How to Get Rid of Dust Mites in Mattress (Step by Step)

Quick answer: To get rid of dust mites in a mattress, vacuum it slowly with a sealed HEPA vacuum, then zip it into an allergen-proof encasement so the mites inside are sealed off from you and their food. Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in water at least 130°F, and keep bedroom humidity below 50%. You can’t make a mattress mite-free forever, but these steps sharply cut the allergens you breathe at night.

If you wake up stuffy, sneezing or itchy-eyed, learning how to get rid of dust mites in mattress fabric is one of the most useful things you can do. Your mattress is the single biggest dust mite habitat in most homes: warm, humid from your breath and sweat, and full of the skin flakes mites eat.

The goal isn’t to “sterilize” the bed. It’s to kill as many mites as you can, lock the rest away, and make the bedroom too dry for them to rebound. Here’s the order that works.

What causes dust mites in a mattress?

Dust mites are microscopic relatives of spiders, about a quarter of a millimeter long. They don’t bite and they don’t live on you. They live in fabric and eat the tiny flakes of skin people and pets shed every day.

Mattresses give them everything they need:

• Food: you shed skin all night, and it works down into the ticking and padding.
• Moisture: mites can’t drink. They absorb water from the air, so the humidity from your breath and body keeps them alive.
• Warmth: they thrive around 70 to 80°F, which is normal bedroom temperature.
• Shelter: foam, fibers, quilted tops and seams trap them deep where a quick vacuum can’t reach.

The allergy problem comes from mite droppings and body fragments, not the living mites. Those particles are relatively heavy, so they settle into bedding quickly and get kicked up when you roll over, make the bed or fluff a pillow.

Signs you have a dust mite problem in bed

You can’t see dust mites, so the clues are indirect. Many people notice symptoms that are worse at night or first thing in the morning, better away from home, and year-round rather than seasonal. Only an allergist can confirm a dust mite allergy with testing, so talk to your doctor if you have ongoing symptoms.

If you see tiny moving specks, rusty stains or bites, you’re likely dealing with something else. Compare with our guide to bed bugs, which need a different plan.

How to get rid of dust mites in mattress: step by step

Do steps 1 through 5 on the same day, ideally in the morning so the mattress has all day to air out and dry.

1. Strip the bed completely. Remove sheets, pillowcases, mattress pads, duvet covers and blankets. Carry them straight to the laundry in a bag or basket rather than shaking them out in the bedroom.
2. Wash bedding in hot water. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology recommends washing bedding in water at least 130°F to kill mites. Check your water heater setting, or use a washer’s sanitize cycle. Dry everything on high heat. Items you can’t wash hot, like some pillows and stuffed toys, can go in the dryer on high for 15 minutes or into a sealed bag in the freezer for 24 hours.
3. Vacuum the mattress slowly with a sealed HEPA vacuum. Use the upholstery tool and go slowly, about one inch per second, across the top, sides and especially the seams, tufts and piping where skin flakes collect. A vacuum without a sealed HEPA system can blow fine allergens back into the room. Vacuum both sides if the mattress is flippable.
4. Steam the surface lightly, or skip it. Dry steam kills mites it touches on the surface. Use a canister steamer with a fabric tool, keep it moving, and use as little moisture as possible. Then let the mattress dry completely, with a fan running and windows open, before you cover it. A damp mattress is the opposite of what you want: moisture helps mites and can feed mold.
5. Zip the mattress into an allergen-proof encasement. This is the most important step. A fully enclosed, zippered encasement with a tight weave or membrane seals off the mites inside so their allergens can’t reach you, and it blocks new mites from moving in. Use the same kind of cover on your pillows and, if you have one, the box spring.
6. Lower bedroom humidity to 30 to 50%. Dust mites dehydrate and die when relative humidity stays below about 50%, according to allergy experts. Use a hygrometer to check, and run AC or a dehumidifier during humid months. This single change makes every other step last longer.
7. Keep up a weekly routine. Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in hot water, wipe or wash the encasement every couple of months, and vacuum the bedroom floor and any upholstered headboard weekly. Consistency beats intensity with dust mites.

Steam cleaners can scald skin in seconds: keep children and pets out of the room while steaming, never point the nozzle at people, and let the steamer cool before refilling. Check the mattress tag first, since some memory foam and latex mattresses shouldn’t get wet or hot. If you use an acaricide (anti-mite) spray, choose a product labeled for bedding, follow the label exactly, ventilate the room, wear gloves, and keep kids and pets off the bed until it’s fully dry. Never mix cleaning chemicals.

How long does it take?

The deep clean takes an afternoon, most of it drying time. Many people notice their bedroom feels less stuffy within a week or two of encasing the mattress and pillows and washing bedding hot. Keeping humidity below 50% keeps populations low over the following months.

Do baking soda, sunlight and UV vacuums work?

• Baking soda: it can freshen a mattress, but there’s no good evidence it kills dust mites. Vacuum it out thoroughly if you use it.
• Sunlight: airing a mattress in direct, dry sun can help dry and kill some mites near the surface, but it’s rarely practical and won’t reach deep layers.
• UV “mite vacuums”: the brief UV exposure while you pass over fabric has little proven effect on mites. The suction is what does the work, and a good sealed HEPA vacuum does that better.

The equipment that helps

A good encasement and a sealed vacuum do most of the work. For more encasement options, see our guide to the best mattress encasement for bed bugs: the same zippered, fully enclosed covers that stop bed bugs also block dust mite allergens.

For the rest of the house, our guide to the best HEPA vacuum for allergies compares bagged and bagless options.

How to keep dust mites from coming back

Dust mites return if the bedroom stays humid and bedding goes unwashed. These habits keep them low:

• Keep humidity between 30% and 50%. This is the EPA’s recommended indoor range, and it’s the main thing that keeps mites from rebuilding. A dehumidifier helps in humid climates and basements.
• Wash bedding weekly at 130°F or higher. Include pillowcases and any throw blankets that live on the bed.
• Keep the encasements on. Don’t remove them to wash unless they’re soiled, and check zippers for gaps.
• Cut clutter and fabric in the bedroom. Fewer throw pillows, stuffed animals and heavy drapes means fewer mite habitats. Hard floors are easier to keep low-allergen than wall-to-wall carpet.
• Keep pets off the bed. Pet dander adds food and more allergens.
• Run a HEPA air purifier near the bed. Mite allergens settle fast, so purifiers help less with mites than with pet dander and pollen. They still help reduce allergens stirred up at bedtime. See our best air purifier for allergies picks.
• Dust and vacuum weekly. Our guide on how to get rid of dust in house covers a room-by-room routine.
• Replace pillows every couple of years if they aren’t encased. Pillows gather mite allergens surprisingly fast.

For the whole-home approach, including carpets, couches and air, see our complete guide on how to get rid of dust mites and allergens.

When to call a professional

Dust mites don’t require an exterminator, but some situations do call for a pro. See a doctor or allergist if you have persistent allergy symptoms, wheezing, trouble breathing or eczema flares, since only testing can confirm a dust mite allergy. Call a licensed pest control company if you find live insects, bites, rusty spots or shed skins on the mattress (signs of bed bugs, not dust mites). If the mattress smells musty or shows spots after a spill or leak, replace it rather than cleaning it, since mold deep in padding can’t be removed at home.

Frequently asked questions

Can you ever get rid of dust mites in a mattress completely?

Not completely, and you don’t need to. Some dust mites live in almost every home. The practical goal is to kill most of them, seal the mattress in an allergen-proof encasement so the rest can’t reach you, and keep bedroom humidity below 50% so they can’t rebuild. That combination is what allergy experts recommend for reducing exposure.

Does vacuuming a mattress remove dust mites?

Vacuuming removes skin flakes, surface mites and a lot of allergen, but it can’t pull out mites living deep in foam or padding. That’s why vacuuming works best as a first step before encasing the mattress. Use a vacuum with a sealed HEPA system, go slowly, and focus on seams and tufts.

What temperature kills dust mites?

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology recommends washing bedding in water at least 130°F to kill dust mites. A hot dryer cycle also helps. For items you can’t wash hot, 15 minutes in a hot dryer or 24 hours in a sealed bag in the freezer kills mites, though you’ll still need to wash out the allergens afterward.

Should I replace my mattress because of dust mites?

Usually not. An old mattress does hold more mite allergen, but a quality allergen-proof encasement seals it off for far less money than a new bed. Replace the mattress if it’s sagging, stained, smells musty, or has been wet. If you buy a new one, encase it from day one to keep it low-allergen.

Do dust mite covers really work?

Allergen-proof encasements are one of the most widely recommended steps for reducing dust mite exposure in bed. They work best when they fully enclose the mattress and pillows with a zipper, and when you combine them with hot weekly washing and humidity control. Covers alone, without the other steps, have shown more modest results in studies.

How often should I clean my mattress for dust mites?

Deep-clean the mattress (vacuum and optional light steam) every few months, or when you change encasements. Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in hot water, and wipe or wash the encasement every couple of months. Keeping humidity below 50% year-round does more to control mites between cleanings than any single deep clean.

The bottom line

Vacuum, encase, wash hot and keep the air dry: that’s how you get dust mites in a mattress under control and keep them there. Start with a zippered encasement tonight, then tackle the rest of the house with our full guide on how to get rid of dust mites and allergens.