There is more a more information being put out there about how to control or kill dust mites and deal with the day in day out problem of allergens in the home. This article from the Huffington Post by Dr. Cass has a lot of good information.

One of her points I want to expand on it is her” Death to Dust Mite” section. Sheets needs to be washed in very hot water, 140 degree, and most hot water heaters are not set that hot. There are a few products on the market that can be added to the wash to get around that. The other thing that is good about these products is now you can wash in cold and warm which will make your sheet last longer. If you have an allergy to dust mites keeping your sheets is a must.

She also mentions putting allergen barrier covers on the mattress. The 4.91 microns she mentions is pretty much what you get from 100% cotton covers. Cotton is the lightest and coolest of the dust mite covers.