Q&A
How To Kill Dust
Mites On Stuffed Animals and Toys
Killing dust mites on stuffed animals is not
hard. The hard part is getting rid of the dead dust mite and its parts. A dead
dust mite is just as bad as a live one.
Many stuffed animals and toys can be put in the wash just like any piece of
clothing. The problem with washing some stuffed animals is that they loose that
soft, fluffy, cuddly feel. Others completely disintegrate and the stuffing gets
everywhere, we had a few do that.
Killing dust mites on stuffed animals or anything for that matter you have to be
washing in 130 to 140 F water. In most homes the hot water heaters are set to
105 to 108 F. for safety reasons. Many of the newer dryers have an “allergy”
setting that allows the temperature to get to 180 to 190 F. That will kill dust
mites and almost anything else. The problem with that is the amount of
electricity they use and the feel of stuffed toy after it has been cooked.
We recommend freezing the stuffed animal or toy for a day or two. Freezing will
kill the dust mites and not harm the toy. Once they have thawed out you can just
put them in the dryer on air or low for about 15-20 minutes to shake them
up. The dust mite allergens will get vented out .
If the stuffed toy is dirty
put them in the
wash on the gentle cycle with warm or cold water. If you want to make sure all
the dust mite allergens are neutralized put some Demite laundry additive in the
load. After they have been washed put them in the dryer with a load of clothes
that you are drying on the low to medium setting.
Another thing you can do is vacuum them. I know it sounds strange but a good
vacuuming every week removes some of the dust mite allergens as well as dirt and
fluffs up the fur at the same time.
Read more on
how to kill dust mites.
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