Unbelievable facts
It is said that we spend a third of our lives sleeping, which means that's how much we're in bed. If you spend a lot of time in one place, it's important to make sure that the place is clean. Your bed is full of many things you might not even know, and if you don't keep it clean, the health hazard is very significant. What's in our bed?
If you had the opportunity to look at the bed under a microscope, you would probably be at least surprised, and maybe shocked. Almost every bed contains dust mites, which are microscopic organisms that feed on dead skin cells. This “little thing” lives, dies and reproduces on the bed where you sleep, so the only way to protect yourself from them is to wash your bed linen regularly. Otherwise, you may begin to suffer from allergies, and your immunity may also decrease markedly. However, dust mites are not the only inhabitants of our bed:
— dead skin cells. Our body loses about a million skin cells a day, so some of them “go away” during sleep. Unfortunately, dead skin cells are dust mites' favorite food.
— oils. Our body produces natural oils during sleep, which, of course, end up on bed linen.
— sweat. If it's too hot at night, it's natural for your body to sweat to cool down.
— bodily fluids. Saliva, blood, urine and body fluids from sexual intercourse – everything remains on the sheets.
— food crumbs. If you suddenly want to have a snack while lying in bed, then for sure small pieces of food will remain on the sheet, which ask to be eaten by dust mites.
How often should bed linen be washed?
If you wash your bed once a month, don't even think about doing it less often. At least you should wash it every 2 weeks, the most ideal option is every week. As for pillows, they should be washed at least twice a year, as pillows can contain mold, yeast and bacteria that cause diarrhea, asthma and bronchitis. If you have never washed a pillow, you should consider buying a new one.
It is worth noting that if you are caring for a sick person, you should change bed linen daily so that the person does not sleep in a bed full of germs. If you can't change your underwear every day, at least change your pillowcases daily.
How do you wash bed linen?
To keep your bedding clean, it's important to know how to wash it properly.
1. Bed sheets and duvet covers
— wash them in hot soapy water and let them dry on the dryer;
— do not wash them with clothes;
— if there are stains on the sheets, remove them with a special product before washing;
— in order to naturally whiten white sheets, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the water;
— use medium and low temperatures when washing and drying, as high temperatures can weaken fabric fibers.
2. Duvets
— wool blankets should be washed in cold water, and when drying, place them at the lowest level of the dryer;
— electric blankets should not be dry-cleaned, as solvents can damage the wiring;
— if you do not want to wash the blanket frequently, clean it with a vacuum cleaner between washes from dust and fibers;
— make sure that there are no damaged seams on the blanket before washing.
3. Blankets and bedspreads
— check whether the blanket is shedding or not before washing. If so, it is better to give it to the dry cleaner;
— wash blankets in cold water and dry at very low temperatures. Alternatively, hang it on a clothesline and let it air dry.
4. Pillowcases
— wash pillowcases in cold water and dry at low temperatures;
— whisk the pillows daily to get rid of dust and dead skin cells;
— Hang pillows outside often to ventilate them.