Keeping It Clean Between The Sheets In 2011

With many of us making New Year resolutions about improving our health and bettering ourselves over the coming weeks, experts are saying bed hygiene ought to be on top of the resolution agenda.

It is estimated we spent a third of our life in bed, where we lose on average one litre of moisture every night via perspiration and bodily fluids and shed around 2 million skin flakes while sleeping. Spills and bedwetting also have a big impact on our bed environment. While we may have high standards of personal hygiene, bed hygiene has a significant impact on a person’s health yet is frequently overlooked by people embarking on a healthy lifestyle.

Around 30 per cent of New Zealanders are allergic to dust mites and while mites are not parasitic, each year they are still responsible for up to 60,000 deaths worldwide for their association with Asthma. One of the primary places dust mites accumulate is in a mattress, with the typical mattress containing anywhere from 100,000 to 1 million mites.

“Many people don’t realise the kind of role the sleep environment can play in overall health and that bed hygiene has a huge impact on their health. For many people, the New Year signals a time to start afresh and we strongly encourage people to review their bed environment as part of this process. By taking some small steps in improving their sleep environment, they can greatly enhance their health,” said David Kaplan CEO of Protect-A-Bed, the premier manufacturer of hygienic bedding protection products.

“Asthma and allergies like hay fever and sinusitis, or even more serious conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis can all be irritated or triggered by poor bed hygiene. The statistics are alarming with close to one third of Kiwis being allergic to dust mites, 20% of children are affected with Asthma and 10% of adults have the condition. Good bed hygiene, including a quality mattress protector can help relieve symptoms for many suffers,” said David.

Protect•A•Bed®’s Healthy Sleep Zone Nurse, Jessica Mendez, recommends regular vacuuming, cleaning and investing in quality mattress and pillow protectors are vital steps to keep the sleep environment allergy-free.

“Dust mites thrive in dark, dense, warm habitats, so mattresses, quilts and pillows serve as a breeding ground for mites and now that we are in summer they will become more common,” said Jessica.

“Sheets need to be washed frequently and mattresses changed regularly. We also recommend using a mattress protector which improves the general hygiene of your sleep environment. Mattress protectors can ensure your mattress stays stain free and moisture leading to bacteria and fungus is not absorbed into it thereby prolonging the life of your mattress. They can also act as a barrier to bed bugs and dust mites protecting you against allergies” added Jessica.

Visit www.protectabed.co.nz for more solutions on bed hygiene.

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