How to spring clean your bedroom

7 February 2017

It’s that time of year when we give our homes an overhaul. A fresh look and a good clean for the New Year. But just how clean will your bedroom be?

Home and Garden on Female First

The average person spends around 25 years of their life in bed - and that’s just sleeping. A quarter of us eat at least one meal a week in bed and we work, surf the net, use social media, read, watch TV – and get up to other things! - in bed.*

This causes quite a build-up of skin, sweat, food and dust, which attract mites – microscopic creatures that feast on flakes of human skin. Their droppings contain a pretty potent allergen, which may lead to asthma-like symptoms, eczema, or sinus problems. So, it’s not just about keeping clean, it’s about your health too!

There are some simple ways to prevent this becoming a problem and leading bedding company Silentnight has some top tips to make sure you keep your bedroom clean: not just at Springtime, but all year.

Wash your bedding, not just your sheets

If left unwashed for just a few months, up to one-third of a pillow will be dead skin, bugs, mites and mite droppings. That’s a fair proportion! So wash your pillows and duvet every two or three months, to get rid of the build-up.

Give your pillows a spin in the tumble dryer once a month

As well as plumping up the pillows nicely, the heat kills bugs between washes.

Replace your pillows regularly

They do lose their support so it is a good investment from a health point of view – but if you’ve had your pillows for some time, it is inevitable that there will have been a build-up of skin, dust and mites. Experts recommend you replace them every two or three years.

Purchase the right kind of bedding

A product like Silentnight’s Superwash range is machine washable and maintains its bounce wash after wash. From £21.99 for two pillows at Sleepypeople, Tesco, Wilko and Argos.

Use pillow and mattress protectors

These prevent skin getting into the pillows and should be washed regularly – ideally weekly with your sheets.

Air your bed

An adult can lose up to a litre of sweat in one night, so don’t rush to make your bed in the morning. It may look nice, with all the lovely cushions, but actually it is much more hygienic to pull down the duvet, open the windows and let your bed have a good airing while you get ready.