Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Caring for your Bedding

We spend more than one third of our lives in bed. More than 30 years on average. So, it is important to keep our beds and surrounding areas as clean as possible. It can also influence getting a good night’s sleep. All of us could use that. But how often is enough? Is it just the bedding we need to worry about? 

Your bedding can get dirty quicker than you think. It collects body oils, sweat and skin cells nightly. Dust mites also contribute to the mess feeding on our dead skin cells, yuck! Pillowcases will get much of the grime. We do drool in our sleep and along with hair products, sweat, dirt, bacteria, oils, and dead skin cells. When you sleep rubbing your face on that pillowcase at night can cause acne if not cleaned regularly. Always remove all makeup and wash your face before bed to minimize the grime on your pillowcase. Bedding should be changed at least weekly, twice a week if you can. Wash bedding in hot water to kill dust mites and bacteria instead of just giving them a bath. If you can dry your bedding in the sun do so. The smell is awesome, and the UV light kills micro-organisms. 

Other bedding items need less frequent cleaning. Pillows, not the cases, need to go in the washer every 4-6 months. Believe it or not, a third of your pillows’ weight is dead skin, dust mites, bugs and more! So, cleaning often is important. Between washes tumble in a hot dryer to kill bacteria, mites, and bugs. Add some dryer balls to fluff them up. Duvets and blankets can be done every six months. If your duvet is too large for your washer get it dry cleaned. Washed ones may not dry properly if too large and will become musty. 

Keeping the surroundings around your bed is important also. Keep dust at bay along with minimizing items that collect dust like curtains and knickknacks. It is good to shower at night to get rid of grime and pollution you absorb all day, it follows you to bed at night. Pet lovers, you need to keep the pets off the bed and out of the bedroom entirely if possible. Keep eating in bed to a minimum. Bedroom carpets are a breeding ground for dust and mites. Vacuum frequently, twice weekly at least. Wearing slippers will lessen the amount of dust and dirt we bring into bed. 

So let us bring our bedroom cleaning up a notch. You will be rewarded with a pleasant and good nights sleep. 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago