I have some good and bad news to share with you today. All my life I’ve been in the anti-bed-making group, and now I’ve found a scientific reason why making your bed is bad. Yay! That’s great, right? The article proves that it’s okay, even good, to not make your bed! Well, here’s where the bad news comes in. You see, the reason to not make your bed is repulsive. Frankly, I would rather not think about the creepy critters who have made their home in my bed…
CREEPY CRAWLY MICROSCOPIC CREATURES CALLED DUST MITES THRIVE IN YOUR BED
Dust mites are close relatives of spiders and ticks. They are very tiny, too small to be seen with the naked eye. Here are some facts about dust mites from the Allergy & Asthma Foundation of America: Dust mites are white and have eight legs, like spiders. They “spend their lives moving about, eating, reproducing and eliminating waste products.” Adult mites live for 2 to 4 months, and female dust mites may lay 100 eggs. Yuck! The Mayo Clinic website says that dust mites don’t drink water. Instead, they absorb water from humidity in the atmosphere.
THEY LOVE TO EAT YOUR DEAD SKIN
Dust mites survive by eating the dead skin you shed. According to the Allergy & Asthma Foundation of America, the average person sheds 1.5 grams of skin per day, which is enough to feed 1 million dust mites! Can you picture the feeding frenzy? Tons of mini-spider-like dust mites crawling around you while you sleep, gobbling up on the buffet of all the dead skin you shed?
THEY THRIVE AND MULTIPLY IN YOUR BED
They love the warm, humid environment in your bed. They are all under your covers and multiply there while you sleep. Even if your house looks very clean, dust mites have likely infested your bed. Your bedroom is their favorite place in your house, according to studies. And your house likely has millions of dust mites even if it looks impeccably clean. Millions of them. All. Over. Your. House.
PROBLEMS THEY CAUSE
Even if your house isn’t visibly dirty, you can suffer from problems due to dust mites. Dust mites are a common cause of asthma in kids. According to this article, they are the most common cause of allergies related to house dust. Mayo Clinic’s website states that chronic inflammation of tissues in your nasal passages caused by allergy to dust mites can obstruct your sinuses, which may increase your likeliness of developing sinus infections.
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T MAKE YOUR BED
According to researcher Dr. Stephen Pretlove, “Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die.” Fewer dust mites means less grossness, less allergies, and less asthma – sounds like good news all around to me!
OTHER WAYS TO GET RID OF DUST MITES
This article has a variety of additional recommendations for decreasing the amount of dust mites living in your home:
Vacuuming only removes about 5% of them, because they burrow deep into your pillows, mattresses, furniture, and carpet. Special vacuum cleaner filters can help keep them from circulating back into the air, though. Cover your mattress and pillows in dust-proof, zippered covers. These special covers have pores too small to let mites inside. Wash blankets and sheets in hot water (at least 130 degrees F) to kill the mites. Do this weekly. Cold water can leave up to 10% of the mites alive. Decrease humidity in your home by using a dehumidifier.
Well goodnight everyone, sleep tight, and don’t let the dust mites bite… Featured photo credit: Bed linen/Marla Morri via flickr.com
