How to clean your bed for your health

clean bed - healthclean bed - health
clean bed - healthclean bed - health

How to clean your bed for your health

Many people think that when they remove used bedding and replace it with newly washed bedding, that their beds are clean. This is, unfortunately, not the truth. The truth is, your bed is a lot dirtier than you thought and it really needs a deep clean.

Cleaning your bed takes a fair amount of effort, but by the time you’ve finished reading this article, you’ll want to get into it as soon as you get home.

 

What’s wrong with a seemingly clean bed?

Let’s first look at the health problems related to an unclean bed. And don’t think the regular changing of sheets and duvet covers doesn’t make a difference, because it does. There just happens to be so much more to a clean bed than clean bedding.

The problem with a seemingly clean bed is that there are vast numbers of incredibly tiny dust mites in and on your bed. Both dead and alive ones. They are the reason for many irritations you may experience after a night’s rest, such as:  

  • Acne: Pimples don’t pop up for no reason. You’ll be more inclined to breakout when there’s leftover makeup on your face and pillows. Do you and your a bed a favour by making sure you’re clean when jumping into bed at night.
  • Eczema: Dirty sheets on skin isn’t a desirable feeling and your skin let’s you know it doesn’t like it, in the form of eczema flare-ups. Dust mites live in your dirt and live for flakes of skin. Yes, it sounds and is disgusting, but it’s true. And it’s what you need to hold onto to motivate you to clean your mattress more often.  
  • Allergies: Allergies are the common “symptoms” of dust mites that people experience. Sensitive eyes, sneezing, coughing, asthma and sore throats, for example. Even the build-up of “sleep” in your eyes when you wake up is a sign of dust mites.   

Having a dirt-filled bed can go so far as to affect your ability to sleep and get a good night’s rest. It’s not a matter of whether you’ve experienced any of these symptoms or not. It’s a matter of needing to clean your mattress properly every few months and changing your sheets every two weeks (at the least). So, moral of the story? Just because something looks clean, doesn’t mean it is clean.

The benefits of a deep bed-clean will bring you peace of mind, restful sleep, better skin and an overall fresh feeling to the room. It will also ensure your mattress lasts as long as possible which will save you from having to pay for a new one so soon. It’s something you not only need, but want to do. Right, now let’s get started.

 

You need to clean your mattress

Your mattress is the main culprit and many of us tend to forget about or disregard it. But the time has come to clean the mattress, so here’s what you need to do (after you’ve removed the bedding of course):

  • Start by vacuuming the mattress. Use whichever attachment you need to to make sure you get into all the different areas. Upholstery attachments will work the best. You think your mattress is flat, but there are many places for grime to hide.
  • Next, you’ll want to grab a fabric cleaner and scrub any stains or dirt marks on the mattress.
  • Now we work on making the mattress smell good or, at least, remove the bad odours. All you’ll need for this is baking soda, which you will distribute evenly over the surface area of the mattress. You’ll want to create a makeshift bed for the night as it’s best to leave the baking soda on for 24 hours. A bonus will be if you can leave it in the sun to “bake”.
  • Once that’s done, vacuum the mattress again and consider getting a mattress topper to add an extra layer of protection.  

Oh, and don’t forget, a mattress has two sides.

 

Don’t forget about your pillows

The same principle goes for your pillows: you can’t just wash the pillowcases and say “they’re clean”. Most pillows can be thrown into the washing machine, with a little bit of detergent, and be washed with no fuss. Foam pillows are one of the few that shouldn’t be put in the washing machine but, rather, vacuumed and air-dried.

Your feather, down and fiberfill pillows, however, can be washed in the machine. And when it comes to drying, don’t turn the heat too high up and send some clean tennis balls into the tumble dryer with the pillows to keep them nice and fluffy. Alternatively, you can stop the cycle every now and then to fluff them by hand.

 

You already know about your bedding

Bedding and sheets should be washed every 10 to 14 days. And it will be best to alternate between bedding sets to keep them from wearing out and to change things up a little.

Make it an event on your calendar if you have to, but don’t not clean your bed completely. It’s bad for your health and just plain gross.

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