Can Dirty Bedding and Mattresses Make You Sick

Dirty bedding and mattresses can make you sick if you inhale allergens like dander, pet hair, dead skin, and dust mite excrement. It only takes around three weeks for bedding to become saturated in allergens, or less than one week if you have dust mites.

Additionally, suppose your bedroom suffers from dampness/moisture (common in basements and older houses with no damp proof course). In that case, you can get mould in your bedding and mattress, making you very sick.

How dirty mattresses and bedding make you sick

Airborne allergens enter your nasal cavity and lungs every time you breathe, making you sick and triggering allergies. If your bed and mattress have lots of allergens, your body is fighting a losing battle against them.

Common allergens include pets (hair and dander), dust mites, cleaning products (chemicals), moulds, feather/down bedding, and indoor plants.

While most people get a sniffly nose and itchy eyes from bedroom allergens like pet hair and dust mites, people with asthma can have severe breathing difficulties, with allergen exposure one of the leading causes of asthma attacks and flare-ups.

Of all the allergens, pet hair and dust mites are the most common, but mould spores are the most dangerous. Moulds are toxic irritants that can induce an allergic reaction and cause a severe asthma attack.

The most misunderstood allergen is dust mites. Dust mites are found in four out of five homes but go unnoticed because they are not visible to the naked eye. It could be dust mites if you sneeze in bed for no apparent reason.

When to wash bedding

It is advisable to wash your bedding once per week or at least every two weeks.

Here’s how we recommend you wash your bedding:

• Stick it in the washing machine at 30°C
• Choose a cotton or synthetic wash cycle to suit your bedding
• Use one measure of regular bio/non-bio detergent.
• Insert one cap of Dettol antibacterial laundry cleanser (it kills 99.9% of bacteria).

When to clean your mattress

We recommend cleaning your mattress once per month unless you spill something organic on it, in which case, clean it right away.

Our article on how to clean a mattress has you covered, but in a nutshell:

• You can vacuum it with a dry carpet cleaner to freshen it.
• You can wet vacuum it with upholstery cleaner for a deep clean

If your mattress lives in a damp space, purchase a dehumidifier to reduce humidity in your bedroom and use the dry-cleaning technique to cleanse it.

How to prevent bedroom allergens

Here’s how to prevent allergens in your bedroom:

• Buy a hypoallergenic or anti-allergy mattress.
• Buy hypoallergenic bedding.
• Test for dust mites with a dust test and exterminate them.
• Buy an indoor air purifier with a HEPA filter.
• Keep pets out of your bedroom.
• Dust and vacuum your bedroom once per week.
• Wash your bedding and clean your mattress regularly.
• Kill bedding bacteria with Dettol antibacterial laundry cleanser.
• Use chemical-free cleaning products.
• If your bedroom has damp, purchase an electric dehumidifier.
• If your bedroom walls, ceiling, or floors have mould, contact a mould expert to assess the problem – it is unlikely you can treat them yourself, and using bleach or other harsh chemicals could cause more damage.

Summing up - can a dirty mattress and bedding make you sick?

The short answer is yes!

A dirty mattress and bedding can make you sick if you inhale allergens like dander, pet hair, dead skin cells, and dust mite excrement.

If you have asthma or an allergy that makes you sick, buying a hypoallergenic mattress and changing your bedding regularly is worthwhile. Doing so will slash the risk of bedroom allergies by more than two-thirds.

Related pages

If you enjoyed this article, read our pieces on making your bedroom the healthiest room in your house and how often to change your mattress.