Dust mite problem? You’re certainly not alone. A close relative of ticks and spiders, dust mites are microscopic, insect-like pests that, unfortunately, can appear in nearly all homes, especially if you live in a humid climate.
While these creatures are mostly harmless to people and do not carry any form of disease, they can easily affect your quality of life by causing allergy problems to either you or your loved ones. And when you have allergy-causing housemates at the microscopic level, most people tend to look toward baking soda.
But does baking soda kill dust mites? And how exactly can baking soda help in your dust mite problem? This article will go over what makes baking soda useful against dust mites, additional tips, and everything in between.
In the kitchen
, sodium bicarbonate
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sodium bicarbonate | chemical compound | Britannica
Other articles where sodium bicarbonate is discussed: alkali: …of which gives the desired sodium bicarbonate as well as ammonium chloride. The sodium bicarbonate is then heated to decompose it to the desired sodium carbonate. The ammonia involved in the process is almost completely recovered by treating the ammonium chloride with lime to yield ammonia and calcium chloride. The…
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, otherwise commonly known as baking soda, is a common base chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. In other words, it’s a salt made by combining bicarbonate (HCO3-) and sodium (Na+). This makes baking soda appear as a white, fine powder, even though it is crystalline.
Additionally, baking soda also reacts when it comes into contact with acids like vinegar, yogurt, or buttermilk, producing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the form of bubbles. This simple chemical reaction is why baking soda is often used in grade school experiments like fake volcanoes. The same chemical reaction is also responsible for making plump baked goods like breads, cakes, and muffins, as it helps the batter rise and expand while inside an oven.
While they are mostly harmless, dust mites Trusted Source Dust Mites | American Lung Association www.lung.org can cause allergies in the household, so, naturally, you’d want to remove them before they further multiply. Luckily, baking soda is particularly effective against these insect-like creatures, and this is all thanks to its chemical formula.
Essentially, dust mites breed and multiply in places where there is an accumulation of sweat, dead cells, and dust, like the mattress we sleep on at night. As microscopic creatures, dust mites love areas like this as the moisture helps them live.
However, when you use baking soda, its antiseptic properties will absorb the moisture (as well as dirt) on the area, therefore helping reduce the number of dust mites living there. Additionally, baking soda also reacts with the acid naturally found in these pests, resulting in the same chemical reaction you see in volcano projects, only internally.
At the same time, baking soda will also absorb any foul odor present to help make your home smell fresher and better.
Do this enough times, and you should be able to notice your home’s dust mite population significantly go down. Throw in some regular cleaning and disinfecting onto the mix, and you should be able to eliminate all of them in no time.
When choosing what type of baking soda you need to use against dust mites, the general idea is that you can use anything, as they mostly contain the same ingredient and cause the same chemical reaction. If you already have baking soda in your home, then that should be no problem, and you can immediately head off to the next section about the different methods you can do.
However, if you still need to go shopping for baking soda, picking a good one from a reputable brand is always the better route, especially if you plan to use the baking soda for other purposes.
With that in mind, most reviews point toward the well-regarded Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, as it has been a fairly reliable and affordable option for many families all over the world. In terms of pure baking soda, its harsh chemical-free composition makes it a solid choice.
But if you’re veering towards more pest control-focused territory, then The Ecology Works – DustMiteX and Allergy Asthma Clean Allergen Spray offer fragrance-free pest solutions that you can easily spray on surfaces. Both are generally affordable and well-reviews, with the only difference being that the latter comes with only mineral ingredients, and you need to add the water yourself.
In any case, both dust mite sprays remain solid options that you should find helpful and effective not just for dust mites but other types of pests that you may discover scurrying around in your home.
While it’s straightforward to just put baking soda on areas in your home where dust mites thrive, there are several methods you can employ to maximize its effect on these creatures. Here are the most effective ones:
This is perhaps the easiest method to do, but that doesn’t make it any less effective.
Essentially, all you need to do is sprinkle the baking soda on the dust mite-contaminated areas. Then, wait for at least 15 minutes, especially if you placed it on fabric. After this, go ahead and vacuum the baking soda along with the dust mites before disposing of them outside.
Depending on the number of contaminated areas in your home, this should be a straightforward process that you can do quickly.
If you want the benefit of your house smelling fresher, then you can try this particular method. Essentially, you need to mix essential oil with water and baking soda before spraying it over the affected areas.
As for what essential oil to pick, choose from lavender, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, wintergreen, or peppermint. Just a few drops into the mixture should be enough.
For the last method, we will be combining the two tactics listed above. To start, mix in ½ baking soda with a few drops of your essential oil of choice. For this method, we recommend using a mixture of different essential oils.
Once you’re done, you can then sprinkle the baking soda into the affected areas all over your house. For this method, however, you’ll have to wait for at least an hour. Then, once the hour is up, you can then repeat the same method in the first one; vacuuming the baking soda along with the dust mites before disposing of them outside.
When picking a method, understand that not all of these might work the same way in your household. However, giving each one a try to help fix your dust-mite problem should be relatively easy.
Of course, there are plenty of ways to help get rid of dust mites that don’t require the use of baking soda, and here are some of them you can also try:
So, again, does baking soda kill dust mites? Well, yes, and a particularly effective one at that. That being said, while baking soda is a particularly effective tool against dust mites (and other pests) in your home, it’s not the be-all-end-all solution. Because dust mites are microscopic, determining whether you have already eliminated all of them can also be quite tricky.
During the more humid months of the year, you may find that dust mites tend to spread quicker in your home. In such instances, prevention is better than cure, and regular vacuuming and cleaning around the house can significantly help.
