How to
Use
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
Easy to use: simply add to your wash load along with your regular detergent
How To Use DeMite Laundry Additive
DeMite Directions- Overview
Follow the manufacturer’s fabric care instructions.
Use COOL, WARM, or HOT water and add DeMite Laundry Additive according to the following:
TOP LOADING WASHERS: When the machine is mostly filled with water, add detergent and about 3/4 of the supplied measuring cup with DeMite. Equivalent: about 4 teaspoons.
FRONT LOADING WASHERS: Add low sudsing detergent according to manufacturer’s directions. Next, fill about 1/3 of the supplied measuring cup with DeMite and add through the detergent tray. Equivalent: A little less than 2 teaspoons. If necessary, adding a little water will reduce viscosity.
HAND WASHING: Medium & Small Size Sinks: Add a little less than 1/2 teaspoon of DeMite Additive. Rinse very well.
Detailed Directions for Using DeMite Laundry Additive
Front Loading & Top Loading Washers
DeMite Laundry Additive & Your Top Loading Washer
Top-loading washers, with their lids on top, clean clothes by means of a centrally located agitator that rises from the bottom of the wash basket and turns to roll clothes over and over in the water. Primarily you have three basic water temperature settings … hot wash/cold rinse, warm wash/cold rinse, and cold wash/cold rinse… although newer models may offer additional preset combinations. High Efficiency (HE) top loaders have become popular as well. HE washers are designed to use significantly less water, detergent, and energy than standard machines, but they require a special HE detergent that is formulated specifically for smaller volumes of water.
The capacity of the washer’s tub varies with each manufacturer and depends on the age of your washer. The average water fill for top-loading automatics ranges from 10 to 24 gallons (38 to 91 liters). Be careful when using your detergent as it has been found that too much causes excess sudsing which inhibits, not enhances, proper cleaning.
Always select a water temperature based on the type of bedding or clothing you want to launder. Follow the fabric manufacturers’ care instructions carefully. Not all fabrics are safe in hot water but most are safe in warm or cold water.
Hot water is 130° F (60° C) or higher.*
Warm water is 90° to 120° F (32° – 49° C).
Cold water is 70° to 90° F (21° – 32° C) or lower.
* Normally only used in commercial laundries. U.S. Consumer Safety requires all heaters to have a label stressing the danger of water in excess of 120° F (32° – 49° C) water. It is usually not recommended because of the scalding potential of children. Also, many individuals who do laundry regularly feel that high temperatures are injurious to fabrics causing them to fade and wear out much faster than with lower water temperatures.
Tip: An easy way to determine water temperature in your washer is to hold a candy thermometer under the water flow on each setting of your machine.
Directions for using DeMite in a non-HE top-loading washer
STEP 1: Sort laundry by maker’s care instructions.
STEP 2: Select water temperature. As the water fills, add your regular detergent.
STEP 3: Fill the DeMite measuring cup 3/4 full with DeMite. If you do not have the measuring cup, use 1.5 tablespoons (0.75 oz or 22.5 ml) of DeMite.
STEP 4: Add the DeMite to the washer either when filled, or while filling with water.
STEP 5: Add soiled bedding, clothing, or undergarments. Do not overload.
Directions for using DeMite in an HE top-loading washer
STEP 1: Sort laundry by maker’s care instructions.
STEP 2: Place a load of laundry in the washer, not tightly packed. Do not overload as this can result in poor cleaning. Close the door securely.
STEP 3: Open the dispenser compartment/drawer and add HE detergent.
STEP 4: Fill the DeMite measuring cup 1/4 full with DeMite and add it to the liquid detergent already in the dispenser compartment. If you do not have our measuring cup, just add 1.5 teaspoons (0.25 oz or 7.5 ml) of DeMite. Close the compartment slowly to prevent spills. Water will be pumped into the dispenser to bring the detergent and DeMite into the wash load.
STEP 5: Select the water temperature.
For dryer tips, please see our Dryer Tips for Allergy Sufferers article.
DeMite Laundry Additive & Your Front Loading Washer
Unlike top-loaders, front-loading washers do not require an agitator. Instead, they wash with a steady tumbling action that gently lifts and drops the clothes in and out of the wash water, forcing detergent and water through the load to remove dirt and stains. High Efficiency (HE) front loaders have become the most popular choice. HE washers are designed to use significantly less water, detergent, and energy than standard machines, but they require a special HE detergent that is formulated specifically for smaller volumes of water.
The capacity of a front loader’s tub varies with each manufacturer and depends on the age of your washer. The average water fill for front-loading machines ranges from 8 to 15 gallons (30 to 57 liters). Because they use less water than top-loaders, they also require less detergent… generally about half as much detergent for the same size load. Sometimes, even a little less. It has been found that too much detergent causes excess sudsing which inhibits proper cleaning.
Always select a water temperature based on the type of bedding or clothing you will be laundering. Follow the fabric manufacturers’ care instructions carefully. Not all fabrics are safe in hot water but most are safe in warm or cold water. Many people use warm or cold water for everything.
Hot water is usually considered 130° F (60° C) or higher.*
Warm water is in the range of 90° F to 120° F (32° – 49° C).
Cool water is generally 70° to 90° F (21° – 32° C) or lower.
Tip: An easy way to determine the water temperature in your washer is to hold a candy thermometer under the water flow on each setting of your machine.
* Normally only used in commercial laundries. U.S. Consumer Safety requires all heaters to have a label stressing the danger of water in excess of 120° F (32° – 49° C) water. It is usually not recommended because of the scalding potential with children. Also, many individuals who do laundry regularly feel that high temperatures are injurious to fabrics causing them to fade and wear out much faster than with lower water temperatures.
Directions for using DeMite in a front-loading washer
STEP 1: Sort laundry by maker’s care instructions.
STEP 2: Place a load of laundry in the washer, not tightly packed. Do not overload as this can result in poor cleaning. Close the door securely.
STEP 3: Open the dispenser compartment/drawer and add detergent to the “Detergent” compartment. Low-sudsing detergents are recommended, especially HE (high-energy) brands because they produce very little suds.
STEP 4: Fill the DeMite measuring cup 1/4 full with DeMite and add it to the liquid detergent already in the dispenser compartment. If you do not have our measuring cup, just add 1.5 teaspoons (0.25 oz or 7.5 ml) of DeMite. Close the compartment slowly to prevent spills. Water will be pumped into the dispenser to bring the detergent and DeMite into the wash load.
STEP 5: Select water temperature.
For dryer tips, please see our Dryer Tips for Allergy Sufferers article.
More Tips
Suggestions For Reducing Your Dust Mite Allergies
First: Almost all doctors will tell you that encasings are an absolute necessity to control dust mites in your pillows, mattress, and box spring, and they are! They encase the existing colonies of dust mites inside of them and prevent their escape to the sheets and pillowcases above. However, not all encasings are truly effective. The weave of the fabric determines its efficacy. The tighter the weave, the better your protection from dust mite waste.
Second: Your problem is not caused by the dust mites contained within the encasings. It is caused by those living on top of the sheets and pillowcases covering the encasings. Dust mites are continually being deposited on your bedding from the circulating air above. They breed, eat, live, and deposit their waste here. These are the particles that you inhale deeply into your lungs every night as you sleep.
This is important enough to repeat: You must understand that the millions of dust mite particles that you inhale each night are on your sheets and pillowcases and not those already isolated in the encasings. For eight hours every night, your face is in actual or proximate contact with them.
Third: Bedding must be laundered regularly. Normal laundering will do some good, but usually not good enough for what you need. A small number of physicians still recommend laundering in 140° F water to kill dust mites but this practice is diminishing (* See governmental warnings on Page 5) because it is not recommended due to the danger of burning, scalding, and instant death, particularly to children and the elderly. Aside from the safety factor, it can also be damaging to fabrics and cause color fading. DeMite Laundry Additive is the only practical way to virtually eliminate dust mite waste.
Fourth: Undergarments also collect dust mites. They should be laundered regularly either by machine or hand using DeMite Additive in COOL, WARM, or HOT water.
Bedroom Care
- Use only washable curtains and/or shades that are easy to launder or maintain. Avoid long or heavy drapes and Venetian or other kinds of vertical slatted blinds that attract dust. If your pillows are washable, launder them periodically adding DeMite Laundry Additive to the water, then tumble dry in a warm dryer.
- Vacuum around the base of your bed weekly. Remember to vacuum under the bed and to dust the bed frame frequently. All bedrooms of allergy sufferers in the house should be cared for in this manner.
- Conventional Vacuums do not retain microscopic particles such as dust mite waste, the cat dander Fel d 1 allergen, animal dander, and pollen which are found in carpets by the billions. Yes, they do pick them up, but they immediately recirculate them back into the air you breathe because they are not physically capable of retaining ultra-small particles, the ones causing your problems. Their filtering systems usually retain only particles 50 microns or larger, not small enough to collect those that are creating your problems.
You should always use a vacuum with true HEPA filtration. - Central Air Conditioning plays a major role in asthma and to a lesser degree may be related to many other indoor allergy problems. The recirculated air of today’s energy-efficient, closed environment homes is brimming with microscopic particles, from dust mite waste to pet dander, pollen, and more, all bottled up with nowhere to go. And to make matters worse, this same air is being constantly regenerated throughout the house. If you are considering the purchase of a central air conditioning system, it should absolutely contain a high-efficiency particulate air cleaner (HEPA) to reduce these particles as much as possible and to control other airborne bacteria.
- An alternative to central air conditioning that your doctor may recommend is using an air cleaner in the bedroom and other rooms to reduce the levels of allergenic dust circulating throughout your home. Always choose one with a HEPA air cleaner or filter. A “true” HEPA filter must be able to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns with 99.97 % efficiency and not spill any of its intake back into the room. Air cleaners are effective only on airborne particles, not those that have built up on your carpets, upholstered furniture, draperies, or bedding.
- Carpets are allergy particle reservoirs. They collect them at one hundred times the rate of bare floors. As carpets get older, they begin to harbor more and more particles, not only dust mite waste, but animal dander, Fel d 1, house dust, mold growths, and outdoor pollen. If removal of carpeting is not an option, be certain that it is vacuumed frequently. Work against the pile, stroking several times over each area and overlap movements to capture as many particles as possible. Wear a protective mask unless someone else does the vacuuming. The ‘sufferer’ should stay out of the area for one-half hour to let the air settle.
- Upholstery: There are locations in your home where dust mite waste and pet dander are frequently overlooked. Your sofa and other upholstered furniture, curtains, and draperies are examples of these areas that can be vacuumed.
Miscellaneous
- Try to keep pets with hair, fur, or feathers out of the bedroom at all times, but if this is not likely to happen, at least keep them off of your bed. Give them their own bed with washable bedding in a distant part of the room. Make certain that they are brushed or combed thoroughly at least once a week to reduce loose dander.
- Bare surfaces, such as hardwood floors or inlaid tiles with washable throw rugs discourage dust build-up and are easier to keep clean.
- Dusting with a dry cloth stirs up and scatters dust and allergenic particles. Keep only washable clothing of the current season in your closet. Store out-of-season clothing elsewhere. Do not use mothballs or moth crystals.
- Avoid exposure to other irritants such as perfumes, air fresheners, tobacco smoke, pesticides, and other aerosol sprays, chemicals, and paint fumes, as they can trigger allergy symptoms. Cigarette smoke is an allergen. Do not smoke in the house!
- Don’t make your bedroom a storeroom. The more items in a room, the more dust will accumulate.
For more tips on controlling dust mites in your home, bedroom, and bed, check out some of our articles listed below.
Allerpet
Dander Remover
Are you
allergic to
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Dust Mite and DeMite Articles
Dryer Tips For Allergy Sufferers
After washing with DeMite laundry additive, follow our tips for drying bedding, towels, and other washables in order to reduce dust mite related allergens.
Dust Mites in the Bedroom
Did you know that the highest concentration of dust mites in a typical home is found in the bedroom? Learn how to rid your bedroom of dust mite allergens.
A Nightmare Between the Sheets: Dust Mites in the Bed
Dust mite protection in your bed includes the use of encasements as well as DeMite Laundry Additive. Learn about how to rid your bed of dust mite allergens.