The Importance Of Washing Bed Sheets Regularly They say you spend a third of your life sleeping, which means that you spend a third of your life in bed. If you're spending that much time in one place, it's important to make sure that it's clean. There are all sorts of things lurking in your sheets that you may not be aware of, and they could pose a threat to your health if cleanliness isn't maintained. Let this guide help you understand the importance of washing bed sheets regularly. What's In Your Sheets? If you could put your sheets under a microscope, you might be surprised - and a little freaked out - by what you would see. Almost every bed has dust mites, which are microscopic bugs that feed off of dead skin cells. These little things live, die and reproduce in the same bed sheets that you sleep in. The only way to keep these creatures under control is to wash your bed sheets on a regular basis. Otherwise, you may develop an allergy, or even a lowered immune system.
As gross as dust mites are, they aren't the only things hiding in your bed sheets. Here's what you also may be sleeping in: Dead skin cells - Your body sheds about a million skin cells a day, so some of those are bound to come off when you sleep. Unfortunately, dead skin cells are a tasty snack for dust mites. Oils - Your body secretes natural oils as you sleep, which, of course, end up on your bed sheets. Sweat - If you get too hot during the night, your body will sweat to cool off. Bodily fluids - Saliva, blood, urine, fecal matter and bodily fluids from intercourse are all liable to show up on your bed sheets. Food crumbs - If you like to bring that midnight snack to bed, there's probably crumbs and other food particles that are begging to be eaten by bugs. How Often Should You Wash Your Bed Sheets? If you're washing your sheets only once a month, that's not going to cut it. Your sheets need to be washed at least every other week, but weekly is ideal.
It's also important to wash your pillow at least twice a year. Pillows can harbor mold, yeast and bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, asthma or bronchitis. If you have never washed your pillow, you may want to consider throwing it away and getting a new one. For more information on the dangers of mold, read Health Hazards of Mold Exposure. If you are taking care of someone who is sick, you should try to wash the sheets every day so that person isn't recuperating in a germ-filled bed. If you aren't able to wash them every day, then just changing the pillowcase daily should suffice. How to Wash Your Bed Sheets The key to keeping bedding clean is to know how to clean it. It's important to follow the manufacturer's care instructions, but if you aren't familiar with them, then follow these tips to clean everything from sheets to comforters: Wash them in hot soapy water and let them dry completely in the dryer. Don't wash them with clothes as it might damage the sheets or cause them to become fuzzy.
If the sheets have a stain, tend to it before washing. For a natural way to brighten white sheets, add a quarter of a cup of lemon juice to the wash and wash with warm water. Use medium or low setting when washing or drying. High heat can cause the fibers to weaken, which can lead to rips and tears. Ball your sheets up when you put them in the washer. This will prevent them from stretching out and losing shape. Wool blankets should be washed in cold water and put on a low spin in the dryer. Electric blankets should not be dry-cleaned since the solvents used can damage the wiring. If you don't want to wash your blankets often, vacuum them in between washings to remove dust and lint. Mend any rips or tears before washing blankets. Test your comforter or bedspread for colorfastness before washing it. Dip a corner of the bedspread or comforter into a bit of the detergent to see if the color bleeds. If it does, have it dry-cleaned instead. Consider cleaning your comforter or bedspread in a commercial washer and dryer.
Your own appliances may not be able to tolerate the wet weight of the bedding. Wash your comforter in cold water and dry it on low heat. Or, hang it on a clothesline and let it air dry. Wash quilts the same way as a comforter. If the quilt is filled with batting or is old and fragile, hand-wash it. If the quilt has silk or velvet on it, do not wash it. Machine-wash pillows in cold water and dry them on a cool setting. Fluff pillows daily to get rid of lingering dust and dead skin cells. Air out your pillows frequently to freshen them up. Hang them on a clothesline or near an open window. If you're washing sheets for someone who is sick, hold the bedding away from you and make sure you wash your hands afterward. Wash the sheets in warm water and dryer them on a high setting. 8 Simple Tips On How To Prevent Cellulite When people talk about cellulite, the first thing that comes to mind is the ruff... 10 Common Places Where You Can Catch The Flu There are common areas and objects you come across every single day that can be ...
The Dangers of Paint Fumes Read this article to find out how paint fumes can be dangerous to people and the... Diseases from Not Washing Your Hands List of Diseases from Not Washing Hands Importance of Hand Washing Washing Instructions for Viscose Hand Wash Dry Clean Viscose Vaccine Prevention of Bacterial Meningitis Caregiver Sandwich: Caring for Your Loved Ones and Yourself Possible Causes for Swollen Lymph Nodes in the Neck Symptoms and Treatments for Swollen Lymph Nodes in the Groin How to Treat Swollen Lymph Nodes in the Armpit Diagnosing Swollen Lymph Nodes in the Head0 Considering that a third of your life is spent on your mattress, it is no surprise that there are stains to clean from time to time. This is a guide about cleaning stains on a mattress.6 Articles All Articles RelevanceAll ArticlesSolutionsQuestionsArchivesNewestOldestMost HelpfulLeast HelpfulMost AnswersFewest AnswersBest AnswersRelevanceSolutionsThis guide contains the following solutions.
Have something to add? Please share your solution!Tip: By Lee S.1 FlagPour on hydrogen peroxide on the stain, and immediately scrub with towel. Let dry and reapply if needed. My mattress took two treatments. By Lee S. from LA Comment QuestionsHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.Question: By lulu0 FlagDoes any one know how to get stains out of a mattress? The mattress in my spare room is still new, but it was stained by a guest I had recently. I have tried everything I know, but none worked. By Lulu from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Answer By Myrna Flag0Blood stains? Undiluted peroxide Oily stains? Try a good degreaser Urine stains? Wash well with enzyme pet stain remover. Another types of stains, I don't know. Reply By Susan Hall Flag0Clean it the best you can and then buy an inexpensive mattress cover to prevent it from happening again. Reply By Susan Flag0This takes a while, and is kind of drastic, but it worked.
I have a SpotBot, and I set it on a terrible blood stain on a mattress and let it run through a tough stain cycle. then put a fan over the bed until it dried (2 days).If you don't have a spotbot, I would suggest a upholstery attachment on a carper cleaner, then thorough drying.Reply Question: By Alice0 FlagHow can I get oil stains out of my mattress? I placed a bottle top on my bed and the lotion came from the top and left a bad oil stain. I used a degreaser and the stain is still there. By AliceRelated Content Answer Flag0Try using Resolve. It removes oodles of types of stains. Reply Question: 0 FlagHow do you clean marks from a mattress? By M Answer ArchivesThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.Archive: 0 FlagHow do I get not only a stain out, but I need to make the stain ring also go away on a pillow top mattress. Every time I go to clean it with a product and it dries, it just leaves a bigger ring.
Please help, because this mattress is brand new. By Tuckmomma from Somerset, KYAnswers:Cleaning a Stain Off a MattressTry using a carpet cleaner with the upholstery attachment, I think you need to suck out the dirt. I add a little laundry soap when I do my couch. By leekelly Comment Archive: 0 Flag I have a fairly expensive mattress that is about 18 months old. In spite of using a mattress pad, I've discovered a soiled area on it and don't know the best way of spot cleaning a mattress. I am not sure what the soil is, but I do have dogs that occasionally forget they are not allowed on the bed. I'm sure it's not dog feces or urine but it could possibly be vomit and someone in the household tried to clean it up and didn't tell Mom. It doesn't have an odor. Nancy from Fort Smith, AR Answers:Cleaning a Stain Off a MattressTry an enzyme based stain digester, available in the pet section at most stores. I've used OUT cat pee remover on many items and it really works. I also love Beaumont products pet odor eliminator.
By LindaCleaning a Stain Off a MattressMedical peroxide is about 2 or 3 for $1.00 at the Dollar Store or cheap deal stores. I have used it on set blood on cloth that has been washed and dried in the dryer and it has lifted it out. On such matter it will fizz until it expands it out of the cloth. After I used this and got it clean I would use an auto seat cleaner like Johnson and Johnson, as it can be used around the house on just about anything. When dry, vacuum the mattress. If you live where it is possible, you could put it outside in the sun to air out and freshen up. By m.b.wrightCleaning a Stain Off a MattressI would soak the area with vinegar to remove any smell. It may take a day or two to dry but I've never had any problems soaking an area with vinegar. As far as looks, I've found that baby wipes are great at getting stains off of carpet and furniture so I would try it on the spot. You may have to really scrub. I would do it when the mattress is dry. By AnnCleaning a Stain Off a MattressI would try Oxi-Clean.
I have used it many times and it always removes my stains. Spray the mattress with it and let it set a little while, then take a damp cloth and rub it a little. The stain should come out. By AnnetteCleaning a Stain Off a MattressSomething that I can suggest when removing the stain, is to make sure that you stand the mattress up, rather than wetting the mattress when it is flat. This prevents the wet soaking deep into the mattress which can then be difficult to dry. By PAULINE LIGHTBOWN ENGLANDCleaning a Stain Off a MattressTry Folex. It is an enzyme based stain remover and odor remover. You can find it at Walmart with the other rug cleaners. It is worth it. It gets out old stains 90% of the time, especially bodily fluids! It got some perspiration stains off mine. It has a money back guarantee, but it hasn't failed me yet...and I have put it through some nasty tests! By camo_angelsCleaning a Stain Off a MattressI used Resolve Power Stain and Woolite together. I didn't need excessive water, so it dried quickly, and it worked really well, smell and all.