As of: February 15, 2024, 2:32 p.m
By: Ines Alms
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Mites are tiny, but can have a big impact, especially on allergy sufferers.
With discipline and a few tips you can fight the animals in the bedroom.
House dust mites live on animal and human skin dander or hair.
They prefer to find them in the dust and in beds, where they live in thousands.
This is not a problem for most people, but the immune systems of people allergic to house dust and sensitive people react to the animal's feces by releasing large amounts of histamine.
This leads to symptoms such as an itchy, stuffy nose, cough, watery eyes or itching.
Because the animals are so small and so numerous, they will never be completely eliminated.
But there are measures that make life difficult for them and reduce their number and thus the allergy triggers.
From encasing to ventilation – how to decimate mites in the bedroom
It is best to change bed linen and sheets every week.
Special encasing covers protect against mites.
© YAY Images/Imago
The house dust mites, which are up to half a millimeter in size, cannot be seen with the naked eye.
But they are always there and feel very comfortable in a warm, humid environment - since they also find a lot of food in their bed, they can reproduce excellently in this habitat.
To combat them, you have to deprive them of these good conditions:
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A special mattress cover (encasing) is mite and allergen proof.
It is important that it completely encloses the mattress.
Such covers are also useful for pillows and duvets.
If an allergy is proven, some health insurance companies will cover the costs.
An alternative are pillows and blankets that can be washed at at least 60 degrees Celsius, or even better at 95 degrees Celsius.
Ideally, they should be put in the washing machine every four weeks with a heavy-duty detergent.
The bed linen itself is changed about every week and is put into the drum immediately after being removed at the highest possible temperature.
It makes sense to buy a new mattress every seven to ten years, as a lot of allergens have accumulated in it by then.
The space under the mattress should be kept clear so that the air does not build up underneath.
A frame with bed feet is better than a bed box.
After getting up, turn over the duvet and pillows and air them so that the mattress is free and the moisture can escape.
If you have the opportunity, you can hang them out in the fresh air to dry.
Under no circumstances should you make the bed immediately and put a bedspread over it.
Further measures against mites around the bed
Ventilating the room three times a day for five to ten minutes each reduces the humidity in the bedroom, which is best between 45 and 55 percent.
The room temperature should not exceed 18 degrees Celsius.
The number of plants in the room should be kept as low as possible, as they also release moisture.
Animals have no place in bed.
You can make an exception for plush toys, but depending on the material, you should wash them regularly at 60 degrees Celsius or put them in the freezer for twelve hours to kill the mites.
You can then put them in the washing machine at a lower temperature to wash out the mite droppings and thus the allergens.
You should avoid dust collectors such as shelves or heavy curtains, especially in the bedroom, and dust radiators regularly.
If you don't have underfloor heating, avoid carpets if possible and vacuum and damp mop the floor regularly.
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The effect of pesticide sprays with benzyl benzoate or essential oils such as neem oil, which are intended to kill mites in the mattress, has not yet been proven.
Even suction does not remove the animals sufficiently.