Cozy season is here so it's time to shut the windows and cuddle up. But unless you want to spend the next few weeks itching and sneezing from an influx of dust mites, you need to clean your mattress before you touch the thermosts.

"Mites are ubiquitous so all beds are likely to have a degree of living mites," says Professor George Du Toit, Co-Founding Director and Professor of Paediatric Allergy at the Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE). "It is important for those with dust mite allergy to try to reduce this allergenic load as best possible.”

Dust mites thrive in the dark of your mattress, where they have access to all your yummy body oils and shed skin cells. And in fall, trapped moisture and warm rooms turn your home into mite paradise. The best way to reduce the problem is to remove the food source (the dust in your bed). To do so, you need to follow the 2-inch mattress rule — here's how.

The seasonal dust mite surge doesn't hit everyone equally; if you live in a state with an even temperature year-round, you're unlikely to experience the same uptick. However, dust mites are found almost everywhere humans are, so regardless of the weather, we recommend taking care of your mattress.

“Autumn marks the peak for dust mite proliferation and symptom flares for two key reasons," explains Dr. Du Toit.

First, the dust mite population, which has spent the summer growing, is now dying off.

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