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Dr. Bronner's

Dust Mites and Castile Soap

Dust Mites and Castile Soap

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 cleaner shows >60% biodegradation after 28 days per ISO 14593.

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Castile Soap Cheat Sheet

Dilute! Dilute! OK! But how much? Print this guide!

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Carmen says:

what does the pre-dilute 1:10 mean for dishwashing. is that one drop of castile soap to ten drops of water? What would be the measurements if I want to fill a dishwashing soap bottle with castile soap and water?

Barbara DeDen says:

What I would like to know is why you use Dr. Bonners Liquid Castille Soap for your bedding and not the rest of your laundry? I have been using a cold water wash for my dark clothing and All for the rest of my laundry and whites. I am interested in going green and having to purchase so many different chemicals so I would like to be able to make my own laundry soap, one that I could use on all chlothes not just whites. The apartment building I moved into has new HE front load washers and dryers. I am looking for something that rinses well and does not make spots on the clean clothes. Please let me know. I will be awaiting your answer. Thank you in advance.

Renee says:

This is probably a crazy question: I’m guessing when you say to use vinegar, you mean white vinegar?

Veronica says:

Lisa, I am curious as to whether or not Dr. bronners Castile soaps (peppermint, tea tree, etc.) will work as effectively at home cleaning as Sal Suds? I am highly allergic to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is the second ingredient in Sal Suds, so I wanted to just use the liquid Castile soaps for everything including laundry and floors… Please let me know if this will work?
Thanks
Veronica

JESSICA says:

Hi Lisa! I have been doing a lot of researching, book buying and countless hours on the internet but cannot seem to find the answers to some of my questions so I figured I’d go right to the source. I have 10 month old twin girls who are constantly getting diaper rash (we use cloth diapers) and other random bumps on their bodies. I have very sensitive skin and am 26 years old and fighting acne almost like a teenager, I also get really bad dermatitis on my hands and they crack in the winter. I have fallen in love with Dr. Bronner’s soaps just from reading about them and how natural they are. I finally went to Whole Foods and went bizzurk and bought almost every scent in the liquid (that’s all they sell, besides the bars) My husband and I are currently using a bar for our body wash and I am using the baby mild for the twins’ body wash as well as their wipe solution (I make my own wipes, 2-3 tbs of liquid to 2 cups of water, does that sound right?) I am also using the liquid for hand washing, all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent and dishes (I wash my dishes by hand, mostly because our dishwasher is junk but also because it saves money) I need help and clarified information and recipes for these things I’m using it for because some of it does not make sense to me. When I wash the dishes, the water is cloudy and not sudsy at all and I have realized the liquid leaves a residue on our dishes, very spotty almost like watermarks but I have never had a problem with using any other soap in the past except for the obvious, it’s not healthy. I have a front loader and I thought I mixed according to what I have read (1/4 bar lavender, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup washing soda, 10 cups of water in a gallon jug, sound right or no? I found it in a book I ordered.) but nothing smells clean and or like lavender. This recipe said to add the vinegar and baking soda in the same jug as everything else, I think that is what I am doing wrong but you tell me? As far as the hand washing goes, I just need to use literally drops correct? (I’ve tried using a pump and it kind of works but I found out after I did it that the liquids aren’t meant for pumps) I also need help with the shampoo, conditioner and face wash usage (I’m sorry if I’m being a pain the butt, I just really want to use what is best for my family and Johnson’s baby wash with formaldehyde and Clinique face wash with ingredients you cannot pronounce are not!!) I have really long (mid-lower back range) and it’s thick and would like to use the same bottle for everything (probably the tea tree because of my acne) How do I dilute the liquid for my shampoo and what do I do for a face wash, just drops, or what, and do I absolutely need the rinse and creme and how long does a bottle of that stuff typically last for? PLEASE DO NOT HATE ME AND ONCE AGAIN IM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG AND PROBABLY VERY IRRITATING ON YOUR END BUT I HAD TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION! Thank you so much for your time and helping make my family healthier!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Audrey – Yes, the vinegar goes where the fabric softener goes. That way, it gets added during the rinse cycle. Throw the baking soda in with the castile soap at the very beginning.

All the best,
Lisa

Audrey says:

Hello! I have a front load washer and have seen using vinagar and baking soda in combination with the castille soaps – in the instructions it said to put vinegar in the rinse cycle. Does that mean the vinegar goes where the fabirc softner normally goes? Or the bleach? And where does the baking soda come in? THANKS!!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Arti – With spray bottles, you want to spend the little extra on the more durable ones. I go to home improvement stores (Lowe’s/Home Depot) and get the most heavy duty ones they have.

All the best,
Lisa

Arti says:

Hi Lisa,

I absolutely love all of Dr. Bronners products and enjoy reading this website for new uses! What brand of squirt / spray bottles do you use – as with everything there are a million options so your recommendation would help?

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Liz – I highly recommend the Sal Suds for the diapers. It is very clean rinsing and will leave the diapers still very absorbent. If you wash with the Sal Suds, perhaps adding some vinegar to the rinse, and the dry them in the sun, they will be in great shape.

All the best,
Lisa

Liz G. says:

Hi Lisa, I have a question in regards to the use of the soap for laundry. We use cloth diapers in our home, and I am wondering if you have any suggestions for us. I am hesitant because cloth diapers need to be cleaned very well and thoroughly rinsed of all residue. Would you recommend the castile soap or Sal’s suds? I currently have both the peppermint and the baby varieties of the castile soap in our home.

Thanks!

Liz

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Joel – We have yet to land upon a way to use our products in dishwashers. It is something that my brother David Bronner is working on and hopefully we’ll have a break through soon.

Hi Evelyn – Most likely, we are not listed as vegan because our lip and body balms contain beeswax. This is a sustainably harvested ingredient where the queens of the colonies are not harmed during harvesting, which ensures the longevity of the colony. However, this is probably what trips the PETA classification. All of our other products, including the soaps and Sal Suds are vegan. We also are certified cruelty-free with the leaping bunny logo. Thanks for asking! I’m glad you’re looking into this and sharing our products.

All the best,
Lisa

Evelyn G. says:

Hello Lisa:

I very much enjoy using Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap as well as Sal Suds for cleaning purposes. They are both fantastic cleaning products. I was wondering why PETA has Dr. Bronner as non-vegan? I’m thinking of giving gift samples to a friend who is vegan so I just wanted to make sure. I looked at the ingredients in Castille Soap & Sal Suds and they seem to be “vegan” products unless I missed something. Peta has the company listed as cruelty free (which is great) but not vegan. I realize this might be an error. Or…perhaps Dr. Bronner has another product line that might contain lanolin or beeswax or some other animal byproduct in it that is causing the “non vegan” label to appear. Please let me know. Thanks so much for your great products.

Sincerely…..Evelyn

Lisa Bronner says:

I am very sorry for my delayed responses here!

Kate – The vinegar is a rinse agent that is more necessary in harder water. If your water is naturally soft, you don’t need to worry about it.

Dan – I love your story! Testimonies like yours is what sells our soaps. And “compromise” is not a word in our vocabulary!

Beth – I don’t think the lip balm would kill dustmites unless you absolutely smothered them with it and they suffocated. The castile soap is much more efficient. Showering with the Castile soap, rather than just peppermint oil, will be helpful. I hate to ask this, but are you sure they’re dust mites and not lice? Either way, you’ll need to wash your bedding and your clothes in hot water with castile soap (if it’s just dust mites) or probably something stronger if it’s lice. Another option with lice is to quarantine all the bedding and clothes you’ve been wearing in plastic bags for three weeks to stop the cycle. Any soft surface can harbor these guys. It is certainly a huge bother to get rid of them, but keep at it.

Melissa – The castile soap is the best option we have. I haven’t heard a testimony about how it works on mange, though. If you try it, let us know. The castile soaps are available in most natural products stores across the country as well as in Target, Walgreens, CVS, and others. You can order online from Frontier Natural Products or our website, http://www.drbronner.com, Amazon and elsewhere.

All the best,
Lisa

Melissa says:

Hi, we’ll I helped out a stray dog and it turns out it had mange. So now I have mange. Is there anything you recommend to wash my bedding in to get rid of those mites? Also where can I get these cleaners? Thank you so much!

Beth Wilson says:

I need to add that I have them on my scalp and almost everywhere on my skin. They’re driving me crazy. I killed the adults by taking a peppermint oil bath, but now the eggs are hatching and there’s a TON. I’m taking 3 showers a day with shampoo that I put drops of peppermint oil in. I scrub my hair real well, and then I put the shampoo all over my body, face too. It must be killing them, as I’ve seen some dead bodies in the sink when I comb out my hair, and also I get a reprieve from as many of them for around an hour, when they begin to accumulate again.
The thing is, it’s drying out my face so terribly I finally caved and put lip balm all over for that, but now I’m wondering–would you know if lip balm could smother them, somehow kill the larvae once they hatch?

It would be SO helpful to know, either way. Thank you.

Beth

Dan C says:

I have been aware of Dr. Bronner’s since I first discovered it in a friend’s shower 15 years ago, but as a struggling classical singer in NYC in my 20’s I figured there was no way I could afford to use it on a regular basis. I wish I’d known how very wrong I was back then. Over the years I would have occasional encounters with Dr. B’s (usually in someone’s shower or at their kitchen sink) each time I remember thinking how marvelous it felt and how much I loved the feel and smell of the peppermint oil. Showevering with it seemed so indulgent and luxurious; I felt guilty using it because I was sure it had to fabulously expensive! (In one friend’s bathroom I remember lighting matches to cover the smell so I wouldn’t be found out!)

Thankfully, my partner helped me come to my senses a few months ago . He called from a beauty supply store in midtown asking if I’d ever used Dr. B’s soap and if I liked it. I told him that I did and I had. He came home with a 32 oz. bottle of the peppermint which was a revelation in itself. Expensive things come in small bottles right? I asked how much and when he told me I thought, “Oh, well that sounds about right.” Because in my mind I was still equating it to regular liquid hand soap of which a similar quantity might be about 50% cheaper. So of course this marvelous, organic stuff would be twice as much; it just made sense,

Well of course I was clueless! The more I used it the more I loved it and he more I used it and the more I started reading about soap and it’s history and it chemistry and Dr, Bronner’s and its history and its ethics and philosophy. Long story short I am hooked! I use it in the shower, in the laundry, around the house, to mop the floors, to wash produce and as an effective treatment for fungus gnats in houseplants after buying a bag of potting mix laden with them,

Two months later we’re down to the last four or five ounces from that first bottle! But when I think of all of the other cleaners and bars of soap that I would normally have bought within that span… Well, there’s no question that Dr. B’s is both affordable and economical!

I have been telling all of my friends about the 5:1 salary ratio between the highest and lowest employees at Dr. B’s. We all agree that in a world where the chasm between rich and poor threatens to devour us all, this along with the company’s commitment to fair trade sourcing and organic farming and sustainability are hugely important things the company is doing and should be shouted from the rooftops!

Which brings me back to Dr. Bronner himself and the importance of his universalist vision for mankind which is as critically important in our socio-religio-politcally-economically fractured world today as it was 60 years ago.

Thank you for the blog. Thanks to your family. Please don’t ever change and don’t ever compromise…..only grow.

Dan C.
New York, NY

Kate says:

Hi Lisa,
Is the vinegar necessary? What will happen if no vinegar is added?

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Alisha – Thanks for asking! With the help of an extremely talented friend, I made the quilt top and she quilted it. My inspiration, though, was that pillow sham which is from Company Kids. I bought that and one window panel, which I cut up and incorporated into the quilt so that it would all be tied together. (Note: I am not a “quilter” – not nearly that skilled – but I can follow directions reasonably well.) The fabrics were from my local quilt store.

All the best,
Lisa

Alisha says:

Lisa, Where did you get your children’s cotton quilt bedding? Pottery Barn kids?

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Julie – Great! I love the smell of my linen cabinet now that I’m using the castile soap. Regarding using cold water, the castile soap does its job just as effectively in cold water. However, if you are looking for dust mite elimination, the hot water is helping with that as well. But if we’re just talking about clothes, the cold water is fine. You can still use added baking soda and vinegar on your clothes for extra cleaning power as well. Let me know if you’d like more details about that.

All the best,
Lisa

Julie says:

I’ve been loving your Castile soap. The recipe you published for dust mites made my sheets feel great and smell fresh (I used the lavender scented soap), and since my laundry room is on the main floor of my house, as a bonus my whole living area smelled like lavender for hours!

I’m just curious to know how well the Castile soap works on a cold wash/cold rinse setting. I try to avoid using hot water to do laundry because I find it sets stains rather than removing them, and it’s energy intensive.

Thanks for your great products and web site.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Theresa – Great question, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to respond here. To get started, I recommend some Sal Suds and one Castile soap. Pick your favorite scent – mine’s the Citrus at the moment – or go for the Tea Tree with its extra antibacterial properties. If you can get a little more, pick up some olive oil and microfiber cloths. Lastly, if you have a little more to spend, go for the pure tea tree essential oil to add even more of an antibacterial punch to your cleaners.

Hi Candace – You can just use the soap. I add 1/3 of a cup to a large load in my normal top-loader. (If you have a high efficiency machine, use half that.) The baking soda and vinegar are optional. The soap does a great job solo.

Thanks, Johndaddy! I agree!

All the best,
Lisa

johndaddy says:

The Sal Suds is also completely safe for your skin, although it might be a little drying. Although it is formulated specifically for non-body cleaning, all the ingredients are thoroughly researched to be non-toxic and safe.
What’s not to love about Dr. Bronner’s magic castile soap? It has so many uses, smells wonderful, is highly concentrated and therefore inexpensive as well as..

Candace says:

Hello Iam knew to Dr. Bronner’s soaps. When washing clothes and sheets can I use just the soap? Or am I to include it in a natural laundry detergent recipe? Thanks

Theresa M. says:

Lisa, I have recently found your blog and love it! I am very interested in getting started with some “green” cleaning. I am so jealous of your very organized cleaning pantry! What would you suggest as a good “starter” package of Dr. Bs products? I already use baking soda and vinegar for some things around the kitchen and the laundry, but want to expand my cleaning arsenal. 2 kid, 4 cats,a dog, and an outdoor-type husband tend to keep things on the dirty side around here! Thanks so much for any suggestions you may have and keep up the great job of providing useful info! Warm regards, Theresa

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Suzanne – Glad you found Dr. B’s! You definitely do not need to wear gloves with the castile soap or Sal Suds. The Castile soap is primarily a body soap, so getting it on your hands is what it’s made for. Its primary oils (before they’re turned into soap) are food grade coconut and olive oils. It is the amazing versatility of the castile soap that makes it good for both body and house.

The Sal Suds is also completely safe for your skin, although it might be a little drying. Although it is formulated specifically for non-body cleaning, all the ingredients are thoroughly researched to be non-toxic and safe. The ingredients for the Sal Suds are a little more “chemically” sounding, so if you have any questions about them, please let me know.

Regarding what to do with your old stuff, there are a couple of different ways of looking at it. One perspective would be to say that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and you could easily give the stuff away. Another perspective would be to say that they aren’t safe and so no one should be using them at all. But then, what do you do with them? If you dump them down the drain or put them in the trash, they’ll end up in the ground and water. You can’t take them to a Hazardous Material waste site, because they won’t consider them to be hazardous material. So, I don’t have a cut and dried answer for you, but hopefully that helps. Good luck with your transition!

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

All the best,
Lisa

Suzanne Fraser says:

I just started using your Castile Soap products- Lavender, Peppermint and Citrus- and I love them! Found out about them in the Skinny Bitch book “Cutting the Crap out of Your Life”. I just have 2 questions: 1. Should I wear gloves while cleaning with castile soap (mixed with tea tree oil)or with Sal Suds? 2. Any idea what I can do with all my old cleansers? I hate to throw them out or dump them down the drain but I really dont want to use them again. Thanks for any info and for making wonderful products!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Kathy – Great to hear you’ve been with us for so long! Regarding the lice, the soap may kill the live lice, but will not have an impact on the nits, which are what make lice so terribly difficult to get rid of. Good luck!

All the best,
Lisa

Kathy Murray says:

Your soap with the tea tree oil would probably be good to get rid of the head lice wouldnt it I love your natural soaps and have been using them for years now I esp love your rose soap for the face and body The smell isnt overwelming I love all the ingredients in them I love putting your soaps in my laundry with my other detergents and some baking soda and vinegar also take care keep up the good work Kathy M

Lisa Bronner says:

The documentary (Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox) is pretty interesting. Let’s you into some Bronner closets, but most families have amazing stories if someone takes the time to tell them.

Hi Carla – Theoretically, the castile soap would kill the hatched lice, but it wouldn’t have any impact on the nits (eggs). The nits are what make lice so extraordinarily hard to get rid of.

Please let me know if you have further questions!

All the best,
Lisa

Carla White says:

Lisa, you mentioned that castile soap dissolves exoskeletons so will it work as a shampoo to get rid of head lice?

Shelley says:

I love it. I had been having trouble with a smell that would not go away. I used the Dr. Bronner’s Almond scent and made my own laundry soap and I took the first load out and it smelled like my mom’s laundry when I was a kid a real clean smell she used Amway. I always saw the Dr Bronner’s in the store but never tried it until I watched the show about Dr. Bronner on Netflix. Thank You to you and your family for this great product.

Jane says:

Hi Lisa,

Thanks so much! I was thinking about just freshening once during the week before washing again. I appreciate all the info about this. If anyone can think of anything green and natural that would do the trick (no horrible things like the commercial spray ‘fresheners’ that would be wonderful.

Best to you and all at Dr. B’s,
jane

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Jane – Could you let me know what your purpose is with a bed spray like this? Bug killing? Scenting? Freshening? My first response is dampness – but that doesn’t seem to be an issue for you. My second thought has to do with soap residue – first of all if it got on the skin, it could be drying and irritating. If it got in the eyes, it would be painful. Also, soap attracts dirt. That’s why it cleans things. However, the soap left on bedding would then bind dirt on to it. All in all, I don’t think this is a great idea, but let me know what you were thinking to see if we can come up with something that would work.

All the best,
Lisa

jane says:

Hi Lisa,

I live in a very hot dry climate. Wondering if it’s possible to make a spray with Dr B Castile soap that I can spray on bedding (lightly) and have it air dry on the bed (that would only take a few minutes with a light spray so mold wouldn’t be a problem.

If so, what ratio of soap to water would you recommend?

Thanks so much for this wonderful blog and all of the fantastic products!

Best,
jane

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Darleen – No, the Sal Suds is a synthetic detergent. Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap is made from coconut and olive oils. All the oils in it are saponified so that the soap in no way feels oily. I don’t know a thing about alpaca fiber, but if they recommend castile soap, you can check out: http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm.

All the best,
Lisa

Darleen says:

Just wondering, starting to learn how to prepare Alpaca Fiber for spinning and someone mentioned to wash it in Castille Soap. I don’t understand since I’m reading it has oils in it, but is your Sal Suds the same as Castille Soap?

jane says:

Thanks so much for this great information! I will use the baby soap next laundry time for the bed covers.

I just did my first loads of laundry using Sal Suds and all I can say is WOW!!! I had a few stains on things I’d never been able to get out and after using Sal Suds the clothes look perfect.

The washer here doesn’t have a place to add softener so I added the vinegar along with the Sal Suds. For the first time my clothes were not stiff as a board from the horrid water here. And like you say in ‘The New Smell of Clean” it also helped removed hard to remove odors.

I can’t say enough about all of the new products. I’ve used Dr Bronners since the early 70s when I lived in Santa Fe. The lip balms are the bomb! Healed a cracked lip I couldn’t get to heal up with anything in 2 days. I’ve given them out to friends and they all say they are the best lip balms they’ve ever used.

Just ordered a package of things to be mailed to my daughter. I’m sure she will be thrilled!

And thanks so much to Dr Bronners for making Fair Trade items affordable even for those of us on fixed incomes.

Fan for life!

Best,
jane

Lisa Bronner says:

You’re welcome, Jane! Thanks for sharing and for your enthusiasm and long term support!

All the best,
Lisa

Holly says:

Thanks so much for this! We just had my son tested for allegies and he tested positive to all but 4. One of the worst ones was dust mites. So I will be washing his bedding in Dr. Bronner’s from now on!

Becky Molloy says:

I am thrilled to find your website. I am helping to develop the fair trade movement in our rural Upstate New York community. I love Dr Bronner’s and was drawn to it because the products have the Fair For Life seal indicating third world farmers were not exploited, were paid fairly, and therefore child slavery for labor is reduced. I would like to frequently post links from your blog both to my blog http://www.beckysfairtradelists.blogspot and to my face book page Fair Trade Movement, What’s New. This May 3rd entry is just the kind of thing my readers and the people in my community can benefit from. Good info, fun and easy to read!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Becky – Thanks so much for your support! It’s great to hear that you’re in sync with what Dr. Bronner’s is doing.

Hi Holly – I hope your little guy feels better soon, and that the test results lead to some relief! Doctors also recommend dust mite barrier covers for pillows and even for mattresses. I’ve noticed a lot of variance in the texture of the pillow covers, though. Some are like having a plastic bag on your pillow, and they crinkle every time you move. It might be worth spending a little more to find ones that are more fabric-like.

All the best,
Lisa

Lisa Bronner says:

I’m glad this information is helping!

Ryan – I wash my bedding weekly. I know this a bit rough on the bedding, but just think of how many hours we’re in it! I also do not have fluffy bedding on my kids’ beds because that’s not really washable. They have cotton quilts that wash really well.

Let me know if I can answer further questions!

All the best,
Lisa

crystalzawoysky123 says:

is there a way to get rid of the dust mites out of the mattresses? our Family is suffering from a very bad case of it! Help

Ryan says:

I was wondering, how often do you recommend bed sheets and comforter to be washed?

Shieldmaiden1196 says:

I began making my own laundry detergent some time ago because commercial preparations were irritating to my skin. At first I followed recipes I found online and added half a bar of grated Fels Naptha soap to the mix, but one day, finding myself needing more detergent and without any of the soap, I added a small bottle of Dr Bronner’s to the borax and washing soda and blended it according to the recipe. Not only does it work wonderfully well, but nothing smells quite so lovely as laundry washed in that soap and dried on the line in the sun.

j.michael carney says:

I have used dr bs pepermint for 40 years I think ,whenever we started camping. At that time we only used it when we went camping. I started givving it away as christmas (the little bottles) and once you use it you never go back….Dust mites have been a real issue when were all thinking of being as clean as possible. I started using Dr B with borax in the washer. We came across this enzyme cleaner in a fla, flea mamket and have been using it in the washer also…. Kleen Green by http://www.naturalgenesis.com we use 3tbs in a large load . read the web and decide, The nontoxic part is great /with animal/and house….be well

Alisha says:

Ironically, I am in the middle of washing ALL my families bedding and sleep stuffed animals for this very reason. I started yesterday, but now I know to switch soaps. Thank you!! I SO need to get rid of these critters! I’ve been reading online about allergen proofing my home. This is just another step! (:

About Lisa Bronner

My grandfather was Dr. Bronner, my family makes soap, and I share ways to use it plus tips on greener living.

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Castile Soap Cheat Sheet

Dilute! Dilute! OK! But how much? Print this guide!

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