Eeew. To me that’s a pretty icky word in the title there. Dust Mites are something I don’t like to think about, especially not in the context of their residence in my house. However, just slightly below them in my grossness hierarchy is the dust itself. One reason to keep up with regular cleaning is to reduce the presence of dust mites in my house. The idea that dust causes people to sneeze is somewhat valid, but what is of greater concern – and potentially dangerous to asthmatics – are the dust mites which feed on the dust.
I always equated dust with dirt – very fine dirt. I figured we have a lot of it because we have five people and two dogs tracking in dirt from the outside. While there certainly is some dirt in my household’s dust, it’s not at the top of the list. A variety of sources agreed on what this article from Time magazine summed up:
Nearly everywhere, dust consists of some combination of shed bits of human skin, animal fur, decomposing insects, food debris, lint and organic fibers from clothes, bedding and other fabrics, tracked-in soil, soot, particulate matter from smoking and cooking, and, disturbingly, lead, arsenic and even DDT. (Here’s more on that.)
So let me say it again: Eeeeewww!
And dust mites find this medley quite tasty. So where there is dust, there are dust mites. Just to lay it all on the table, the exoskeletons and poop from the dust mites cause an immune system response in sensitive individuals. (Although, I would imagine that inhaling any bug – technically an arachnid here – would be problematic.)
The best habitat for dust mites are carpets and bedding. Such places are sheltered and cozy with lots of nooks for dust and lots of opportunities to snag skin particles, animal fur, lint, and the rest of that list above. In regards to human breathing, however, the bedding is the main concern. By in large, unusual circumstances notwithstanding, we spend more time lying in our beds than we do on our carpets. Fortunately for us, it’s easier to wash our bedding than our carpets.
Here’s where the Castile Soap enters in
As I’ve covered earlier in regards to spraying for ants, Castile Soap dissolves exoskeletons. So, when it comes to treating for dust mites, this particular attribute of Castile Soap once again comes in handy. I use Sal Suds for my everyday laundry – it is slightly better at whitening whites and getting rid of stains. However, for my bedding, I reach for Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap – usually the Peppermint, but any one of them will be effective.
Heat also kills dust mites, so with the combo of heat and Castile Soap, there’s really little chance for survival. Bedding should be washed frequently because new mites take up residence regularly. Also, the combo of high heat and frequent washings can take a toll on fabrics, so opt for 100% cotton fabrics with a moderately high thread count (300+).
The recipe*:
- 1/3 c. (80 mL) Castile liquid soap
- 1 c. (240 mL) vinegar
- Hot water
- Hot dryer
- If you have an HE machine, cut each of the measurements by half.
Add the Castile soap to the bedding in the washer. Set the washer at the hottest setting. Put vinegar in the fabric softener cup, so that it will be added during the rinse cycle. (Castile soap can leave a residue on fabrics washed in hard water. Vinegar eliminates this residue.) Dry the bedding on the hottest setting.
For my laundry routine, see my post, Green Laundry Care with Dr. Bronner’s.
Further reading
- Sal Suds Dilution Cheat Sheet
- Dilutions Cheat Sheet for Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
- Sal Suds or Castile Soap – Which to Use?
- Cleaning Upholstery with Dr. Bronner’s
Sal Suds cleaner shows >60% biodegradation after 28 days per ISO 14593.
I have heard not to mix the Castile soap with vinegar as it cancels each other out due to the vinegar being acidic.
Hi Jessica- You are absolutely correct! I cover this elsewhere on my blog, but thanks for commenting about that on this post. The acidity of the vinegar causes Castile Soap, an alkali, to unsaponify or turn into a goopy mess. However, when vinegar is added to the fabric softener compartment of the washing machine, the vinegar is dispensed during the rinse cycle, after the soap has been rinsed out of the fabrics. There’s no mixing of the two in this process.
I have read that vinegar should not be used in the washer because it can ruin your washer
Refer to this article and section on washing machines
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/cleaning/things-you-should-never-clean-with-vinegar-distilled-white-vinegar-a3336471803/?itm_source=parsely-api
I understand Borax can help kill dust mites, could that be used instead of vinegar?
Hi Gretchen- Thanks for your comment. While I have a very high regard for Consume Reports, the situation referenced in their article with vinegar melting rubber hoses will not be what you find when using the super diluted 1 cup of vinegar in the rinse water for fabric softening. I also noticed that the manufacturer’s own care instructions for Speed Queen washers repeatedly say to use vinegar for regular maintenance of the machine. If you want to avoid vinegar, use the Sal Suds – you really don’t need the vinegar as a fabric softener as the Sal Suds is so clean rinsing on its own. As I mentioned in the article, its the hot water and Castile Soap or Sal Suds that are cleaning the fabrics, so there’s no need to add borax.
Hi! I’m wondering if you could advise me on using the castile soap in a carpet washer? My cat seems to be quite sensitive to dust mites, and I’m hoping that this might alleviate her issues some.
Also, I’m only recently learning about castile soaps, and I want to express my appreciation for how approachable you make this stuff. I admit, I’m a little overwhelmed by the extra steps and new things I have to take into account by switching from the more aggressive ready-to-go chemical cleaners I’m used to, but I think once I’ve got the information laid out in front of me and some experience under my belt that overwhelm will clear up. Thank you!
Hi Az- Welcome to the Dr. Bronner’s family! It can be overwhelming when making the switch from conventional products, and I’m always happy to help. Use 1/2 Tbsp. Castile Soap in your carpet cleaner and I recommend taking a look at my full article on using both Castile Soap and Sal Suds, our household cleaner, in a carpet cleaner here: https://www.lisabronner.com/cleaning-carpets-with-sal-suds/.
Can I use half Sal Suds and half castile soap for cleaning? I’m not crazy for the smell of Sal Suds and I can’t use essential oils (allergic). I love the smell of the lavender castile soap, but Sal Suds does a better job at cleaning. Thank you for any advice.
Hi Kerstin – The short answer is yes, you can combine the Castile and the Sal Suds with no reaction, but to look into your larger situation, both the Sal Suds and the Castile are scented with essential oils, except for the Unscented Pure-Castile soap.
Love your sals suds. any discounts available I’d love to buy a gallon buy its alittle pricey for my budget. Thanks
Hi Kathy- When you sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of this page, you’ll receive an email for 15% off your purchase on the Dr. Bronner’s webstore. Taking advantage of sales offered by retailers can also defray the cost. Sal Suds is 2-3x more concentrated that conventional cleaners – a little goes a long way. I detail some of that in this article, https://bit.ly/GreenCleaningSavings. My Sal Suds Usage Cheat Sheet has all the many uses and dilutions for you too: https://bit.ly/SalSudsDilutions
Hi Lisa, so grateful for your blog and amazing advice! I’m wondering if the Baby Castile soap is also effective for washing sheets? I know it has double the olive oil as the scented soaps, so just want to make sure it will have the same effect. Thanks 🙂
Hi Amanda- Yes, the Unscented Castile works well for bedding. If you have hard water, add 1 cup vinegar (1/2 cup in an HE machine) to the rinse water via the fabric softener compartment.
I was introduced to your soaps Dec ’22 when I retired and started a fun job at a spa. Love your products. At the spa we have copious amounts of laundry and massage oil is on everything. I was wondering if your products would help remove the oils from the sheets so they don’t get that “rancid” smell after being washed and dried with hot water? I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this and looking forward to using your Castile soap in other ways.
Hi Terri – Well then, welcome! I’m so glad you have found Dr. Bronner’s! For massage oils on sheets, I recommend our Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner, which is outstanding at grabbing grime. I would dilute it in half with water in a spray bottle and then spray the oil spots on the sheets. Then soak the sheets for 20 minutes or so in hot water before a full laundering.
What about hanging the linens on the clothesline to dry? Will that also be effective?
Hi Joanne – Line dried linens are lovely and have such a wonderful fresh air feel! However, line drying would not particularly impact dust mites, but if you’ve already washed the linens with the Castile soap to take care of them, then hanging them on the line is a great way to get them dry.
Hi – Even better is to was your face before bed with a combo of the docs peppermint and tea tree soaps. Have improved tremendously since doing this, keeps the little buggers off you!
Dust mites dye in 130+ degrees. Almost all my bedding is 100% cotton with high thread count as that feels best on my skin and lasts a long time. I have chanced all of my bedding the last 20+ years and nothing has shrunk in a noticible manner, even homemade quilts that family members have made. My allergies, at one point were uncontrollable and it was worth taking the chance. My relatives to prewash fabrics before sewing though, and I do not buy bedding with fancy detailed trimmings. Same for towels.
I buy 100% cotton bedding. However, washing instructions say to use cold water and then dry on delicate cycle. So, I’m not sure I can get rid of dust mites in my bedding. If you have any suggestions, they would be much appreciated! Margo
Hi Margo- Manufacturers know their products best, so stick with their laundering recommendation. The Castile Soap is doing the heavy lifting here. You’ll find it to be effective even without added heat.
I spoke to you Grandfather some years back when he had the number on the labels.I agree with his thoughts and teachings and feel fortunate to have connected!!Bless you all and keep the faith!!🥰
Will making a spray with the castile kill the dust mites on my furniture & carpet?
What would the dilution rate or recipe be for that?
I also have to keep in mind my dogs, so many essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus and lemon are toxic to them. Lavender is supposed to be okay.
I have a diagnosed allergy to the dust mites, so this is a serious concern… not an icky factor.
Hi KH- Since dust mites are miniscule and can hide deep in the pile of carpets and upholstery, you would have to be sure to saturate the materials in order to reach them. The challenge then would be getting the moisture back out before it mildewed. The best option for this would be a carpet cleaner with an upholstery hose, which you can rent from grocery stores. The soap does work fine in these machines – make a solution of ½ Tbsp. Castile in 2 cups of water for the cleaning compartment. One of my sons also has dust and dust mite allergies. You likely have a list of recommendations, but the ones I find most helpful are to vacuum all carpets and upholstery regularly using a HEPA filter on the vacuum, use hypoallergenic covers on pillows, and wash bedding regularly in hot water with the Castile Soap. Ideally, hard floors are better at keeping dust at bay, but that of course is not an easily feasible change.
The biggest exposure to dust mites are beds, they live in mattresses and their fecal matter is so tiny it can blow through most bedding when you lie down.
My allergist reccomended getting an allergy (with membrane) mattress encasing with a zipper to completely encase my mattress and a second for my boxspring. (not just a toper). It has made a huge difference to my health, and I also don’t have to worry about bed bugs either, since it’s easy to vacuum with no edges for bugs to hide in, and they would be very easy to spot on the white. Good luck. My allergist reccommended the “classic” encasing (which has a membrane – it is breathable but will keep out even fecal matter) from National Allergy Supply: https://www.natlallergy.com/-116.html (I do not work for the company or have any affiliation). Wishing you good health.
I bought Sal Suds Concentrated, confused
do I dilute it before adding to HE large washer?
I so what to what ratio?
JOY
Hi Joy- No need to dilute. Use 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. as you would a conventional detergent. The water in the wash cycle does the diluting for you. Check out my blog post on laundry here, https://www.lisabronner.com/green-laundry-care-with-dr-bronners-video/. Also on that post is a downloadable cheat sheet with the many uses and dilutions for Sal Suds.
We see a LOT of dust in the cleaning industry, love this recipe to kill the mites!
Hello Lisa,
Is there a way to print your cheat sheets?
Thank you.
Hi Cathy- Yes! Cheat sheets are on the right-hand side of the main dilutions blog post. Here’s the Castile Cheat Sheet post: https://www.lisabronner.com/dilutions-cheat-sheet-for-dr-bronners-castile-soap/. And for Sal Suds: https://www.lisabronner.com/sal-suds-dilution-cheat-sheet/.
Hello,
1- Is apple cider vinager ok for the rinse cycle? (I’m not a fan of the smell)
2- I used to put cytric acid diluted with drops of lavander oil for the rinse cycle, is it ok to maintain the cytric acid or do you think that’s not as effective as vinager with dr bronners?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Susana- I have not used Apple Cider Vinegar for this. I figure that its acidity would serve the same purpose as white vinegar as far as counteracting the minerals in the water and softening the fabric. The only concern is whether the color of ACV might discolor light fabrics. When using vinegar, I have found that once the fabrics are dry, the smell dissipates. You can also scent white vinegar with essential oils.
Do I need the vinegar if I have soft water?
Hi Cynthia- Castile soap interacts with minerals in hard water, causing heavier fabrics and towels to lose absorbency over time. Vinegar counteracts that reaction, keeping fabrics soft and absorbent. If you have don’t have hard water, you can do without.
We have a small stackable washer and dryer we live in an apartment. How much of your soap do we use in the washing machine? Thank you.
Hi William- I know stackable washers can be as small as less than 2 cubic feet of washing capacity. If that is the case with yours, use about 3 Tbsp. Castile, or 1 Tbsp. Sal Suds.
Hi Lisa,
I have heard using soap instead of surfactant in washing machine can cause the machine to breakdown .
Have you heard of this or have any information or research around this topic?
We have recently switched to Dr Bronners.for body and face wash and pending this, hopefully looking to move our laundry to your castile soap as well.
Thanks!
Hi Lakshmy – Great to hear you’re giving our soaps a try! Soap is a surfactant, so there’s not a difference on that front. My guess is that someone is trying to make the case that detergents are better than soaps. Both soaps and detergents are surfactants, which means they break the surface tension of water, a key part of cleaning. There isn’t a reason soaps would harm a washing machine. My guess is that perhaps that was a marketing pitch.
If you are using the peppermint Castile liquid soap as an all purpose liquid hand soap, should you dilute it?
Hi Debra- Use 3-4 drops directly on hands, or it works great in a foaming pump dispenser diluted at a ratio of 1 part soap to 3 parts water.
Hi! The washing machines in my building use hard water and do not have a fabric softener cup. Should I add the vinegar together with the Castile soap or just use less Castile soap?
Hi Natalie- When mixed together, vinegar causes Castile Soap to unsaponify and turn into a goopy mix. Based on what I’ve read and comments from a few readers, I’ve heard adding vinegar (instead of fabric softener) to a Downy ball works when there’s no fabric softener compartment. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
We have hard water, too. I’ve been adding Borax to the wash cycle to soften water; is that okay?
Hi Natalie- There’s no interaction between Borax and Castile Soap. I choose not to use Borax because it’s a skin irritant and any left of fabrics could be problematic.
If I don’t have hard water, is it necessary to add vinegar to the rinse cycle?
Hi Megan- When used in hard water conditions, Castile Soap can cause fabrics to lose softness and absorbency. Vinegar counteracts this. If you don’t experience that, you can skip the vinegar rinse.
Hi! Im slowly but surely transitioning to nothing but natural ingrediants & Dr Bronner’s. What do you recommend for the mattresses. I keep mattress covers on them, but you know, those dust mites are persistent & micro particles of ick still get threw & into the mattress. As well as lint & even sweat, dispite the water proof mattress cover. Thanks to you & your family for these wonderful products.
Hi Christine- For surface cleaning a mattress, I use one of my All-Purpose Sprays – either 1 Tbsp of Sal Suds in a quart of water or 1/4 cup of Castile. Spray the mattress lightly and wipe with a damp cloth. Allow to air dry fully. The key is to be sure not to have moisture soak into the mattress where it might not dry and may mold. Another option is to spray the damp cloth with the a bit of the All-Purpose Spray and then wipe the mattress. Other readers have suggested steaming the mattress with a garment steamer, as heat is effective on dust mites, but this isn’t something I’ve tried personally.
Hi Lisa, is using 1/2 cup Castile soap along with 5 cups water, washing and baking soda effective laundry detergent?
Hi Kyra – Sorry for my delay here. If all that is going in to one load, yes that’s a good amount of castile. You could even do with a little less Castile. Using both washing soda and baking soda might be unnecessary, since they both do the same thing. Washing soda is stronger than baking soda and might wear your clothes down faster. Unless you’re washing really grungy loads, you might just want to go with the baking soda.
Hi Lisa,
Would Castille soap be effective for lice? I have never actually had lice nor have my kids but they’re about to go off to school and I’d like to do some preventative research!
Hi Amy- Lice is one of the nastiest four-letter words in my house. Some people have found that washing hair with Tea Tree Castile soap and using a very small amount of coconut oil in the hair can keep lice at bay.
Hi thank you for this recipe. But what about for everyday laundry like clothes? I’ve seen recipes where it’s a cup of Castile soap dissolved in a gallon of water with soap. Would that be ok for baby clothes ?
Hi Daisy- Castile Soap works great on baby (and grown-up!) clothing. Use 1/2 cup Castile Soap with 1 cup vinegar added to the rinse cycle. The vinegar keeps fabrics soft and absorbent. For extra whitening/brightening add 1/2 cup baking soda in with the Castile Soap. Halve these amounts in an HE machine. For more, here’s my blog post on laundry: https://www.lisabronner.com/green-laundry-care-with-dr-bronners-video/
I am going to try this on our bedding! Thanks so much.
What about the mites that could be in our carpets (we rent – otherwise I wouldn’t have any carpet!) how do we eliminate them there? We do not own a carpet cleaning machine and can’r rent one (at least for the time being) should I spray a solution on my carpet and then vacuum?
Thanks so much for your posts – we have been using your soaps for several years and I am trying to transition to using them to clean the rest of our house!
Hi Erica- Thorough, frequent vacuuming is the best option for potential mites in your carpet. I don’t advise spraying the carpet with a soap solution and then vacuuming. The amount that you would have to spray the carpet would likely be way too much moisture for a vacuum cleaner to handle. It would likely damage it.