Halloween is fast approaching which means our minds are firmly placed on all things scary and disgusting. Every year, we pull out all the stops to dress as unearthly characters and scare our loved ones, children roam freely from property to property desperately seeking sweets to fill their treat or treat bags, and many of us spend our evenings huddled up on the sofa watching a Halloween-themed horror movie. However, it’s not just monsters, ghouls, and ghosts you need to worry about for Halloween 2022, because the creepiest thing of all might just be what you are sleeping on at night. EZ Living Furniture has put together a guide with 5 disgusting facts that you might not know about your mattress. This will get your skin crawling…..just in time for Halloween.

Couple sleeping in bed.

1. Your Mattress Is Covered In Dead Skin Cells

Every night, we shed about 1.5 grams of skin and where does this go? On our mattresses of course. It might not seem like a lot at first, but surprisingly, this small amount of dead skin can feed a whopping 1 million dust mites. To reduce the number of cells you leave on your mattress, wear pyjamas. Think long-legged and long-sleeved PJs to be exact. This will keep as much of the dead skin away from your bed as possible. It is recommended that you wash your nightwear at least every week at a high temperature - like you would your bedsheets. 

A microscopic view of bed bugs.

2. Small Mites Feast On Dead Skin Cells

We weren’t kidding when we said this guide would get your skin crawling. When your bed is covered in dead skin cells, it can only mean one thing, your mattress is also crawling with dust mites. While dust mites don’t bite, they can accelerate allergies and asthma. They feast on dead skin cells and cannot be seen with the naked eye, which is why you won’t even know that you have them. Not being able to see them might just be the scariest thing of all, but what’s worse is that the average bed is home to 6 billion of these mites. While their preferred location is your mattress, this doesn’t mean that they don’t also make their home elsewhere too, because they do. Pillows are another favourite hangout for dust mites because they love warm and humid settings. Therefore, we suggest replacing your pillows every year and a half, or every six months if you are prone to allergies.

Woman sleeping with sunlight.

3. You Might Be Sleeping In Many Years’ Worth Of Sweat

It’s normal to wake up feeling hot and sweaty, especially during the warmer summer months. Overheating throughout the night affects your quality of sleep, but this isn’t the only thing that suffers. The excess perspiration must go somewhere and unless you take certain steps (which we will list below), that’s going to be your mattress and pillow. This creates a humid and damp sleeping environment which can lead to mould. If this has been happening for years, you are safe to assume that your bed is full of grime. Just imagining breathing that in over the years. That thought is enough to make anyone feel grossed out. 

A microscopic view of germs.

4. Humid Mattresses Are A Breeding Ground For Dust Mites

You sweat more than a pint a night and not allowing your mattress, pillows, and sheets to breathe and evaporate will create the perfect breeding ground for mould and mildew. Unfortunately, moist beds allow dust mites to flourish. Even pests like bed bugs (which do bite) and fleas prefer a warm yet damp home, and if we can take a daily good guess, you probably don’t want to share your bed with them either. 

Man cleaning with cloth.

5. You Can Never Fully Clean Your Mattress

Sadly, accidents can happen whether you have children sharing the bed with you or not. Tackling a soaked mattress straight away would seem like the best solution to this problem, but unfortunately, even that won’t solve it. Mattresses are primarily made up of various types of thick foams and are like sponges when it comes to any liquids. Even if you manage to soak up the majority of the fluid, a great deal of it will still remain, which ultimately results in a damp, foul-smelling, mould-producing mattress.

It’s true, we do spend a lot of time in our beds, which is why our mattresses can double in weight over a 10-year period with an accumulation of sweat and skin. However, this doesn’t mean that this and a lot of these disgusting facts can’t be prevented. In fact, all of them can and all it takes is one relatively inexpensive item and a little bit of your time.

Follow the tips below to find out more.

Restful Therapeutic Mattress from EZ Living Furniture.

  • Use a mattress protector. Prevention is key and we cannot stress enough how important using a mattress protector is. Buying a bed without one of these is like purchasing a car without any car insurance, it’s just silly. Mattress protectors along with a fitted sheet can prevent any dead skin cells and sweat from penetrating deep into the foam and fibres of the bed. It will collect it and all you need to do then is regularly strip the bed and wash these at a high temperature – it’s just that EZ. Don’t forget that a waterproof protector is perfect for those accidents and can also save you a lot of hassle and money because it will mean that your mattress will live (odourless) to fight another day. It can also add 2-3 years to the lifespan of your mattress.
  • Place your mattress on a breathable bed frame or foundation. A slatted foundation or box spring are two of the best options. Some mattresses do require a specific foundation, so it’s always best to check with an expert before purchasing.
  • Allow your mattress to air out. This will prevent it from holding sweat and moisture. Regular airing is recommended at least once a week. To do this, remove all bed linen including the mattress protector and open all windows in the bedroom. If removing all bed linen seems like too much hassle, pull back the duvet cover every morning to reveal the bed sheet to allow heat and moisture to disperse before making your bed.
  • Buy a new mattress if your one has mould or mildew build-up. Unfortunately, this is nearly impossible to fully remove these allergens and continuing to sleep on this will have a detrimental impact on your health. 

 

It’s like a horror movie, as scary as it can be to begin with, once you peel back the mask to reveal that the monster is actually a real person in disguise, it doesn’t seem as bad. Similarly, knowing all of these disgusting facts up front is frightening at first, but once you learn how to properly care for your mattress, you prevent the horrifying consequences.

Read our Mattress Care Guide to find out more.

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