How to Keep Your Mattress Clean
On average, you will spend one third of your life in bed. In addition to sleeping, you may watch TV in your bed, snack, spend time relaxing and unwinding before bedtime. All of that time in your bed can lead to an accumulation of dirt, dust, crumbs and other unwanted debris. All of this to say, your mattress can get a lot dirtier than you think. Below we outline how dirty your mattress can get and how we recommend keeping it clean through the years.
What Can Be Hiding In Your Mattress
Bacteria
We carry a lot of bacteria around with us. Our skin, our clothes, and even devices like laptops and phones have bacteria on them. Even if you are careful with what you bring into your bed, bacteria from your skin, your mouth, your clothes, and your pets can make their way into your mattress. This bacteria can live in your mattress for long periods of time and, depending on the type of bacteria, can even lead to allergies or illness. Even if you clean your sheets and bedding regularly, bacteria from sneezing or coughing alone can spread from your linens to your mattress cover fairly quickly.
Mold
Any time you expose your mattress to liquids, even while cleaning your mattress, you open the door for mold growth. Spills and accidents can saturate your memory foam mattress, making it much more difficult to remove that liquid from your mattress material completely. Mold can grow deep in your mattress from too much exposure to moisture, which could eventually make you sick. Keep your mattress clean and dry to prevent the risk of mold growth.
Sweat
This one is for the hot sleepers. The average mattress can soak up nearly 26 gallons of sweat each year. If you have your mattress for 10 years, that can be up to 260 gallons of sweat that your mattress has been exposed to. While the dampness of the sweat will dry up, the salt, dirt, and stains will remain.
Dead Skin Cells
Dead skin cells making their way into your mattress is almost unavoidable. Even if you are very well moisturized, we shed dead skin cells all day and night. Regularly washing your bedding will help with the buildup, but dust and dead skin cells build up over time.
Dust Mites
Dust mites feed off of dead skin cells, both of which are commonly found in your bedroom. This build up of dust mites and skin cells can lead to allergies or trouble breathing. The more time we spend in bed, the more skin cells accumulate, and the more dust mites have to feed on. Letting pets into your bed also increases the chances of your mattress accumulating dust mites. Soft surfaces like mattresses are the most common breeding ground for mites, dander, fur, and bacteria from pets.
Bed Bugs
These blood suckers hide in your mattress seams, sheets, and even furniture. You will know you have bed bugs if you wake up with red, itchy bite marks and if you notice spots of blood on your sheets.
How To Protect Your Mattress
Much of the build up of oils and allergens in your mattress can be minimized with the help of regular mattress cleaning and a BedInABox® mattress protector. Mattress protectors are designed to create a barrier between your mattress and surface debris. Using a mattress protector will not only help keep your mattress cleaner longer, but it will also extend the life of your mattress by protecting it from daily wear. A fan favorite is our BedInABox® Tencel™ Protector, which is a five star reviewed mattress protector that provides a soft, breathable barrier against liquid, allergens, bacteria and dust mites. Our Tencel™ protector protects the top of your mattress and all four sides from unwanted guests. The BedInABox® Cooling Protector is another popular mattress protector that shields the top of your mattress from spills and accidents while providing cool, breathable comfort.
The best way to keep your mattress clean is to pair it with a mattress protector, practice regular mattress cleaning, and wash your bedding often. Does your mattress look, feel or smell beyond repair? If a simple cleaning will not suffice, it may be time to think about replacing your mattress. On average, a high quality mattress in a box can maintain proper comfort, cleanliness and support for around ten years. BedInABox® mattresses are built for durability, and the memory foam that is manufactured for our mattresses creates a hypoallergenic sleep environment that also helps minimize the amount of allergens and bacteria that can burrow into your bed. If you sleep hot and are concerned about sweat and moisture, check out our Azul™ mattress, made with multiple layers of cooling technology to keep you cool through the night. Chat with one of our customer service specialists for more information about our mattresses and how to keep yours clean for years to come.
