Health hazards if bed sheets are not cleaned

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1. Body secretions We spend up to 1/3 of our lives in bed. Therefore, cleaning bed sheets is one of the must-dos. You need to pay attention to the bodily secretions (like saliva, sweat, dandruff and others) that are left on the bed sheets every day. Ideally, you should clean your bedding weekly, or at least every other week. However, a recent survey found that Americans tend to be lazy about this when cleaning only 25 days apart.
2. Dead Skin Cells The human body sheds about 500 million dead skin cells every day and most of them appear on the bed sheet when we lie and roll on it. All these dead skin cells will gradually build up on the sheets between washings. However, dead skin cells are a favorite food for dust mites, a possible trigger for allergies, asthma and eczema flare-ups. If you are allergic to dust mites, clean your bedding with warm water weekly.
3. Pet Fur Can you sleep with pet fur? Pet hair (like dogs and cats) on bed sheets will become a rich source of nutrients for dust mites. If your lovely dog ​​has scabies, although fortunately humans cannot get this disease, it can make our skin itchy and uncomfortable. Besides, pets can also contract ringworm and spread it to the owner. So, if you have a pet in the house, you should try to change or clean the pillowcase once a week.

4. Bacterial Accumulation Dead skin cells, sweat, saliva and more can turn their cushy bed into a breeding ground for bacteria. For example, some experiments show that cotton fibers from pillowcases that have not been cleaned for a week contain 17,000 times more bacteria than environmental samples taken from toilets.
5. The culprit that leads to acne Acne skin condition suddenly gets worse and you can't figure out why? One of the causes can come from your dirty pillowcase, not cleaned periodically. Dirt, dead skin and bacteria are factors that clog our pores. If you have acne, you need to change and clean the pillowcase about every 2-3 days and the bed sheet once a week.
6. Bacteria and Virus Contagious Environment If you or your spouse are sick, one of the things to do is clean the bed sheet immediately to kill all bacteria and viruses. remains on it. Most bacteria or viruses can survive on soft surfaces for minutes or even hours (exact time depends on the specific bacteria). For example, seasonal flu viruses only live on paper towels for 15 minutes, but some gastrointestinal bacteria can survive on fabric surfaces for up to 4 hours.

7. Sanitize the pillow The pillow is where we rest our heads every night, but it can be a breeding ground for fungi and some can be dangerous for people with asthma. If the pillow is washable, clean it at least twice a year. Carefully read the user manual to know how to clean a specific pillow, after washing it, it should be dried to avoid mold growth again.
8. Change bed sheets often Some elements can stay on bed sheets and create many harmful effects to health. Therefore, you need to change, clean and clean the bed sheet weekly, even more often when accompanied by the following problems:
You have a habit of sleeping naked; You have a habit of snacking in bed; Sleeping with children; Frequent sweating at night. 9. Don't rush to rearrange your bed You've heard many people say that the best day to start with is rearranging the bed. But not in a hurry to do this is probably a wiser idea. This is because the moisture buildup in the bed sheets after a long night of sleep needs to be dried before cleaning. Therefore, after waking up, turn the outer covers over and wait for them to dry. This action makes the bed no longer a suitable habitat for microorganisms.

10. Some cleaning tips for bedding Clean bedding with the hottest water possible according to the manufacturer's instructions. Then continue to put them in the dryer. Studies show that the heat of a dryer can kill some types of bacteria that survive the washing process. If your bedding isn't easily discolored, use an extra germ-killing agent (like bleach) to clean it, especially after you or your co-sleeper get sick.
11. Establish a cleaning schedule for pillows and comforters Some duvets or mattress covers are not machine washable. So, please check the user manual before cleaning them. You can follow the following cleaning schedule to keep your bedroom clean and fresh:
Blankets, blankets and outer covers: once every 1-2 months; Mattress: 4 times/year; Upholstery: Every 3-6 months. Each time you wash you can vacuum the mattress surface to remove all remaining dirt. 12. Bed bugs These creatures are not attracted to dirty or clean bed sheets, they are attracted to us. Bed bugs prefer to live in warm, human-friendly places, so bedding is the perfect environment. They crawl out at night and suck human blood to sustain life. As a result, you often have itchy bites the day after you wake up. Bed bugs spread from other environments such as hotels, dormitories, neighbors' apartments, schools, workplaces or on your coat. In other words, they appear almost everywhere. Cleaning bedding, then drying at high heat for 30 minutes is one way to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

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Reference source: webmd