We were told this throughout our childhood: « Make your bed when you get up! » However, the reality would be quite different, and making your bed would not be the idea of the century. We are in deep trouble…
The most lazy among us will be delighted. On TikTok, a video has gone viral since its publication on March 23. Its author, « sherifelsahly », has more than two million subscribers, and explains why, according to him, you should not make your bed in the morning.
Is it really good to make your bed?
Seen by more than 2.7 million people, the sequence suggests that a bed that is too well made every day could prove to be risky in terms of health. Explanation: the duvet or sheets harbor dust mites, the proliferation of which would be favored by a carefully made bed each morning. These allergenic critters would be trapped in a confined and humid environment which they love.
As Marie Claire reports, a British study conducted by Kingston University showed that our bed could harbor up to 1.5 million dust mites.
Even if it is not an authority on health, the Tiktoker explains: « If you make your bed when you wake up, then you’re trapping thousands of dust mites under your duvet. They will proliferate in this humid environment, ideal for their reproduction and you will go to bed with them in the evening. Whereas if you leave your bed unmade, you expose dust mites to light and fresh air, which kills them. » Could a messy bed be the solution to dust mite problems?
@sherifelsahly Your Parents Right Now ???#sherifelsahly ♬ original sound – sherifelsahly
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Rather make your bed… at night
The hypothesis is not completely far-fetched. As Dr. Matt Hallsworth, a professor at Kingston University’s Clinical Center for Immunology, explains, it’s best to make your bed at night, a few hours before bedtime.
The idea being to let the pillows, sheets and duvet « breathe » during the day. The light and the open air would thus make it possible to slow down the proliferation of mites on the bed linen. Opening the window for a few minutes would also act as a « coup de grace » and « would allow dust mites to dehydrate and die »explains Stephen Pretlove, the director of the study.
However, ventilation is a double-edged sword: a window that is open too long will generate humidity, which is itself conducive to the development of dust mites.
What are mites?
Dust mites are animals that humans cannot distinguish with the naked eye. They belong to the family of arachnids and measure on average half a millimeter. These microscopic critters proliferate in warm, humid places. That’s why they love our bedding, but also children’s comforters and stuffed animals.
These cousins of spiders have a life expectancy of up to three months. Above all, they reproduce extremely quickly, and their population growth can be exponential when the conditions are right.
Dust mites mainly feed on dead skin, nails and hair.
If they are a problem in many homes, it is because of the allergies they can generate. Dust mites alone would be responsible for nearly 50% of the allergic symptoms identified (respiratory problems, itching, eczema, etc.).
The unmade bed theory, not completely convincing
Similarly, when the study was published, Professor Andrew Wardlaw, of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, testified to our colleagues at the BBC of his doubts about this “unmade bed theory”: « Most homes are humid enough for dust mites to thrive in. I find it hard to believe that simply not making your bed would have an impact on overall household humidity. »
In general, scientists agree that airing our beds for at least a few minutes is an effective – but not sufficient – way to fight dust mites, which are impossible to get rid of anyway. totally.
In addition, to prevent these little beasts from swarming, it is necessary to wash the bed linen once a week at a temperature of at least 60°C, and the pillows every four to six months.
Clearly, if you want to reduce the number of mites present in your room as much as possible, air the room daily, do not necessarily make your bed every morning (if you are able…), and wash your sheets every weeks.
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