how often should you buy new bed pillows

how often should you buy new bed pillows

how much is a king size mattress cost

How Often Should You Buy New Bed Pillows

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When you settle in for the night, the last thing you probably think about is what may be lurking in the nooks and crannies of your bedding. And your ignorance is most likely bliss, because it turns out, beds are ripe - pardon the pun, hotbeds - for microscopic life. "You have spores of fungi, bacteria, animal dander, pollen, soil, lint, finishing agents of whatever the sheets are made from, colouring material, all sorts of excrements from the body including sweat, sputum, vaginal, and anal excretions, urine milieu, skin cells," Philip Tierno, a microbiologist and pathologist at the New York University School of Medicine, told Tech Insider. "Plus there are cosmetics that people use - they put oils and creams on their body, all of that is in that milieu." And there's a lot more, Tierno said, "including food by the way, people eat in the bed. That of course provides a nice environment for these organisms". Your home's environment is so nice, in fact, that scientists all around the world are trying to identify and quantify the diverse array of pollutants and allergens that not only shack up in your bed, but fawn out across an entire household.




These domestic microbes may negatively (or sometimes even positively) affect our health. Nasty bacteria from raw meat and vegetables, for example, can live on surfaces for days or even years and cause horrendous cases of food poisoning. Mould on bathroom surfaces and damp cloths can exacerbate or cause allergies and asthma. Think this doesn't affect you because you're a relatively clean person? Humans naturally produce 26 gallons (98.4 litres) of sweat in bed every year. This moisture, at high humidity, is an "ideal fungal culture medium". In a 2015 study that assessed the level of fungal contamination in bedding, researchers found that feather and synthetic pillows one and a half to twenty years old can contain between 4 and 17 different species of fungus. And over time, Tierno said, the amount of fungi, bacteria, and many other debris that accumulate is dramatic. "You know how Rome was covered and we excavated to find out Rome? That's because gravity [causes debris] to settle over time and bury things," Tierno said.




"The same thing happens with mattresses and pillows: Gravity brings down all this debris and it settles in the core of the pillow and the mattress. And you're inhaling that debris 8 hours a day." Considering that one in six people have allergies, Tierno says, and the average person spends about a third of their life in bed, scientists are speculating that our beds may be the source of our misery. "I didn't even mention the dust mites," Tierno said. "There are dust mite faeces and dust mite debris, which are allergens. Even if you don't have an allergy, you react to it as a normal person." These allergens may cause you to wake up with a stuffy nose, cause or exacerbate allergies, or aggravate asthma. Therefore, it's imperative to keep your bed relatively clean, Tierno says, so that you don't overexpose your body to these allergens. So how often should you wash your bed sheets? "Stuff like that accumulates to become significant usually between one or two weeks," Tierno said.




"Bottom line, they should be washed probably on the average of once a week." And while there aren't any formal studies on how often you should be cleaning things in your home, Tierno says, this weekly sheet washing suggestion is just a recommendation. "Certainly if you go one week and two days you're not going to get arrested," Tierno said. And if you're like most people and have a hard time wrestling with washing your duvet cover, do not fret. You only have to wash that periodically, about every six months, Tierno says, depending on use. This article was originally published by Business Insider. You are using an older browser version. Please use a supported version for the best MSN experience.Have you ever wondered why you slept restlessly throughout the night or woke up feeling sore all over? These might be signs that you need a new mattress as the current one doesn't provide the right comfort and support that you need anymore. Determining when to replace your mattress can be difficult as you sleep on it every day and the effect of wear and tear may not be obvious.




How often should you replace your mattress Even with good quality care, all mattresses eventually reach a ‘snooze-by’ date by which point they should be replaced. As a general rule this will be between 7 and 8 years after purchase according to the Sleep Council1, but look for these signs: Visible wear and tearThis is the most obvious signal that your mattress is in need of a replacement. If it looks saggy, dented, worn, torn, or even visibly stained, then chances are it is time to replace it. Waking up sore If you wake up with stiffness, aches or pains, then it is quite possible that the cause of this is an un-supportive mattress that needs replacing with one that offers proper support and comfort. Equally, if you have a significantly better night’s sleep in a hotel or similar, this could be a sign that your night’s sleep is being troubled by your mattress. Partner disturbance If you and a partner sleep in the same bed, check with them as well. If you are both still tired in the morning, then the mattress is probably not reducing motion transfer as it should.




Most people keep their mattresses too long. If your mattress fulfils any of the above criteria despite looking fine, it is advisable to replace it. Issues that could arise with your mattress and pillows Not only can your mattress become unsupportive over time, but bacteria can also be an issue. Due to the inevitable amount of time spent in contact with your mattress, it is not unreasonable to assume they will need replacing after a number of years. Add to this that we lose about half a litre of perspiration per night; mildew and bacteria accumulation is to be expected. To minimise this, it is good to have a removable and cleanable cover in order to keep your mattress in a better hygienic condition and to make it last longer. Pillows are slightly different. They will need to be replaced more often, yet pillows made of latex retain their shape for longer as they have shape-retention properties due to the latex being able to ‘spring back’. Latex is also dust-mite resistance and anti-bacterial, so combined with regular care by rotation and washing, will last longer than normal pillows.

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