Last updated: October 2026
Dust mites are tiny creatures that live in every bed in the UK, feeding on the skin you shed each night. You cannot see them and you cannot get rid of every last one, but you can cut their numbers dramatically and stop them reaching your mattress at all. This guide covers what they are, how to tell if they are affecting you, and the exact steps to deal with them.
Quick answer: To get rid of dust mites in your bed, wash all bedding at 60C every week, hoover the mattress with a HEPA filter, keep the bedroom below 50% humidity, and put a washable mattress protector with a dust mite barrier between you and the mattress. The protector is the step that stops the problem coming back.
What are dust mites?
Dust mites are microscopic arachnids, around a quarter of a millimetre long, that live in soft furnishings. They do not bite and they do not carry disease. They feed on dead skin cells, which is why they gather where you spend the most time: your mattress, your pillows and your duvet.
They thrive in warmth and humidity. A bed is ideal, because you heat it to body temperature and add moisture every night. Research from Ohio State University puts the population of a used, unprotected mattress at anywhere between 100,000 and 10 million mites.
The mites themselves are not the issue. The problem is their droppings. Each mite produces around 20 of these a day, and they contain a protein that many people are allergic to. Allergy UK estimates that around 12 million adults in the UK have a dust mite allergy.
Dust mite allergy symptoms
Because the allergen is concentrated in your bed, symptoms are usually worst at night and first thing in the morning. Common signs include:
- Blocked or runny nose on waking
- Sneezing in bed or just after getting up
- Itchy, red or watery eyes
- Coughing, wheezing or tight chest at night, especially if you have asthma
- Itchy skin or eczema flare-ups
- Poor sleep and waking tired
If your symptoms ease when you are away from home for a few nights and return when you are back in your own bed, dust mites are a likely cause. A GP can confirm it with an allergy test.
Where dust mites live in your bed
In order of population, roughly: the mattress, then the pillows, then the duvet, then the base and the carpet underneath. The mattress holds the most because it is the biggest, warmest and most humid surface, and it is almost never washed. Pillows are next, because they sit directly under your face and absorb sweat and skin all night.
An old pillow is a particular problem. After a couple of years, a noticeable share of a pillow's weight can be mites and their droppings.
How to get rid of dust mites in your bed: 8 steps
- Strip the bed and wash everything at 60C. Sheets, pillowcases, duvet cover and mattress protector. Dust mites die at 60C; a 40C wash cleans the fabric but leaves most of them alive. Do this weekly.
- Wash or replace the pillows and duvet. Synthetic pillows and duvets can usually go in the machine at 60C (check the label). Memory foam and feather pillows cannot. If a pillow is more than two years old and has never been protected, replace it. See our guide on how to wash pillows by type.
- Hoover the mattress. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and go over the whole surface slowly, including the seams and sides. Do both sides if your mattress is two-sided. A standard vacuum without a HEPA filter can blow the allergen back into the room.
- Air the mattress. Leave it uncovered for a few hours with the window open. Mites need humidity; a dry, cool mattress is a hostile one. Do not use water or a steam cleaner on a memory foam or hybrid mattress, as trapped moisture makes the problem worse.
- Fit a mattress protector with a dust mite barrier. This is the step that lasts. A protector with a membrane layer stops skin cells and sweat getting into the mattress, so the mites have nothing to feed on, and it goes in the wash each week with the sheets. Choose one with a breathable top fabric so it does not trap heat.
- Protect the pillows too. A pillow protector under the pillowcase does the same job for the pillow, which matters more if the pillow itself cannot be washed.
- Bring the bedroom humidity down. Mites struggle below 50% relative humidity. Open the window daily, avoid drying clothes in the bedroom, and use a dehumidifier if the room is damp. A cheap hygrometer tells you where you stand.
- Clear the surroundings. Hoover the carpet and the bed base weekly, wash curtains and soft toys (or freeze toys for 24 hours to kill mites, then wash), and keep clutter and fabric off the bedroom floor.
How to keep dust mites out for good
Getting rid of dust mites once is easy. Keeping them away is about routine:
- Bedding and protector washed at 60C every week
- Mattress hoovered every month
- Pillows replaced every two to three years, or sooner if they stay lumpy after fluffing
- Bedroom kept cool and ventilated, ideally under 20C and 50% humidity
- Protectors kept on the mattress and pillows at all times
The best mattress protectors for dust mites
All three REM-Fit mattress protectors use the same Miracle Membrane barrier that blocks dust mites, allergens and spills. The difference is the fabric on top.
- Tencel Cool Mattress Protector: Good Housekeeping Institute winner 2026 for Best Cooling Protector. Silent, moisture-wicking Tencel fibres over the dust mite barrier. The pick for hot sleepers and anyone who finds standard protectors rustle or trap heat.
- Bamboo Mattress Protector: naturally hypoallergenic jersey knit bamboo, more breathable than cotton. The middle option for allergy sufferers who run a little warm.
- Cotton Mattress Protector: breathable jersey cotton, machine washable, with a 5-year guarantee. Reliable everyday protection without paying for cooling technology.
All three stretch to fit mattresses up to 35cm deep and come in sizes from single to super king. Any of them also extends the REM-Fit sleep trial from 100 nights to 200.
A pillow that resists dust mites
If your pillow is the suspect, the REM-Fit Bamboo Charcoal Pillow is built for allergy sufferers. The bamboo charcoal infused memory foam is naturally hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant, and it helps regulate moisture and odour overnight. It comes in two depths (8cm for back and front sleepers, 12cm for side sleepers) and carries a 5-year guarantee. Put a pillow protector over it and wash the protector weekly.
Does a new mattress help?
If your mattress is more than eight years old, has never had a protector on it, and you wake congested every morning, no amount of hoovering will fully fix it. The mites and their droppings are deep in the fillings. A new mattress, protected from day one, is a clean start.
A REM-Fit hybrid mattress uses open-cell foam and a pocket spring core, which stays cooler and drier than dense foam and gives mites less of the warm, humid environment they need. Fit a protector when it arrives and the mattress stays as clean inside as the day it was delivered.
✓ 100-night trial, extended to 200 nights with a mattress protector ✓ 15-year guarantee ✓ Free UK delivery
Frequently asked questions
Can you see dust mites?
No. At around 0.25mm long they are invisible to the naked eye. If you can see something moving in your bed, it is not a dust mite. Bed bugs are much larger (about the size of an apple seed) and leave bite marks; dust mites do neither.
Do dust mites bite?
No. Dust mites have no interest in living skin. Itching or red marks in bed are more likely to be an allergic skin reaction to their droppings, eczema, or something else entirely such as bed bugs or fleas.
What temperature kills dust mites?
A 60C wash kills dust mites and removes the allergen. Tumble drying on a hot setting for 20 minutes or more also works. Freezing at minus 18C for 24 hours kills the mites, although it does not remove the droppings, so wash afterwards.
Does a mattress protector stop dust mites?
A protector with a membrane barrier stops skin cells and moisture reaching the mattress, so new mites cannot establish inside it, and it washes at 60C with the rest of the bedding. It will not remove mites already deep inside an old mattress, but it prevents the problem on a new or recently cleaned one.
Can dust mites live in memory foam?
Fewer than in traditional fillings, because dense foam gives them less space, but the surface and cover still collect skin and moisture. Open-cell foam and hybrid designs stay drier, and a protector removes the question altogether.
How often should I wash bedding to control dust mites?
Weekly, at 60C, including the mattress and pillow protectors. Hoover the mattress monthly and replace pillows every two to three years.
This article is for general information. If you have persistent allergy or asthma symptoms, speak to your GP or pharmacist.
