I vacuum my mattress regularly. After you read this, you too will mite

As if your current job duties aren’t enough, I’m going to introduce you to a new job. If you keep reading, I think you’ll be more than happy to add it to your to-do list.

A substantive warning: put that sandwich down before you continue. Unpleasant revelations lie ahead.

If you wake up with itchy skin or allergy symptoms like sniffling or watery eyes, if you suffer from asthma or eczema, or even if you just want a nice clean bed, you should vacuum your mattress regularly. This is why.

Every month we lose a golf ball-sized amount of skin cells. Some of this is discharged outside or around your home, but a large part ends up in your bed. Over time, they sink into your mattress along with pollen and dander, aging it, reducing its resilience and making it heavier.

That in itself is rude enough to send you running – but there’s more. Dead skin cells encourage the growth of mold and, even worse, they are the favorite food of dust mites.

What are dust mites?

Dust mites are microscopic creatures, typically only 0.2-0.3mm long and unlikely to be visible to the human eye (although you can see one in the image at the top of this article, which was taken through a microscope) . They are known for causing allergies and are associated with the development of asthma.

Don’t confuse them with bed bugs, which are much larger micro-predators that feed on blood. You cannot suck away bed bugs.

A mattress can contain thousands or even millions of dust mites. A dust mite lives for about 65 to 100 days and female mites can lay up to 100 eggs during their lifetime. Dust mites also produce thousands of particles of feces and leave behind partially digested dust particles, all of which can contribute to breathing problems and itchy skin in people just trying to get a good night’s sleep.

How do you get rid of dust mites?

Washing your bedding in warm water (at least 60°C) kills dust mites, but that doesn’t help when it comes to your mattress, which shouldn’t go in the washing machine.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

To do this, you need to vacuum your mattress thoroughly. Here’s how to do it:

• If your vacuum has a motorized furniture or pet tool, use that. Otherwise, the ground level attachment is fine, but make sure it’s clean before using it on your bed.
• A cleaning attachment with bristles can help agitate the fibers and loosen dust for a deeper clean.
• Use the high suction setting of your vacuum cleaner.
• Take apart your bed and slowly go over the surface of the mattress – dust mites can be persistent.
• Pay extra attention to seams, buttons and anywhere dust can settle. If necessary, use a crevice or brush nozzle to get into these areas.
• Turn your mattress over and do the same on the other side.
• Set a reminder to vacuum your mattress regularly – at least every six months, but monthly is best. Dust mite season lasts from May to October, but you should continue to vacuum your mattress throughout the winter.
• Once your mattress is ready, do the same for your sofa.

Which vacuum cleaner is best for cleaning your mattress?

With this type of cleaning, force is not enough. To thoroughly clean your mattress, you need a vacuum cleaner with powerful suction and ideally a HEPA filter.

A HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter meets the HEPA standard, meaning it removes at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns and traps them in the vacuum container.

Without a HEPA filter, small particles are blown back into the air, including dust mite allergens. This means that people with asthma and allergies still experience complaints after vacuuming.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Here are some of the best vacuum cleaners we tested that feature a HEPA filter:

Other trusted models include:

Even better is a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and full machine filtration. This means that the entire machine is sealed, so that no dusty air is blown out of the cleaner. Dyson is an expert in this field. Check out our overview of the Dyson cordless vacuum cleaners to find the vacuum cleaner that suits you best.

You can see all our best vacuum cleaner recommendations in our overview of the best vacuum cleaners.