Dust mites and bedding… What are the right things to do ?
Our cozy little beds can be a real nest for dust mites. Did you know? According to a survey, 70% of the French population suffers from an allergy to dust mites (1). These little spiders invisible to the naked eye and yet lead the hard life to many people in France and in the world … In this new blog post, we give you the right gestures to apply with your bedding to improve your daily life with an allergy to dust mites.
According to a survey, 70% of the French population suffers from an allergy to dust mites.
What is a mite ?
Mites are small, microscopic beasts that belong to the arachnid family (2). They are present just about everywhere in your home, even if you spend hours cleaning! Their favorite haunt ? Warm places like duvets, pillows, mattresses… They also love dust! You should know that they also like the stuffed animals and cuddly toys of our little cherubs !
When you are allergic to dust mites, it is the droppings of the latter that will trigger the allergy (3). Among the pleasant symptoms we find:
- Sneezing
- Stuffy nose and or runny nose,
- Itchy, watery eyes,
- Difficulty breathing,
- Wheezing or coughing
So many inconveniences for such a small beast… It’s enough to go crazy !
What can I do to prevent dust mites from accumulating in my bedding ?
In order to make our lives easier, there are some good gestures to apply on a daily basis to fight against these pests that can cause allergies and discomfort :
Wash bed linen regularly
One of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the dust mite population in bedding is to regularly wash your sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and other blankets. The frequency of washing will depend on your sleep habits and environment, but in general it is recommended to wash bed linen every 1 to 2 weeks.
When washing your bed linen, it is recommended to use hot water (at least 60°C) in order to kill dust mites and eliminate the allergens they produce. You can also use an anti-dust mite rinse additive. Breyner offers the GREENTOP anti-dust mite rinse additive to treat all machine or hand washable items (sheets, covers, pillows, curtains, soft toys, etc.). It destroys house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and their eggs even at low temperatures (30°C) ! Made in France, it is composed of a plant-inspired active substance: Geraniol and peppermint essential oil !
Visit our Amazon page to learn more about our products !
Change your pillow
One solution we don’t think about all the time is simply to change your pillow! Indeed, pillows are warm and humid places that dust mites love. It would be recommended to change your pillows every two years. 10% of the weight of a pillow would actually be dust mite droppings or dead mites (4). If we consider that we sleep about 8 hours per night, multiplied by 365… That’s a lot of time spent on our pillow!
If we recommend washing pillowcases every 1 to 2 weeks, the ideal would also be to wash your pillow every two months at least (5) !
10% of the weight of a pillow would actually be dust mite droppings or dead mites
Various tips
You can also apply some practical tips to take all precautions and limittheir presence for your comfort.
- Regularly vacuum your mattress, around and furniture to remove dead mites and their waste,
- Ventilate your interior to limit humidity or use a dehumidifier,
- Avoid placing soft toys and carpets in the bedroom,
- Avoid letting your pets sleep with you,
You can also use dust mite treatments! Breyner developed GREENTOP, an anti-mite treatment based on geraniol. Its use is suitable for the whole family. Available for sale as cleaning products on Amazon: spray for textile application, shampoo for carpets and carpets (or the rinse additive, mentioned above) …
Be aware that there are items directly treated with GREENTOP on the market. Each treated item has a label with a unique traceability number to trace the production chain. This process ensures the quality of application of the treatment.
You can learn more about our different treatments by visiting our dedicated blog post !
Use biocidal products with caution. Before use, read the label and product information. Before any use, make sure that it is essential, especially in places frequented by the general public. Whenever possible, preference should be given to alternative methods and products presenting the lowest risk to human and animal health and the environment. Dangerous. Follow precautions for use. This product is a TP18 – acaricide.