On average, we spend two days of every week in bed. Our bedroom is a very important place; a room that should be peaceful, tidy, clean and uncluttered, filled with sweet smells and fresh bedding.
Declutter your bedroom
To give your bedroom a serene feel, start by removing unnecessary clutter. Do you really need to keep the washing basket by the door or a pile of dusty books by the bed? The Sleep Council believes a tidy bedroom will lead to a tidy, more rested mind.
The temperature of your bedroom is also very important – you might want to swap winter duvets for lower tog duvets in the summer for instance. But make sure the bedding you are not using is washed and dried before you store it away neatly out of sight.
Wash your sheets at least once a fortnight
Once you have rid your bedroom of sleep deterrents such as clutter, techy gadgets and LED displays, turn your attention to the quality and cleanliness of your bedding. We all know that luxurious feeling of snuggling between freshly-washed sheets, with our head sinking into a comfortable, clean pillow. But most of us do not wash our sheets as often as we should.
It’s a time-consuming, boring job, but washing bedding should be done ideally once a week and definitely once a fortnight.
Here’s why: In bed we sweat and shed skin cells. Dust mites can thrive in this humid environment, feeding on dead skin. Dust mite droppings can trigger allergies and eczema.
Your sheets are also going to be more dirty if you let pets on the bed; go to bed without having a wash, still wearing your make-up or smothered in lotions; or – worst of all – if you indulge in midnight snacks!
How to keep your bed clean and healthy
- Fold back your sheets every morning to let the bed air
- Strip your bed the morning you intend to change your sheets – then there’s no going back! It’s worth having several sets of bedding, so you have another set ready and waiting
- Wash your sheets and duvet covers every week or fortnight at 60 degrees
- Wash mattress protectors every couple of months
- Wash pillows every three months (left unwashed, they harbour human skin scales, mould, dust mites and droppings)
- Wash duvets a couple of times a year – and dry quickly and thoroughly
How can self-storage help you sleep better?
No one has limitless space for storing things like out-of-season bedding and other bedroom clutter at home. Maybe a storage facility is the answer to keeping a tidy house and a tidy mind; it’s certainly worth taking a look at the facilities near you.
How much does storage cost monthly? That depends on the type of facility and what you are hoping to store, but you might be surprised at what’s on offer, and a storage facility is an excellent way to keep your belongings in a safe, dry and dust-free environment. To find out more about facilities near you, go to Store and Insure’s Nationwide Storage Facility Directory . Don’t forget to factor in insurance when you work out your monthly storage costs: get a quick quote from Store and Insure today to find out more.
