How to quickly eliminate dust mites from your mattress

If you immediately make your bed when you wake up in the morning, the tight sheets will trap millions of dust mites that live in your mattress, feeding on dead skin cells and sweat, and potentially contributing to asthma and allergy problems. An unmade and open bed, however, exposes the bugs to fresh air and light, helping to dehydrate them and eliminate them.

Experts recommend making the bed after having breakfast and changing sheets once a week – pillowcases up to twice a week if you suffer more clearly from the respiratory problems mentioned above.

“We know that mites can only survive by ingesting water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their bodies,” said Dr. Stephen Pretlove from the School of Architecture at Kingston University.

“Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress, causing the mites to dehydrate and eventually die,” he added.