I don’t actually mind doing laundry when it’s things like clothes and towels. But washing our bedding just seems so tedious. First, you have to strip the bed(s). Then, you have to do at least two loads in the washer and dryer, since there’s no way the sheets, pillowcases, and duvet cover/comforter will all fit in one load. Then, you have to remake the bed – the worst part. If you have a duvet and duvet cover rather than a quilt or comforter, you’ll agree with me. And yes, these are all 100% first world problems.
source: LC Living
However, the minor inconvenience of washing our bedding means that the vast majority of us don’t do it nearly enough. And although this procrastination may seem completely harmless, it actually isn’t. Laundry expert Mary Marlowe Levertte explained, “During sleep, we continue to perspire, and body oils and soil are released. It is possible to find saliva, urine, genital fluids, and fecal matter in the fibers. If the [linens] are not washed regularly, and the occupant has scratches or wounds, they can be come infected. Athlete’s foot and other fungi can be transferred from fabrics. Infrequent cleaning of sheets and pillowcases allows the fluids to seep into the pillows and mattresses, and those are MUCH more difficult to clean than tossing sheets in the washer.”
source: Tomorrow Sleep | istockphoto
I bet reading that doesn’t make you want to jump right into the sheets! But sadly, that’s not the worst part. We all shed flakes of skin as we go about our daily lives, including as we’re sleeping. And those flakes of dead skin attract dust mites, which make their way into your sheets, and also excrete in them (I know, this has reached unprecedented levels of disgusting). Aside from being extremely gross, dust mite excrement can also create health issues for people who have allergies and asthma.
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