Do Carpet Cleaners Kill Dust Mites?

Are you having allergies caused by dust mites and you’re looking for a solution to eliminating them? Are dust mites heavily infested in your carpets, and do you need a way to kill them? This guide discusses the question “do carpet cleaners kill dust mites?”

Yes, the use of carpet cleaners also referred to as steam cleaners, is an effective way to kill dust mites. Carpet cleaners are designed to remove deeply embedded dirt and stains in your carpets, using their heat extraction and vacuuming skills. 

This method helps to both clean and sanitize your carpets, however, it is advisable to have air purifiers or dehumidifiers around the area when using carpet cleaners to kill dust mites, as it helps clean the air from dead dust mites cells. 

As dust mites are a common indoor allergen, these allergens are commonly a reaction from the dust mites dropping, thus there is a need to eliminate these dust mites so they don’t produce these droppings. Here’s a simple guide on how to effectively kill dust mites with “steam carpet cleaners”.

Do Carpet Cleaners Actually Kill Dust Mites?

Carpet cleans are an effective way to make a difference in the cleanliness of your home and the elimination of dust mites, giving you allergies and making you uncomfortable around your living area. 

The elimination of dust mites is a gradual process. Still, carpet cleaners are an effective and steam-solution method to drastically reduce the dust mites present in your home and sanitize your home as well. 

When carpet cleaning or steam cleaning, the use of a cleaning solution, the heat of the water, and the machine’s extractive vacuuming is a great teamwork process that leads to the significant reduction of dust mites and their droppings around your home.

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Here’s a simple highlighted technique on how to use carpet cleaners to Kiel dust mites and their dropping:

  • Start with pretreating your carpets, by spraying them with a cleaning solution and allowing them to soak in for about 15 minutes.
  • Followed by using steam cleaners, which pump water into the carpets, and extract the soapy fluid with high-heat vacuuming. 
  • After cleaning allow the carpet to dry, this usually takes two to five hours depending on the type of carpet.
  • Then you can go over the carpet with regular vacuum cleaning to remove any leftover droppings and to maintain the good condition of your carpets 
  • Lastly, you can spray eucalyptus essential oil or tea tree oil lightly around the affected area as a sanitizer and a preventive measure against dust mites. 

Furthermore, it’s advisable to take extra measures and clean around the house, especially in dark areas that would be suitable for mites to hide:

  • It’s helpful to dust and steam clean other rooms and areas of the house. 
  • Wash beddings, drapes, curtains, and clothes on high heat. 
  • Misting rubbing alcohol and water on the affected areas. 
  • Investing in an air purifier or dehumidifier to make the temperature of the living area inhabitable for dust mites.  
  • Make a homemade mite spray by mixing two tablespoons of eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil. Mix both oils into a dark spray bottle and add two cups of distilled water, then mist around the affected areas.
using carpet cleaners

Do Professional Steam Cleaners Do The Job Better?

Although we can have our carpets and house area thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to remove dust mites or their droppings ourselves, the task maybe be overwhelming.

Having to inch clean the entire home may get tiring or lead to you falling sick from the exposure to these dust mites droppings. 

Technically, studies have shown that professional carpet cleaning and the use of professional cleaners can efficiently reduce the presence of dust mites by 87%. Although it comes at a price, doing this once a year can have a positive effect in never having to deal with dust mites or any kind of insect infestation.

Professional cleaning is especially important if you have babies who crawl or children who actively play around the house. It’s also great for pet owners whose hairs may be getting stuck in the carpet fibers, or are attracting dust mites with their dead skin droppings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I vacuum after carpet cleaning? 

Yes, running your vacuum over your carpets after a professional deep clean is effective in maintaining the condition of your carpets. But, remember to do it only after the carpet is completely dry. Vacuuming your carpet when it’s still damp, causes dirt from the vacuum to be transferred to the carpet.

Does baking soda kill dust mites?

Baking soda is highly effective at removing moisture and deodorizing, but it won’t help in killing dust mites. However, it can help in making the area unsuitable for dust mites by soaking up any moisture.

Does vinegar kill dust mites? 

No, vinegar won’t kill dust mites, instead, it will help in deterring them from returning to the area where vinegar was applied. It’s advised to mist the surroundings with vinegar after eliminating dust mites.

Conclusion

Dust mites are common household allergens that leave you uncomfortable around your home.

There’s always the need to take special care when trying to eliminate these allergens and to ensure you keep them away from your home. Regular cleaning, vacuuming, and the use of steam carpet cleaners are effective ways to kill these household allergens.

Steam cleaning is well recommended as the extreme heat used in the process of cleaning would kill them, and it’s crucial to finish off with vacuum cleaning after the carpets have dried to remove all traces and droppings of dust mites. 

Lastly, the use of professional cleaners or professional steam cleaners is also a highly recommended means of expertly getting rid of dust mites’ presence around the home or living area, especially if their presence is extremely high.