There are two types of mites on furniture that you need to be aware of. These are clover mites and dust mites.
Clover mites invade homes during the fall (autumn) months.
In comparison, dust mites are active during May and October. It’s during these months the allergens in the air are the highest.
In this guide, you’ll find out proven ways to get rid of mites on furniture.
The best part?
You don’t need any pest controller to eliminate dust mites and clover mites on your furniture and in your home.
You can do it yourself.
Keep reading to know more.
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Why And How Clover Mites Enter Your Home?
Before you get into the elimination process, you must know why and how mites invade your homes.
That’ll put you a step ahead of these tiny bugs when you’re getting rid of them.
The plants that clover mites feed on either shed their leaves or perish during the fall months.
That makes them look for new places to hide and breed, causing them to enter your home.
Clover mites don’t bite humans, nor do they carry any diseases.
The only problem is that they produce, fast, in large numbers inside the house.
Once inside your home, clover mites feed on molds. Molds are quite common in homes with high levels of dampness.
The source of clover mites is your yard, or garden, where they prefer to live and feed on plant matter.
They enter your home through the small gaps and cracks and open doors and windows.
Being red and tiny, you might confuse a clover mite with a bed bug that had a blood meal.
Once their population inside your home goes over the roof, you’d find them on furniture, floor, and even in places like your bathroom.
Why And How Dust Mites Enter Your Home?
Dust mites feed on dead skin cells of humans and animals. Also, dust mites can eat paper, cotton, and synthetic fibers.
That makes your home the place to be for dust mites.
Their feeding habits make dust mites hide in places like soft upholstery furniture like beds, couches, and accent chairs.
Dust mites are white microscopic bugs that are barely visible to the naked eye.
So, you really can’t see if you’ve dust mites in your home.
And they don’t leave behind any physical signs of infestation.
But, dust mites or white mites cause allergic reactions in humans like an itchy nose, cough, and nasal congestion.
For asthma patients, dust mites are deadly. They can trigger severe asthma attacks.
If you’re getting allergic attacks, often, especially during the dust mite season, then chances are you’ve dust mites in your home.
And how dust mites enter your home?
Most of the time, it’s you who brings dust mites into your home, of course, unintentionally.
If you visit places that dust mites already infest, they’ll latch onto your clothes and luggage.
Dust mites can also come on their own from outdoors.
How To Get Rid Of Mites On Furniture?
By now, you know two things – which mites hide in your furniture and how they get inside your home.
So now it’s time to get rid of mites on furniture.
To do that, you’d need a few things.
- Steam cleaner.
- Vacuum cleaner.
- Lint brush.
- Dust mite spray.
- Microfiber cloth.
Here are the five steps that kill clover mites and dust mites on furniture.
Step # 1
To begin with, remove all bed sheets, drapes, curtains, and pillow covers and wash them in warm water.
If any of them needs dry cleaning, then hand it over for dry cleaning.
Washing these fabrics in hot water will kill any mites latched onto them.
Step # 2
Thoroughly vacuum clean your home, furniture, and floor furnishings like rugs or carpet.
Vacuuming will remove all the hiding mites.
Keep in mind that dust mites are more prone to hide in your bed and couch.
It’s because, in these places, dust mites are more likely to get your dead skin flakes that they eat.
So, while vacuuming, ensure that you go deep into the gaps between the armrests and the couch cushion.
On your bed, thoroughly vacuum the box springs, the bed frame, and the bed headboard too.
After vacuuming, dispose of the dust bag outside of your home and property.
If you dispose of the dust bag in a trash bin inside your home, mites may re-infest your home.
Before vacuuming, many homeowners scatter borax or diatomaceous earth in their homes to get rid of mites.
That is also a viable way. Both kill mites on contact.
To do it, you need to scatter either borax or diatomaceous earth in your home and furniture and let it settle down for a while.
After a few hours, vacuum the home and furniture thoroughly so that you cover all the corners.
Step # 3
Spray the dust mite spray on all furniture, including the upholstery, with soft cushioning like sofa and mattress.
Dust mites hide in the soft furnishings and can cause allergies. Dust mites can also trigger asthmatic attacks on asthma patients.
So, it’s always a wise decision to use dust mite spray before you move on to further steps.
And if your home has high dampness, then clover mites can hide in the upholstery too.
Spraying a dust mite spray on the furniture is the best way to kill them.
Wait for a few minutes after spraying the dust mite spray.
Step # 4
Use a lint brush to scrub soft furnishings like sofa and mattress to remove dead mites on the surface.
Wipe off the hard furniture’s surface with a microfiber cloth.
Step # 5
Mites are microscopic bugs, and despite the above four steps, some are still present on your furniture.
And the best way to land a death blow to these leftover hidden mites is a steam cleaner.
Use the steam cleaner on furniture, carpets, rugs, couch, mattress, and other upholstery.
The heat from the steam cleaner will kill the mites.
Steam cleaner is also a great solution to kill bed bugs hidden in your bed cheaply.
Alternatively, you can also hire someone to do the steam cleaning for you.
But owing a steam cleaner is way cheaper in the long run than hiring a cleaner.
How To Stop Mites From Invading Your Homes?
High levels of dampness in your homes create molds, which clover mites eat.
That attracts them to your homes.
So, to stop mites from making a comeback, you must control your home’s moisture level.
The best way to do it is by fixing any water leakages in and around your home.
And by installing a home dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier will keep the moisture content in your home’s air under check.
And no leakages in your home will keep the dampness of your home’s floors and walls under control.
High moisture content in the air, damp floors and walls, and a cluttered home are makes your home inhabitable for all types of bugs.
Keep these three under control. You’ll have less bug problems inside your home.
What Insecticides Kill Mites In The House?
It’s always good to have some products that can protect your home from mites.
The steps you found out would take care of mites on the furniture for sure.
But how about a spray that’ll add more punch to the process of keeping mites away? And on top of that, it works against all types of mites?
Mite sprays come in handy for this purpose.
But there’s a catch.
Not all mite sprays are created equal. Some mite sprays are better than the others.
What makes an insecticide spray that kills mites better than the others is its ingredients.
So, what are those ingredients?
Sprays that contain permethrin or bifenthrin kill all types of mites on contact.
Plus, sprays containing permethrin or bifenthrin also have residual toxicity that works against mites for weeks.
Most sprays, which are cheaper than the ones that contain permethrin or bifenthrin, contain pyrethrins.
Pyrethrin-based mite spray is also a great mites killer. It kills them on contact.
But remember, mites are microscopic bugs. Some mites, like dust mites, are barely visible to the naked eye.
That’s why you’d need a spray the not only kills mites instantly but also protects your home from mites long term.
Permethrin-based sprays do the job way better than pyrethrin-based sprays.
So, keep this in mind, let’s look at the best sprays for mites.
2 Sprays For Mites In The House That Kill Mites Instantly
The two sprays below are all permethrin-based mite killer sprays.
Sawyer Insect Repellent For Clothing And Gear
Sawyer insect repellent for clothing tops the list because of its versatility.
You can use it indoors, on your drapes, bed sheets, furniture, and in all types of fabric.
This spray kills mites and many other bugs like chiggers, ticks, cloth moths, mosquitoes, and 55 different insects.
The best part?
It lasts long, really long.
On fabrics and hard surfaces, it can easily last for six weeks. That makes it a lethal and long-term mite killer.
On fabric, this spray can last for six washings.
Another plus point is that it doesn’t leave behind any stain or smell on fabric and furniture.
Sawyer insect repellent is also a favorite spray for outdoor enthusiasts to protect themselves and their equipment from bugs and bug bites.
It’s safe for the skin as well.
Repel Permethrin Clothing And Gear Insect Repellent
Another permethrin-based mite killer, real permethrin clothing and gear insect repellent, kills mites on contact and keeps them away for two weeks.
It lasts on fabrics and furniture for two weeks. On fabrics, it can withstand 5-7 machine washings.
Odorless and doesn’t leave any stains behind, real permethrin keeps ticks and mosquitoes away too.
But there’s one drawback, it’s not safe for the skin and not pet friendly.
So, if you use it inside your home, ensure there are no vapors, mists, and aerosols before you touch the fabric or furniture’s surface.
It only takes a few minutes for the vapors to go away.
Does Raid Kill Mites?
Yes, it does. But it kills mites only on contact.
Raid is good for fleas, ants, and other bugs that you can spray on directly.
However, the raid spray will not provide you long-term solution and safety of a permethrin-based spray.
Conclusion
To get rid of mites on furniture is an easy task which anyone can do.
Two types of mites can latch onto furniture. These are clover mites and dust mites.
Both are microscopic, and finding them can be a challenge.
But this guide tells you how to look for them and where.
You’ve also learned five steps to make your furniture and soft furnishings like couch and mattresses mites-free.
But remember, a clutter-free and damp-free clean home goes a long way to keep away mites and bugs from your home.
Dr. Thomas Orbert is a PhD in Entomology with extensive research experience in ectoparasites and microbials. He has also worked in the spaces of ecology conservation and has multiple years of experience in field research and scientific publishing.