What can I wash my dog with to get rid of mites?

Mites come in many forms, and unfortunately, one way to get them in your home is through your canine best friend. If your dog contracts mites, it’s important to treat the pup's problem quickly, before it becomes more serious—but it’s also important to treat your home for mites at the same time. By acting fast and taking a few precautions, you can make sure that your home is clean and your dog can't be easily re-infected. In this article, we'll show you how to get rid of dog mites in your home for good!

1. Bring your dog to a veterinarian to get treatment for mites. The doctor can identify what type of mite is affecting your dog, and prescribe the best treatment going forward. You can also continue treatment at home, according to the veterinarian’s specifications. In the long term, the best way to get rid of dog mites in your home is to make sure your dog is no longer bringing them in.

   • At home, you can treat your dog for scabies, demodectic mange, and dandruff mites with a weekly bath in antiparasitic shampoo.[1] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source
   • Treat your dog for ear mites by cleaning your dog’s ears with a veterinarian-approved cleaning solution and a cotton ball (or gauze) regularly.[2] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source
   • Keep in mind that you, as a human, don’t need medical treatment for dog mites. They may cause you mild skin irritation, but dog mites can’t reproduce on you; your troubles will clear up automatically when you get them off of your pooch and out of your home![3] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source

1. Hot water kills mites hiding in the fabric of the bedding. Thoroughly clean all of your dog’s bedding and cushions to prevent the mites from re-infecting your dog and spreading mites around your home. Wash the bedding with soap and hot water before running it through the dryer on a hot air setting until everything is completely dry.[4] X Research source Go to source

   • In cases of walking dandruff and ear mites in particular, it’s crucial to wash your dog’s belongings to prevent any further infestations once you’ve begun treatment.[5] X Research source Go to source

1. Use dishwashing detergent and a highly diluted disinfectant for this. When you’re cleaning dog mites out of the house, make sure that you wash your dog’s toys, kennel, leash, and collar—anything that your dog uses frequently. Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned everything, go through and wipe it all down with water to get any remaining chemicals off.[6] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source

   • To clean grooming supplies like brushes and combs, remove the dog hairs from them and then wash them carefully using antibacterial soap and warm water.[7] X Research source Go to source

1. Cleaning your clothes and bedding prevents the spread of mites. Wash everything potentially exposed to your dog's mites, including sheets, pillowcases, bedcovers, blankets, recently worn clothing, and any outstanding dirty laundry. All of it should be run through the washing machine using hot water at temperatures of at least 130 °F (54 °C) before being dried (also using your dryer’s hot cycle).[8] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

   • If you have articles of clothing that you can’t wash at high temperatures, put them in the dryer and run it at a temperature of at least 130 °F (54 °C) for 15 minutes. After that, wash and dry the clothing as you normally do.

1. Keeping your bed covered stops your dog from transferring mites to it. If your dog sleeps on your bed, then consider placing dust-proof bed covers on your mattress and pillows, as the densely-woven fabric will keep mites from spreading. Make sure your box spring also has a cover, if you have one.[9] X Research source Go to source

   • You can put duct tape over cover zippers, to stop mites from getting in or out of the mattress cover.
   • It’s smart to cover your bedding as a precaution when it’s still new, especially if you have a pet at home!

1. This is a great alternative for items that can’t be washed. Certain dog toys and other household items that may be tricky to wash by hand can instead be frozen to eliminate the mites on them. Place the items in a plastic bag and store them in your freezer for 24 to 48 hours to get rid of mites. To get the best results, sure that your freezer is set to a temperature of −12 °C (10 °F) or lower![10] X Research source Go to source

   • Freezing will kill the actual mites, but any cloth items that you treat this way (including bedding, stuffed toys, and pillows) should also be washed normally with soap and water afterward, to remove mite allergens.

1. By removing clutter, mites have nowhere left to hide. Look for piles of clothing and dirty laundry, stacks of newspapers, dusty areas, tables with a lot of trinkets clustered together on top of them, and similar hiding places for mites. Declutter your home as best you can—getting rid of spaces that mites would find ideal for nesting in also helps to purge the mites from your home.[11] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

1. Get rid of dust and mites by keeping your floors clean. Vacuum carpets each day while you’re still getting rid of mites, and weekly in normal circumstances. Use a double-layered microfilter bag in your vacuum, or otherwise, make sure your vacuum is equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Clear hard floors of dust with a wet mop, as using a dry mop will likely just scatter the dust into the air and leave it to resettle.[12] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

1. The hot steam quickly kills off any mites in your carpet. In addition, steam cleaning also washes the carpet and removes allergens from it. Consider steam cleaning your carpet from time to time—even once the mites are gone—for added protection against both bugs and dust.[13] X Research source Go to source

   • If you have the budget for it (and, depending on your situation, permission from a landlord) consider removing carpets from your home.
   • Hardwood, vinyl, linoleum, or tile flooring would all make your home much less habitable for dog mites, and are easy to keep clean should your dog contract mites again![14] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

1. Mites thrive in humid conditions. To get rid of mites (and keep them away), make sure your home's humidity is always in check, and maintain a humidity level between 30 and 50% throughout the house.[15] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source You can do this with either a dehumidifier or air conditioner, and adjust them as necessary to keep the humidity levels where they should be.

   • To help you monitor humidity, you can also invest in a hygrometer—which is a simple instrument that you can find at most hardware stores.

1. Stuffed, washable toys are easy to keep mite-free. When your dog brings mites into the house, everything it touches must be cleaned. To avoid throwing out toys that can’t be cleaned using any of the methods above, try getting your dog plenty of stuffed toys that are marked as washable, so that you can toss them in the washing machine without ruining the toys.[16] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

   • If you have children in your home, it’s also smart to do this with as many of their toys as possible.

1. Continue keeping your home clean and your dog healthy. By making sure that your dog is in the best health possible and keeping all of its flea and worm treatments up to date, you’re also making sure that its immune system can fight off mites.[17] X Research source Go to source In addition, plan to clean, dust, vacuum, and de-clutter your home regularly, and this will stop mites from moving in.

   • Keep your dog healthy with a nutrient-rich diet, including food that is organic, dairy-free, and grain-free. Also, clean your dog's ears regularly to avoid ear mites.[18] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source
   • Give your dog frequent inspections for signs of mites and wash its bedding routinely.
   • In many cases, your dog contracts mites (and brings them home) due to direct exposure from another dog. Symptoms are not always present right away, but do what you can to keep an eye on both your dog and the dogs it interacts with!

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau. Glenn Carreau is a wikiHow Staff Writer, currently based in Los Angeles. With over four years of experience writing for several online publications, she has covered topics ranging from world history to the entertainment industry. Glenn graduated with honors from Columbia College Chicago, earning a B.A. in Interactive Arts and Media and a minor in Professional Writing. Today, Glenn continues to feed her lifelong love of learning while serving wikiHow's many readers.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 835 times.