About a quarter of the phone calls we get are from people dealing with some kind of mite problem. Over the years hundreds of customers have used our Commercial Grade ozone generators to treat their homes and cars, and I’ve spent countless hours on the phone learning what works and what doesn’t. This page pulls all of that into one protocol.
Important: ozone shock treatments are for unoccupied spaces only. No people, pets or plants in the space while the machine runs, and air it out before anyone comes back in. Ozone is not for breathing and is never applied to people.
Does ozone kill mites?
Yes, at high concentration. A published study found ozone kills mites, but only when the concentration is high enough (view the study). In our experience, concentrations above roughly six parts per million in a sealed, empty space are what it takes. Ozone does not reliably kill eggs, which is why the protocol below repeats over several weeks to catch each new hatch.
Treat the whole home at once
Going room by room doesn’t work. Mites and their droppings are in every nook and cranny: closets, drawers, ductwork, couches and car seats. If you treat one room at a time, the untreated areas re-seed the treated ones. Open everything up and shock the whole structure at the same time.
How much ozone do you need?
- Baseline: about 1,000 mg/h of ozone per 100 square feet.
- Humidity cuts effective output. At around 50% humidity, plan on roughly double.
- For a mite infestation, size on the high side. See our Ozone Sizing Guide for square-footage math.
Our machines use quartz tubes rather than ceramic plates. Ceramic plates can shed nano-metal particles as they wear (see the patent); our quartz tube design is nano-metal free. More on that in Quartz Tube vs Ceramic Plate Ozone Generators.
The Forever Ozone mite protocol
- Serious biting-mite infestation? Start with a fogger. A “hot shot” style bug fogger first, then ozone. The ozone helps break down pesticide residue and keeps working on mites as eggs hatch. Follow the fogger’s label and stay out of the home as directed. Full step-by-step on our Killing Mites With Ozone page.
- Shock treat the empty home. Use a cycle timer (for example one hour on, one hour off) while nobody is home, and have it shut off at least an hour before anyone returns.
- Repeat for about three weeks, roughly two shock treatments a day, to catch each hatch.
- Dry it out and heat it up. Most mites need around 50% humidity to survive. While you’re out, run a dehumidifier to bring humidity under about 30% and raise the room temperature with a space heater (follow its safety instructions). Then let the room cool and finish with ozone.
- Surface misting between treatments. A hand-held fogger with hypochlorous acid (HOCl) can be used to mist bedding, pillows, couches and car interiors. It is a much milder oxidizer than ozone, so it complements the shock treatment rather than replacing it.
- Air it out. Open the windows and put a fan in the lowest window blowing out so fresh air is drawn in through the others.
- Prevent re-infestation. Once you’re clear, a weekly shock treatment on a day nobody is home for four to six hours keeps things in check, the same way you’d shock a pool.
What about dust mite droppings in the air?
Before Forever Ozone I sold air purifiers and indoor air quality testing equipment. A tabletop purifier can’t keep up with the dust we kick up just by walking around. What works for dust is your HVAC system: run the fan in the “On” position, use a MERV 11 filter and change it about every three weeks. Pair that with periodic shock treatments of the empty home. More in Your HVAC vs Tabletop HEPA Air Purifiers.
Questions about your situation? Call us. We answer the phone and help after the sale.