Corona virus outbreaks have caused increased interest in house cleaning, disinfection and sterilization, as well as home furnishings and personal tools for protection from infection.
Because we spend more than a third of our lives in bed without noticing the risks our furniture may hide, experts have stressed the need to make sure that the mattress, blankets, sheets and pillows are clean regularly.
And New York University microbiologist Philip Turno warned that "dead skin cells scattered on the bed at night attract millions of microorganisms to feed on, and pose a real threat to human health."
A study conducted by one of the most famous mattress companies revealed that "the sheets, which were left unchanged for one week, contained 24 thousand times the bacteria accumulated on the bathroom door handle," according to the Red Book health care website.
Fortunately, there is a way to avoid all this by continuing to wash sheets and blankets at a high temperature at least once a week, wash pillows 4 times, and mattresses twice at least annually as well, to kill a lot of bacteria and fungi, clean stains and traces of oils, according to experts, There is nothing better than going to a healthy sleep between clean and safe blankets and sheets.
Elegant mined pillows
Experiments conducted by Dr. Terno, published by the American Business Insider newspaper, states that "bed linen are an ideal environment for germs". In pillows alone, 16 types of them can be found, in addition to the sweat that the body presents up to 26 gallons (98 liters) each year, and the secretions it produces Different while sleeping, along with what pet, pollen and dust mites transport (microorganisms that feed on dead skin) and others. And it gets worse if the sleeper has scratches or cuts.
According to the Science Insider website, "Our bodies secrete about 15 million dead skin cells that accumulate on sheets to feed on dust mites that activate and multiply to hundreds of thousands of spiders whenever the brushes are delayed or changed, which may cause red eyes, itching, runny nose and other flu-like symptoms." .
Another study revealed that unwashed pillow covers may contain 39 times the bacteria on the pet food containers, and 17,000 times the bacteria on the toilet seat. Dirty brushes can also cause the effects of oils, creams and cosmetics to clog the pores of the skin, and cause eczema and acne.
Dr. Raman Madan, a dermatologist, also warns that "patients, those who sleep naked, and those who go to bed without bathing after exercise or stay outside for a long time", contaminate their sheets more.
Have a healthy mattress
"Failure to wash brushes every week may put us at risk of viruses, infections of the lungs and urinary tract," hygiene expert Lisa Akerle told the British Daily Mail newspaper.
She recommends getting rid of the dust collected on the bed, cleaning the room and under the bed well, washing the pillows regularly, in addition to washing the bed once a week at a temperature above 60 ° C, because any degree less than that will not fulfill the purpose of disinfection of the covers.
She also recommends bathing before bed as possible and washing sleeping clothes at least every three days. When a pet is present, it will go back to the bed, be given a blanket to sleep on, and wash it once a week, while retaining some anti-bacterial wipes to treat any spills.
As for the specialist in environmental and occupational health sciences, Marilyn Roberts, she recommends that you avoid eating in bed so that the covers do not get dirty with residue and become a target of bacteria, and recommends removing stains from brushes before washing them, and not mixing them with other clothing as a precaution against the transmission of any infection.
To avoid the dangers of dust mites that mix with the air of the home and hang on to the mattress tissues causing allergies, itching, coughing and congestion, experts advise not to arrange bedding before opening windows and entering sunlight into the room, and put covers and pillows in the sun to improve their smell and remove dust mites from them.
How do we clean the mattress?
The Consumer Reports site recommends turning the mattress "twice a year" and rotating it from head to foot to ensure it is flat, and seizing this opportunity to clean it through the following steps:
1- Strip the mattress from sheets and covers, then clean the surface with a vacuum cleaner, focusing on creases and crevices, where residue, dust, and other harmful objects accumulate.
2- Clean the stains with a simple solution consisting of a teaspoon of dish detergent in a cup of warm water.
3- Eliminating unpleasant odors by spraying baking soda powder on the mattress and leaving it for 24 hours in case of cleaning for the first time, then only one hour in the following times, to ensure the best results.
4- It is preferable to place the mattress near the window, so that the sun's rays act as an additional sterilization force.
5- Suction baking soda with a vacuum cleaner, cover the mattress cover or protective covering to absorb moisture and maintain the condition of the mattress and its smell, and for additional protection that ensures good sleep.