The Effects of a Dirty Bedroom
Beyond Cosmetics
There is no denying the importance of maintaining a clean home in your overall health and peace of mind. While we are all aware of bacteria in the kitchen and bathroom, many people pay less attention to other rooms of the home. Since these rooms appear cleaner than the kitchen or bathroom, there is potential for an unsafe and dirty bedroom to become part of your home.
Here are a few things you need to know about this matter. A dirty bedroom is about more than an untidy space with clothes on the floor. The simple fact of the matter is that your bedroom can quickly become full of nasty bacteria, microbes, bugs, and other unpleasant side effects of not properly cleaning. When it comes to a dirty home, it is about more than the cosmetic effect. There have been countless studies performed which look at how bacteria in the home can lead to higher instances of common colds, skin infections, and upper respiratory conditions. There are a few areas to pay attention to, in particular, to ensure a safe, clean home environment in this important room.
Bed Linens
There are several issues when people don’t change their sheets often enough. When you sleep, you sweat, which creates moisture. This moisture seeps into your sheets to create bacteria and mold, which can sink into your mattress and mattress pad. It is recommended to change your sheets at least once a week to avoid this buildup of bacteria.
Another matter of bedding to think about in terms of a dirty bedroom is the type of pillows and bedding you use. Some types of bedding are considered cleaner and healthier than others. For example, wool fills are considered better for maintaining a clean space. Certain types of materials are known to harbor moisture, bacteria, and dust mites. All of these elements can irritate your allergies, lead to illnesses, and make your home less clean. Wool is naturally hypoallergenic, so it is an ideal fill for pillows, comforters, and mattress toppers.
Mattress and Frame
The mattress can also become an infestation of bugs, dirt, and bacteria. Choosing all-natural products can help reduce this concern greatly. Since many mattresses are sprayed with chemicals, they can give you a dirty bedroom in a few ways. The chemicals in your mattress can lead to allergic reactions that flare up while you sleep. These reactions can present themselves as skin irritations or allergies, such as a runny nose, runny eyes, and even trouble breathing. The materials used in these chemically-treated mattresses can sometimes harbor dust mites, bacteria, and even bed bugs in ways organic, natural solutions are made to prevent.
The bed frame also matters in creating a clean home. The woods can be stained with harmful lacquers, which irritate your allergies further. They can also contribute to air pollution in space.
Air
The bad elements trapped in your bedding can travel to the air. When you breathe in the air full of dust and bacteria, you are risking your health, especially if you already suffer from allergies, asthma, or upper respiratory concerns. Even if you don’t experience these problems, clean air is still important and linked with improved sleep and overall better health.
While the first step in achieving healthier air is to maintain a clean space with all-natural products designed to reduce dirt, dust, and bacteria, you can improve the air quality even more with an air purifier. These items can treat a large space by filtering the air through a series of filters to remove any impurities, including dust and bacteria, to keep the air healthier. It also helps to keep up with the necessary dusting and vacuuming to get the cleanest space possible combined with these other clean-living solutions.
Simple Weekly Maintenance
Taking 20-30 minutes each week to check off these five items will help to ensure your bedroom never gets scary.
- Wash bed linens.
- Pick up trash.
- Hang up clothes, or toss in the laundry as needed.
- Dust dressers, nightstands, and other flat surfaces.
- Vacuum or mop traffic areas.
For more thorough cleaning, check out our seasonal bedroom cleaning checklist.