This is the dirtiest spot in your bedroom – and you don’t even notice: ‘Breeding ground’

It’s where you get down and dirty.

A bedroom can be a sanctuary from the outside world, but it’s also a cesspool for germs—even when it’s seemingly spotlessly clean.

Professional cleaners are now claiming that a person’s mattress is the dirtiest item they own.

“Most people wouldn’t think about it, but the dirtiest place in a bedroom can often be the mattress,” Kathy Turley of cleaning service Home Clean Heroes told lifestyle blog Apartment Therapy. “It is a breeding ground for dust mites, bacteria and dead skin cells. Over time, these can cause allergies, asthma and other health problems

Turley was one of three professionals interviewed by Apartment Therapy who considered mattresses a veritable bacterial bouillabaisse.

In fact, a recent study from Ohio State University found that up to a million dust mites, known for causing annoying respiratory problems and unsightly skin conditions, can be moving around a mattress at any one time. certain.

While regularly washing sheets and pillowcases can help people feel like their sleeping space is clean, it’s not necessarily foolproof.

Fortunately, Turley outlined simple ways to maintain a mattress so it’s not such a magnet for germs.

The first step, from the cleaning maven, is to remove all sheets, skirts and mattress protectors and then remove it from the wall for a thorough cleaning. This will give the homeowner “full access to areas not only around the bed,” but also “the part of the mattress that’s closest to the wall,” she explained.

With the preliminary steps out of the way, the homeowner can clean the mattress—even if there’s no visible stain.

“You can sprinkle baking soda all over your mattress and let it sit for up to 30 minutes to absorb odors and moisture before vacuuming,” she said.

But if your mattress has some unsightly stains, some harsher chemicals may be needed.

Taylor Riley, co-founder of Impact Cleaning Professionals, recommends using tools like the Bissell Little Green ProHeat to clean any stubborn stains.

Of course, prevention is the best defense, according to Riley, who advises using a mattress protector and rotating your mattress every three to six months to help “ensure even wear and reduce dirt build-up in areas of special”.

In general, experts recommend cleaning your mattress at least once a month.

Cleaning other parts of the bedroom also helps maintain the bed.

Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean, asserted that one of the culprits behind mattress soiling is the often-neglected foundation.

“Cleaning your dust sheets regularly, ideally every week, is essential to keeping your bedding clean,” she said. “To improve the cleaning of your foundation, you can use an all-purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth. For hard-to-reach areas, you can first use a stiff bristle dry brush to remove dust before wiping.

Meanwhile, Turley advised washing the bed in hot water, dusting nightstands, and sweeping and mopping under the bed to reduce dust that seeps into mattresses.