There’s nothing like clean sheets to snuggle into (Picture: Getty)
On average during our lifetime we will all spend about 26 years sleeping in our beds, so it’s safe to say our covers and mattresses are going to get a bit dirty.
If we’re spending that much time between the sheets we obviously want them to be as clean and fresh as possible.
Did you know that you can clean your mattress with baking soda? Well experts at MattressNextDay say you can and it’s the easiest way to leave it fresh and fabulous.
To really deep clean your mattress, which needs to be done at least twice a year, sprinkle baking soda over the mattress and leave this to sit for 2-3 hours.
After this time has elapsed, simply use a vacuum cleaner to remove the baking soda.
Your bed needs a deep clean every six months (Picture: Getty Images)
The baking soda will help to thoroughly deep clean the mattress by removing sweat and odours that sink into the mattress over time.
Suitably impressed? Read on for eight more simple but effective hacks for keeping your bed as clean and snuggly as possible.
Never make your bed as soon as you wake up
Is making your bed as soon as you get out of it part of your morning routine? If so, you should stop.
About 80% of household dust mites are made up of your own dead skin, meaning that you’re always producing more – even as you sleep.
Dust mites love the warmth of your bed, so in the morning, you should pull back your bed covers for 30 minutes and leave them to air and cool down, before you make your bed.
This will lessen the chances of dust mites loitering in your sheets.
Wash your pillow inserts regularly
Yes, we know it’s a faff but everything in your bed needs to be cleaned at some point. This includes the objects that you don’t actually touch.
You should aim to wash your inner pillows at least three times a year as they soak up all of your sweat, dust and skin.
We hate to break it to you but your four-legged friend shouldn’t be in your bed (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Use skincare and body products 30 minutes before bed
You should strip your bedding and wash it once a week.
If that’s not possible, there are things you can do to keep your bedding fresh that are kind of obvious, like not eating in bed and not allowing your fluffy pet friends in your bed either.
But one you might not have thought of is using skincare and body products at least 30 minutes before bed, so your skin absorbs them as opposed to your bedding.
Pillowcases should be changed more than your duvet cover
Your pillowcase can trap dirt, sweat and also the products you are putting on your skin before bed.
They should be cleaned more often than your duvet covers – around twice a week, so you can face plant on fresh pillows after a long day.
With these hacks your bed will never be cleaner (Picture: Getty Images)
Your duvet covers should be washed at 60 degrees
You should wash your bedding (and towels, by the way) at 60 degrees.
This is the recommended temperature for killing germs.
However, you will need to combine this wash with a good detergent in order to protect your bedding and keep it extra soft.
If you sleep in your underwear wash it at 60 degrees
It’s safe to wear underwear to bed, however, the NHS recommends that you wash your underwear at 60 degrees to prevent germs from spreading.
Used pants can contain microbes which can cause urinary tract infections, thrush and more.
You don’t want those kinds of microbes hanging around your bedding, do you?
Want to know how to become a morning person? (Picture: Getty Images)
Don’t wash your pyjamas every day
If they are your only layer and you wear them for a long period of time, such as to work from home in the morning, it’s best to treat them as garments that should be washed daily.
But, if you change straight out of them in the morning and they are your second layer, you can probably get a couple of nights’ wear out of them.
If you struggle to wake up and get out of bed each morning then we’ve got some expert tips on how to become a morning person.
More: Lifestyle
A mattress protector doesn’t cover your mattress from dust mites
Although mattress protectors are capable of protecting your mattresses from stains, spillages and other substances, they do not make your bed immune from pesky dust mites. Or any other allergens for that matter.
Therefore it’s important to clean your mattress every six months.
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You’re (probably) not washing your sheets correctly.
