Autumn has officially arrived which means it’s time for a home reset that ticks off all the household chores that have been put off all summer. To help create a cosy atmosphere at home while also sprucing up soft furnishing, one cleaning content creator has recommended one item to help do the job.
Chantel Mila, better known as Mama Mila on TikTok, shared her list of inexpensive hacks that will help your home smell wonderful this autumn. To help get rid of dust mites in the process, she recommended eucalyptus oil for its scent and ability to kill the pesky mites. Here’s what you need to do.
To help give your home a wonderful scent this autumn while also cleaning soft furnishings, Chantel advised to wash cushions and covers in the washing machine along with eucalyptus oil. Add the essential oil directly into the washing machine drawer and wash the soft furnishings on a normal cycle.
The reason eucalyptus oil works well to get rid of dust mites is because it has natural insecticidal and antimicrobial properties, particularly the compound cineole (eucalyptol). Cineole will disrupt the dust mites’ cell structures.
Fantastic Pest Control advised washing cushions at high temperatures alongside the essential oil. One reason eucalyptus oil works well is due to its fast action against dust mites.
The essential oil can also be used in a spray solution to help get rid of dust mites on other household items such as blinds, baseboards, and floors. To make a DIY homemade spray, mix 30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil with water in a spray bottle.
This can then be lightly sprayed on bedding, curtains, carpets, and other soft furnishings, if you didn’t want to wash them in the washing machine.
Fantastic Pest Control also recommended using other essential oils blends to do the job, too. These include tea tree oil, lavender oil, and clove oil.
Nick Pulsonetti, pest expert at Excel Pest Services, told Ideal Home: “When it comes to eucalyptus oil, I’d say it can definitely help. Eucalyptus has natural properties that dust mites don’t like — it contains compounds that disrupt their environment, making it harder for them to thrive.”
Polya Petrova, kitchen cleaning professional at Fantastic Services, told the publication that eucalyptus oil can kill dust mites and reduce their numbers on fabrics and bed linen. You can also help lessen the likelihood of dust mites returning by using a dehumidifier.
Fantastic Pest Control explained that dust mites “thrive” in humidity above 50 per cent, so making sure your home’s humidity is lower than that is important.