Morning routines are something that are instilled from a young age. Every household is different. But, in many homes, parents or guardians try to teach their children to make their bed as soon as they wake up. If you are someone who follows that routine, you might want to stop what you’re doing right now. Time for the ultimate myth-buster. It turns out that making your bed in the morning is not ideal, and its healthier to leave it unkempt. At least, for a little bit.
Making your bed in the morning is a no-go
If you are fond of cleaning (yes, those people exist), you might have come across Mrs D’s cleaning reviews. Her Instagram account is filled with informative tips and tricks on cleaning all sorts of things found in a household. She tells her 108 thousand followers how to maintain a clean and healthy home, as well as busting old cleaning myths and wives’ tales. One of which was whether or not making your bed when you wake up is a good habit or a bad one.
Contrary to popular belief, making your bed in the morning is a bad habit. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, how can that be? Has my whole life been a lie? Well, not to be dramatic, but According to Mrs D’s we should be letting our bed breathe. “It seems a lot of people get up and make the bed straight away. This is something you need to stop doing,” wrote Mrs D in an Instagram post. “Get out of bed and throw the duvet back and let your bed breathe.”
This is because we tend to sweat and shed dead skin during the night. “During the night we not only sweat but we also shed skin, and this is a magnet for dust mites and bed bugs,” says Mrs. D’s. “But this isn’t true. With central heating being on in the winter it can attract dust mites/bed bugs just as much as in the summer months.
Scientists confirm
According to BBC news, Dr. Steven Pretlove, a researcher conducted a study on making beds. He confirms Mrs D’s cleaning tips, and says that making your bed in the morning is a magnet for dust mites. “We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body,” he said. “Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die.”
Dust mites thrive inside dark and humid places. It gives a whole other meaning to the phrase, “freshly made bed,” because there could be up to 1,5 million dust mites loving their snug home within your neat bed. Dr. Matt Hallsworth says those dust mites also have an impact on those with asthma. “House-dust mite allergen can be an important trigger for many people with asthma, but is notoriously difficult to avoid,” he said.