We spend around a third of our lives in bed. With this in mind, the Mattress is the most used item in the home. Despite being the most used item, it is the least cleaned item in the home. Unknown to most, neglecting the cleanliness of your Mattress is the equivalent of neglecting your health. To determine though the effects on our health, it is essential to ascertain what is a dirty mattress vs a clean mattress.
Visible stains, grime and / or bad smells on your mattress usually means people presume you have a dirty mattress. Unfortunely, whats lurking inside a Mattress thats much more harmful to the health. There are a number of unseen factors of what makes a mattress dirty or clean. A clean mattress is essential for good health considering how much time you spend in bed. The main factors that prevents a typical mattress from being clean and sanitary include:
DUST MITES
Microscopic, insect-like pests that commonly live in house dust. They feed on flakes of dead skin, or dander, that are shed by people and pets. These tiny creatures are a huge trigger of symptoms for asthma & allergy sufferers. This is especially for those that have specific allergies to dust. Studies show dust mites to be one of the biggest triggers for symptoms of dust allergy and asthma sufferers.¹ “Dust Mites feed on dead human skin cells and pet dander. The average human sheds 1.5 grams of skin cells a day. Since we spend a third of our lives in the Mattress that makes it the perfect breeding ground for Dust Mites”²
MOULD
“Mould is a dangerous type of fungus that grows and spreads in damp conditions. The darkness and moisture inside a Mattress makes it an ideal breeding ground for mould. Mildew is another fungus that you should be aware of because it is often confused with mould. Mildew is a specific type of mould that grows flat, which means it remains only on the surface of your mattress, making it easy to remove. Unfortunately, in comparison Mould grows deep into the mattress, making it difficult to remove.
If you have a Mattress that touches the ground or has bed slats and you find small black spots on the mattress’s underside, that is mildew. Left untreated, the mould will spread and cover the entire mattress. An early sign of Mould are tiny black spots that might appear along the mattress’s sides. As mould grows it appears as large fuzzy segments,which are white, black or green; in alot of instances you will also be able to smell the Mould from the Mattress.
Mould produces allergens, irritants and in some cases, toxic substances. For some individuals, inhaling or touching moulds mould can cause allergic reactions. Mould exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and the lungs of individuals, regardless of whether you are allergic to mould. There is also ongoing scientific research to indicate that mould exposure has long-term health consequences.”³
Mould on a Mattress can be extremely hard to treat and remove. Using a reputable professional mattress cleaning company with a track record of removing or at the very least stopping the spread of Mould can remedy the problem.
GERMS AND BACTERIA
“Due to a build-up of skin flakes, food particles, and fungi, mattresses are a big source of germs and bacteria. Scientific research looking at hospital bed linens found that Staphylococcus bacteria were common. This type of bacteria can cause serious illness when they enter the body through an open wound. A species of this bacteria, called Staphylococcus aureus is fairly contagious. This species of bacteria can cause skin infections, pneumonia and worsen acne. They have been found to be live on pillow cases and some strains are resistant to antibiotics. Around a third of people carry Staphylococcus aureus in their bodies. As a result of this, they can shed the organism in large numbers. This significantly increases the chance for the Staphylococcus bacteria to be transferred into your bed at home.”⁴
E coli and gram negative bacteria are commonly found in mattresses. Gram negative bacteria can cause serious human infections. These infections include including urinary tract infections, pneumonia and meningitis;just to name a few. Some strains of E. coli can also be very infectious. They may cause urinary tract infections, traveler’s diarrhoea and pneumonia. Washing your hands properly after using the toilet is important to prevent spreading these types of bacteria.
Bathroom and kitchen towels play host to a variety of bacterial species, mainly S. aureus and E. coli. Diseases like gonorrhoea can be transmitted through contaminated towels or bedding. Different microbial species will survive on fabrics for different periods of time. S. aureus, for example, can survive for a week on cotton and two weeks on terry cloth. Influenza viruses can also survive on fabrics and tissues for 8-12 hours. Some other types of viruses, such as the vaccinia virus, can live on wool and cotton for up to 14 weeks.
Proper and regular washing are all key to ensuring germs don’t develop into a genuine health threat. For health reasons, wash your bed linen on a weekly basis. Wash your bedding more often if you spend a lot of time in bed, sleep in the nude, or sweat a lot at night. To help prevent a big buildup of bacteria, change your pillowcases every two to three days. Wash your bed linen in warm to high temperatures (around 40℃-60℃) in order to effectively kill germs. Avoid overloading laundry machines and use enough soap. Before using your bed linens, ensure that they are completely dry.
Showering before bed, avoiding taking naps or getting into bed while sweaty, removing makeup and avoiding lotions, creams, and oils right before bed can all help keep linen cleaner between washes. Not eating or drinking in bed, keeping pets off your sheets, and removing dirty socks will also help.
STEPS TO HAVE A “CLEAN” NOT “DIRTY” MATTRESS
Now that you have the knowledge of what constitutes a dirty mattress, lets discuss what needs to be done to ensure your mattress is clean. There are everyday steps and measures you can take on your own to help ensure the cleanliness of your mattress. For a more effective and long lasting solution you need to hire the services of a professional. Clean your mattresses professionally every 3 to 6 months to keep it clean and hygenic.
SOLUTIONS TO KEEPING YOUR MATTRESS CLEAN AND HYGIENIC
Hiring the services of BUFFERBOYS every 3 to 6 months to deep clean and sterilize your mattress will ensure it stays sanitary. At the same time, for asthmatic and allergy sufferers, mattresses have to be cleaned more often. Before we clean your mattress we actually do some testing to obtain “dirt samples” from inside your mattress that shows the amount of physical dirt that is present. A more permanent and cost effective solution for you and your family would be to actually purchase a kirby for your home. The kirby is the only machine in the world that is proven to effectively deep clean all types of mattresses. BUFFERBOYS is the exclusive distributor of kirby machines in Malta.
REFERENCES
1 – https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/allergens/dustmites/index.cfm
2 – https://www.allamericanallergy.com/how-to-combat-dust-mites-in-your-mattress
3 – https://thespinery.com/blog/mattress-mould/
4 – https://theconversation.com/your-bed-probably-isnt-as-clean-as-you-think-a-microbiologist-explains-163513 )
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