Hypoallergenic Bedding: A Guide to the Dust Mite and Allergy Free Bed

1. Be clear as to whether you have dust mite allergies and you do this by going to an allergist for allergy tests.

2. Once you have discovered you have allergies to dust mites, figure out whether you have exposure to them. You are more likely to have dust mites in your home if you live down South in warmer climates or where there is a higher level of humidity. You can test out whether you have an infestation in your home by using a home dust mite test kit.

3. You can give yourself a break by cleaning your bedroom. See article on Dust Mite Control

4. A pillow collects up to 2 pounds of dust mite feces [the stuff you are allergic to] over a 2 year period. Therefore, your pillow is the most obvious place to start with dust mite encasings if you do not want to bury your nose into dust mites every night If your pillow needs replacing anyway, then consider buying a pillow,made out of a textile which is dust mite resistant such as our latex pillows. Latex is the most effective as latex does not hold moisture for long. Wool or silk pillows would be a second choice, but not so effective as latex.

5. My favorite dust mite encasings are Cottonfresh and I think they are worth the extra money. Apart from the added benefit that they are organic and unbleached, they are also the softest. Think about it for a moment, the softest and most supple dust mite cover underneath your pillowcase means that your pillow retains its soft and supple feel. Important for those of us who like to scrunch up our pillows, and mash them underneath our heads.

6. I get routinely get asked as to which is the BEST and most effective dust mite encasing or cover. The answer is when it comes to dust mite encasings, we do not sell any brand which let the dust mites through. Our fabrics are tightly woven and the bugs simply cannot wiggle their way through the fabric. All our brands have a pore size of less than 10 microns the size of the average dust mite. Our Solus Organic having the smallest pore size at 6.5 microns. The “best” is in reality a comfort choice, and we prefer ones which are made out of cotton because they “breath better”.

7. Looking for a cheap dust mite cover? Then encase your mattress with a plastic or garbage bag. A little facetious? Well perhaps, but plastic does a great job, it cuts the dust mites off from their food source which is you and your skin flakes. Trouble is you would find it sweaty and the noise of the plastic would drive your crazy. Some of the dust mite encasings on the market are only a small step away from a garbage bag-with a crinkly noise designed to keep you up all night.

8. Do you need a dust mite cover on your box spring? To my mind, unless you are super allergic, this can be overkill and you can do without one. However, one caveat dust mites do travel, and crawl where they are not wanted. I like our middle of the road cotton dust mite encasings for this job.

Dust Mite Test Kit

Latex Pillows

Cottonfresh Dust Mite Encasings


Royal-Pedic Latex Quilt-Top Mattresses

9. How about the mattress? It is well worth using a dust mite encasing on your mattress, but remember if you have a latex mattress you probably do not need an encasing at all, as latex is inhospitable to dust mites. Our Royal Pedic mattress is a customer favorite amongst our latex mattresses and is unbelievably comfortable and supportive to aching joints.

10. I get asked how often you need to wash the dust mite covers? This is a matter of hygiene not anything to do with the effectiveness of the dust mite covering. Personally, I like to wash them as little as possible because of the risk of damaging a mattress encasing as you get it on and off.[see our article on instructions for putting on a dust mite encasing onto your mattress]. Washing dust mite covers does not increase their dust mite prevention properties. Pillow encasings can be washed regularly. With mattresses I recommend that you also use a hygienic mattress pad such as our Solus Organic mattress pad and that is what you wash in the washing machine. If you need to clean your mattress encasings without taking them off the mattress, then try using a vapor steam cleaner, which kills any surface dust mite matter and cleans all dirt and stains. Let’s face it, people drool into their pillows, sweat and do other things at night, which make it necessary to freshen pillow encasings by washing them. Wash them at a high temperature of 130°F to kill any dust mite matter on the inside of the encasing.

11. How about dust-mite covers for duvets? In a perfect world you would have a duvet or comforter which was comprise of a textile in hospitable for the dust mite party. Comforters are made out of silk or wool are perfect for minimizing the breeding of dust mite colonies. Hypoallergenic down comforters [which reduce the chance of a reaction to feathers] can still be a breeding ground for dust mites, but the ones with a higher thread count shell will assist in keep the dust mites at bay. If you need a dust mite cover for your comforter, we think Cottonfresh wins out as it is the lightest and most supple covering. Why bother with a dust mite cover if your regular duvet cover is very high thread count? Good question but unless your duvet cover has zippered tight enclosures, those adolescent dust mites will muscle their way through any opening. Adolescent dust mites for the uninitiated, as we found out from a man who breeds them for researchers, tend to be pushy creatures which find their way through anything and will jump around in pursuing more food. Need I say more?

12. Dust Mite Encasings for your children’s’ beds? Buy them the cheapest covers, like our all cotton encasings they will never know the difference. If you want to indulge them a bit, buy the Cottonfresh to cover their pillows and preferably your own!

1. Hypoallergenic Bedding - : A Guide to the Dust Mite and Allergy Free Bed
2. FAQ for Dust Mite Encasings and Allergen Removal - Answers to common questions about dust mites and dust mite encasings
3. How to Install Dust Mite Encasings - Sometimes wrestling with a mattress dust mite encasing can be difficult. Here are a few tips to make the job easier
4. Solution Guide for Dust Mites - Dust mites are too small to be seen but are the most common cause of year-round allergy and asthma
5. Compare - Dust Mite Encasings Comparisons, Best Ratings, Product Reviews
6. How To: Create a Dustmite-Free Bedroom
7. Comparison Chart - Dust Mite Encasings- Comparisons, Best Ratings, Product Reviews
8. More information - All Dust Mite Covers - Pillows Covers, Comforter Covers, Mattress Dust Mite Encasings