May 17, 2018 by Mulberry Maids
A pillow is more than just a comfortable place to rest your head at night. It is also the home to thousands, if not millions, of dust mites, critters, dead skin cells, bacteria, fungi, and mold. In fact, up to 30% of your pillow’s weight could be from such bugs and debris! Dust mites are microscopic bugs that feed on dead skin cells and thrive in environments like your pillow. Although dust mites don’t spread disease, they are the most common allergen found in household dust.
Since the average American spends a third of their life resting their head on their pillow, poor pillow health has been linked to adverse health outcomes, especially for immunocompromised individuals or patients with respiratory disease, such as asthma or sinusitis.
The easiest way to improve pillow health is to wash your pillow at least four times a year and replace your pillow at least every two years. Washing a pillow in hot water or freezing a pillow overnight can kill built-up dust mites.
In addition, try not to overheat at night! Americans sweat up to 26 gallons in their sleep each year, some of which gets absorbed into your pillow. Dust mites thrive on a warm and humid environment, so it is also not recommended to go to bed with wet hair. Lastly, it is important to keep a tidy and dust free bedroom environment. Allowing dust to build up on items and surfaces in your bedroom can contribute to the dust mite population in your pillow.