When we think of house cleaning chores, we often think of taking out the trash, scrubbing the toilets and doing the dishes, but we often fail to consider one other task: cleaning our mattress. We spend at least a third of our lives in bed, yet we rarely set aside a couple minutes to maintain our investment and all our bedding accessories.
Your bed should be a fresh, clean space where you can relax and recharge, but a buildup of dust, mold and mildew can prevent you from getting enough quality sleep to keep you healthy and happy. Continuing to neglect cleaning your mattress can quickly turn your bed into a breeding ground for bacteria and allergens.
To make sure you're getting the sleep you deserve in the healthiest environment possible, here are some best practices when your bed and bedding are in need of a little TLC:
4 Ways to Clean a Mattress and Bedding Accessories
1. How to Keep Your Mattress Clean
You don't buy a new cell phone without buying a case to go with it, and the same should apply with a new mattress purchase. If you love it, protect it. By using a mattress protector, you are helping shield it from anything life throws (or spills) its way, which is especially important if you have little ones or furry friends crawling around in your bed. Although they are sweet and adorable, the mess they bring with them could ruin your mattress.
Along with having a protector, you should routinely clean your mattress as well. We recommend vacuuming it at least once a season to get any dust or dirt that's deep down.
When it comes to spills or stains, there are many home remedies for removing unwanted materials from your mattress. Just be sure to check your manufacturer's warranty before testing any DIY mattress cleaners.
2. How to Wash Sheets
When you get into bed, you're cuddling with everything that comes in contact with your sheets — your pets, dead skin cells, lotions, crumbs and any other unidentifiable objects that your kids bring to bed with them. Because your sheets are the thing on your bed that you come in contact with the most, it's important to wash them about once a week.
When washing bed sheets, we recommend that you use hot water to disinfect them. And, if you've ever wondered how often should you wash your blankets, the same rule applies. To help keep your bed a fresh and relaxing place for you to spend time, try to maintain a regular schedule for washing your bed sheets.
3. How to Wash Your Comforter/Duvet
So, how often should you wash your comforter and duvet, really? The answer is probably more often than you think. Comforters and duvets should be washed weekly unless you use a top sheet when sleeping. With a top sheet, you can stretch the washing to every two to four weeks.
To wash your comforter or duvet at home, try to not overload your washer and dryer. Over-stuffing your washer or dryer can cause too much strain on the machine and even damage your bedding. Before washing, check that there's enough space for your comforter to completely fit without it getting caught on anything. If your comforter is too bulky, we suggest taking it to the laundromat instead of trying to force it into your own washing machine.
4. How to Wash Pillows
You might be wondering, can you wash pillows? The answer is yes! The key in washing pillows is to use hot water to get rid of any sweat, dust mites or allergens that may be present. After washing pillows, it is best to leave hang them to dry. To keep your pillow clean even longer, we recommend using a pillow protector.
While you can often wash pillows in a washing machine, we recommend checking the tag before doing any cleaning on your own. If you're pillows are labeled machine safe, machine wash pillows with hot water. However, be sure to not overload your washer as this may prevent the washer from cleaning your pillows properly and can even cause your pillows to be damaged.
Top Bedding Accessories
If your bedding has seen better days and it's time for an upgrade. We have compiled a list of our favorite bedding accessories:
Pillows
Did you know that your pillow supports 25% of your body while sleeping? Pillows provide crucial support to your head and neck each night. The right pillow should relax you and relieve tension as soon as you lie down to ease winding down and falling asleep.
Beautyrest Black Ice Memory Foam Pillow
One of our best sellers, the Beautyrest Black Ice memory foam pillow features revolutionary BlackICETM technology, which provides contouring comfort and support for your head and neck throughout the night. Micro Diamond-infused memory foam and Phase Change Technology help with temperature regulations, ensuring you sleep cool all night long.
PureCare SoftCell Chill Hybrid Cooling Pillow
The PureCare SoftCell Chill Hybrid pillow is a dual-sided pillow that features one side of Identically Down (i.d.) alternative fill and another side of cooling gel memory foam. The pillow height is customizable by removing the i.d. insert. This pillow is great for all sleepers and works well for someone that likes to have a variety of pillow options.
Bed Linens and Sheets
New bed sheets and linens not only revive your sleep space, they often can help you sleep a little better. Today, most bed sheets help regulate your body temperature while you sleep, and small textural differences can lead to a big improvement in overall comfort. Who doesn’t love crawling into a bed with freshly clean sheets on it?
Brookside 600 Thread Count Cotton Sheet Set
The easy-care convenience of polyester and cotton come together in this 600 thread count cotton sheet set. Poly fibers are woven across cotton threads to create a soft cotton surface on one side and a wrinkle-resistant poly surface on the opposite side — providing an incredibly cozy cotton sheet surface against your skin as you sleep.
The SHEEX Breathe Max Sheet Set is designed to create ideal sleeping conditions and features SHEEX Innovative SLEEP•FIT® Technology which combines thermoregulation, quick-drying, and 4-way stretch for unrivaled performance. Ridiculously Soft® performance fabric sheets breathe up to 10x better than traditional cotton, and wicks moisture to ensure you get the most restful night sleep. Plus, they are engineered not to shrink, fade or pill and get softer with every wash.
From mattresses to pillows, bases to bedding, we're here to help you find your perfect mattress match. To check out our selection, visit a Mattress Firm store near you or shop online at MattressFirm.com.
