so that the mattress is raised above the floor
  • Do not cover the bed with a bedspread. Turn the duvet to the side and let the mattress air out.

Humidity

Source: ALK-Abelló

Dust mites are extremely sensitive to moisture and die when humidity drops below 50% RH.

Humans emit 0.5–1 liter of moisture per night, so it’s crucial to remove this moisture from the bed.

If your bedroom is cold, lowering humidity is harder.

Remember: air humidity decreases when cold air is heated — a natural and free effect you can use by keeping your home evenly warm (when outdoor temperature is below 20°C) and ventilating well.

Think of your home like a person — it needs to breathe freely, both in and out.

Ventilation systems with heat recovery are ideal, but where that’s not possible, you can achieve a lot with natural ventilation.

Dust Mite-Proof Covers

Because it’s difficult to reduce humidity, dust mite-proof bed covers are essential.

High-quality, tightly woven microfiber covers are the only type proven to protect effectively.

Using allergen-proof covers can reduce hospital admissions by up to 47%, and after one year, inhaled steroid doses can drop by 50%.

Be cautious — the “allergy market” is full of misleading advertising: “allergy-friendly,” “hypoallergenic,” etc.

Most cotton or non-woven polyester covers are not truly allergen-proof after washing.

Proper covers should completely seal:

Mattress top and sides
Pillow (especially near head and torso)
Seams and zippers
Duvet or blanket

Many brands fail at seams and zippers — a major source of contamination.

Mattress Protector (Mattress pad)

Most mites live near the top of the mattress where humidity is highest.

Using a washable, allergen proof mattress pad can reduce allergen levels by up to 50%.

Electric blankets kept on during the day can reduce mites by 30–50%.

  • Air OUT: Remove indoor moisture through heating and good ventilation, especially in bedrooms. A ventilation rate below 0.2 per hour increases dust mite risk, while rates above 0.5 per hour greatly reduce mites and allergens.
  • Keep doors open so air can circulate through exhaust fans in kitchen and bathroom. Use fans while cooking and showering.
  • Air – IN: It is best if the rooms are equipped with fresh air vents in walls or windows that help to draw in outside air without causing drafts. Additionally, ensure ventilation with a through draft, at least twice a day. But no more than 10 minutes at a time, so that you avoid cooling down the surfaces.
  • Regardless of how you lower the humidity, it will only be possible in the cold months.
  • If the outside temperature is above 20⁰C, it is not possible. During those periods, you must rely on the allergen-proof covers and your medication to protect you.
  • The example shown here shows that in Scandinavia it is difficult to lower the humidity in the home from May to September, when the outside temperatures are above 15⁰C, but it will be possible for the rest of the year.
Source: ALK-Abelló

 In warm areas, air conditioning systems are often used. The systems reduce the water content of the air because the indoor coils are cold and water condenses on them. This can reduce the allergen concentration in the summer months.

A study in Denmark showed that mechanical ventilation and heat recovery were enough to significantly reduce absolute humidity and thus reduce or completely eliminate house dust mites in mattresses.

When the same tests were carried out in other countries where building standards were lower and houses were more leaky, (Great Britain and southern European homes) the results were completely different.

Therefore, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery are not recommended as a general solution to reduce house dust mites and allergens in these countries.

Temperature

Humidity

Survival/Activity

Comment

10–15°C

70–80%

💤 Low activity

Slow reproduction

20–25°C

70–80%

🌿 Optimal growth

Best for breeding

26–30°C

60–70%

⚖️ Moderate activity

Gradual decline

35°C

60%

⚠️ Stressed

Few survive

>38°C

<60%

☠️ Fatal within hours

Eggs and adults die

≥55°C

—

💀 Total mortality

Bedding wash

All temps

<50% RH

🚫 No reproduction

Air too dry for eggs/larvae

Exception: House dust mite allergens are quite stable under normal living conditions. However, new studies may indicate that the Der p 1 allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is not affected much by heating to 60ºC, and the allergen activity is unchanged after storage for four years at 5-25ºC.

D. pteronyssinus thrives in warm and humid climates, and is most prevalent in Western and Northern Europe – e.g. Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and France.

It is also found in coastal areas and regions with high humidity, such as in Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain) and parts of the Mediterranean area.

Avoid Wall-to-Wall Carpets

Fixed carpets trap mites and allergens.

Smooth, washable floors are best — vacuuming removes 80% of mites from hard floors but only 30% from carpets.

Small washable rugs are acceptable alternatives.

Not having solid carpets makes cleaning easier and reduces the number of house dust mites. You can remove 80% of the mites when you vacuum a smooth floor, but only 30% if you vacuum a carpet.

There are almost four times as many mites on floors with solid wall-to-wall carpets as on other floors. This may be because vacuuming does not remove very many mites from carpets, and the moisture conditions in a carpet can be particularly favorable for mites

The mite concentration on the mattress is largely independent of the floor covering

House dust mite allergens are widespread in the home and are found especially in carpets, furniture, mattresses, pillows, duvets, rugs, curtains, soft toys, clothing, fur animals – and can even be detected to a lesser extent in hair, on the skin and in umbilical cord blood.

A large study from New Zealand showed that in dust samples from floors, beds and seats in hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, primary schools and daycare centers, cinemas, churches, ski huts, banks and airplanes, the level of Der p 1 was significantly lower in these public places compared to the home environment.

Although the level was significantly lower, it was found that carpets in public spaces still constitute an important source of house dust mite allergens, and that lower Der p 1 levels are related to how often they are cleaned.

Cleaning

Maintain a good standard of general cleaning in your home. Vacuum your bedroom at least once a week and wipe down all horizontal surfaces frequently with a damp cloth.

Thoroughly vacuuming mattresses that have otherwise been simply cleaned can temporarily reduce allergen levels by half, but this is difficult to reduce further after that.

Dust in your bedroom can trigger allergic reactions such as nasal congestion, difficulty breathing and post-nasal drip – the unpleasant feeling of mucus dripping down the back of your throat. This can lead to coughing and persistent sneezing. These are your body’s natural ways of clearing dust from your airways.

If you sleep in a dusty room, you are likely breathing in dust particles. If these particles contain substances you are sensitive to, they can trigger an allergic reaction.

In some cases, dust mite particles passing through the cilia of the nose (the nasal filter) can reach all the way down to your lower respiratory tract and cause bronchitis, or in the worst case scenario – bronchitis or asthma.

Remove dust deposits

• No wall-to-wall carpets or heavy curtains that are difficult to wash (primarily in
bedrooms).

Carpets are dust and dust mite deposits.

• Only use a bed on legs so that the mattress is raised above the floor

• Use a HEPA filter in the vacuum cleaner 1–2× weekly on floors and monthly on the
mattress

• Dust weekly

• KEEP CLEAN instead of CLEANING

HEPA filter

Make sure your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter. This means that the air that vacuum cleaners send back is cleaned of most microparticles such as allergens.

Most studies show that even the most careful vacuuming leaves up to 30% of the impurities behind.

Fecal particles and mite fragments are swirled up, especially during cleaning, vacuuming and other activities, but after just 20-30 minutes the concentration in the air is again quite low, unlike, for example, cat allergens, which remain suspended for hours.

In a moist state, the fecal particles are 10-40 µm in diameter, i.e. the same size as pollen. But in a dry state they are crushed and are then only 1-4 µm in diameter and are therefore normally airborne and easy to inhale.

A full 20% of the dust mite allergen in the air is found on particles smaller than 10 µm, probably fragments of dust mites or feces that easily reach the large and small airways.

Therefore, it is highly advisable to ventilate the home while and immediately after vacuuming. This can be done as part of regular ventilation.

Carpet Cleaning

It’s a myth that chemical or dry carpet cleaning removes all dust and allergens.

While these cleaners use surfactants that loosen dirt, they also damage protective mucous membranes in your nose, throat, and lungs — weakening resistance to allergens.

Even after professional cleaning, up to 15% of dirt remains

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