Bed Sheet Secrets: Your bed sheets are secretly harboring colonies of dust mites!
By Shane Reed, Mr. & Mrs. Restore
If you take a look, you won’t see anything (hence the secret) as these mites are too small to see with the naked eye. But trust us when we say that they are in there. They survive by feeding off your dead skin cells, skin oils, saliva and sweat.
We all shed about 1.5 grams of skin cells EACH DAY. True, not all of that goes into your bed sheets, but you can see how this can quickly add up in just one location if it isn’t regularly cleaned. This makes washing your bed sheets and other bedding important.
How often should you wash your sheets?
Most of us simply don’t wash our sheets often enough. A survey by Mattress Advisor found that out of the 1,000 people they surveyed, most on average waited around 25 days before cleaning or changing out their sheets.
So just how often should you wash your sheets?
Answer: At least once every two weeks, more frequently if needed.
The Good Housekeeping Institute says you should wash your sheets — and other bedding — at least once every two weeks.
If you have night sweats, or just sweat a lot in general, bump washing up to once a week.
If you’re allergic to dust mites, bump your washing of your bedding at least once a week. You’ll need to wash them in water that is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 Celsius) to kill the dust mites.
Don’t forget to wash your pillows!
While you may think that the pillow case protects your pillow, it really doesn’t. Sweat, dust and skin cells still work their way down into your pillow. Plus, washing can fluff them up and make them last longer, so giving them a spin in the washer is a win-win. Consider washing or replacing your fluffy friend once every six months or so.
At Mr. and Mrs. Restore, we have a team of environmental professionals specializing in odor identification. Should you or someone you know need assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us directly at (833) 379-6691 or www.MrandMrsRestore.com.
