Nothing compares to the feeling of waking up on a Saturday morning and remembering that it is the weekend. You don’t have to do anything and you don’t need to get up. You can just lie in bed and pamper yourself with breakfast in bed as well. In order to achieve all of this comfort, you need to have a clean linen.
How often do you clean your bedding and mattress?
That is a question you need to answer not only when you make a mess with your breakfast in bed, but also because dirt and dust can build up pretty fast. If you are someone who values a good night sleep, you know just how important it is to have a clean linen. It is not just the spoiled look of the bed, but also irritations and skin rashes that you may get from an unhygienic linen and bed covers.
The main issue is that our bodies shed millions of dead cells every night. There are also body oils and sweat, which add to the general unpleasant condition of the bed linen. Did you know that microscopic dust mites and other such microbes inhabit your bed, essentially feasting on the dead skin cells that you shed? That is why regular cleaning of the bedding is required.
Ideally, you want to deal with this task once every one to two weeks. That is about as long it takes for your bedding to get saturated in skin cells, dust and other allergens. You will find that once you deal with the mess, you will be less prone to allergies and asthma.
For the best cleaning results, follow the outlined steps:
- Separate bedding and wash on low setting. It is a good idea not to mix bedding with other clothes. Remember that it is best to use not-so-hot setting, as hot water will only shrink the material and ruin your linen.
- Pick a good detergent. Since you will be washing at low temperature, it is important to pick a product that works well with that. Not all detergents are designed to wash clothes on low temperatures, so make sure you are using that works well in that regard.
- Turn linens inside out and roll them into a ball before placing in the washing machine.
- Add a fabric softener for some extra comfort and a lovely fragrance.
- Air-dry the linens. This is by far the best option, since direct sunlight can further sanitise linens and remove bacteria.
- Treat stains prior to washing. The best strategy to deal with stains is to address them as soon as possible and prior to washing. Check out what specific stain remover works best and use that.
Unfortunately, cleaning only the linen and bed covers doesn’t cut it when it comes to bed hygiene. You also need to address the mattress. It is true that a lot of people forget about it and rarely if at all clean the mattress, but this is a mistake.
While it is true that a mattress pad and cover do offer some protection against germs and allergens, over time these will set in deeply. The only way to minimise this effect is to pay attention to regular cleaning. Here is what you should know in that regard:
- Air the mattress – this is a simple enough task to do whenever you are changing sheets and pillow cases. Let the mattress air out for an hour, because this will reduce odours. If possible, take it out in the sun.
- Beat dust out – another cleaning method you can follow to great effectiveness is beating the mattress with an appropriate tool for 15 to 20 minutes. Not only is this a good way to work out, but it is also a fine strategy against the accumulation of dead skin cells, dust and dust mites. When you are done, be sure to let the mattress sit on the sun and turn it so that both sides can be exposed. Do a quick beating again prior to returning the mattress home. You can do this once every few months, when weather allows it.
- Sprinkle soda and vacuum – another proven method of cleaning your mattress is sprinkling baking soda and vacuuming it. Simply let the soda sit for 30 minutes so that it absorbs any unpleasant odours. Then vacuum clean it by using an upholstery attachment. For even better results, you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the soda before sprinkling it. This will not only remove the unpleasant odours, but also introduce a fresh scent that you will love.
- Get it steam cleaned – most likely you will want to call a professional cleaning company to address this, but it is worth it. Steam cleaning your mattress is a sure way to have all of the unpleasant allergens removed. You will see your quality of sleep quickly improve. As a bonus, regular mattress cleaning (at least once a year) will prolong the life of your mattress.
- Regular maintenance – in between cleaning, you can vacuum the mattress as you change the sheets. Once a month is more than enough to remove a large amount of dust and dead skin cells, which could be causing allergies and skin problems. A simple vacuum cleaner works well enough, but a HEPA one is even better.
Hopefully you will take these tips to heart and start paying more attention to your bed and mattress. Think of this as an investment for your good night sleep. Getting a quality rest is something that you should be willing to sacrifice some time and effort for.
