10 March 2024 , 14:28
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Brits are being warned against going to bed with wet hair - and the reason why is pretty disgusting.
We've all felt like drying our hair is too much effort before get get into bed, but according to the sleep experts at Happy Beds, the warm, humid environment created by your wet hair against the headboard provides the perfect breeding ground for mites.
Dust mites are microscopic, insect-like pests that commonly live in house dust and are found in all homes, particularly the bedroom, mattresses and bedding - hundreds of dust mites can live in just one gram of dust. The experts at Happy Beds say to prevent build-up and the risk of mites you should avoid resting your head on the the headboard. If you do you should try and clean it from time to time.
Alongside this, you should wash your bedding weekly, and replace your pillows every two years as the longer you leave them the more mites you could have. Happy Beds' data from their bedding calculator revealed that one-third of people had their pillows for longer than two years and more than half didn't wash their headboards.
But what can dust mites do if left in your headboard? Studies have found that early-life exposure to dust mites was associated with wheezing in children up to 12 months, and asthma developing from the ages of 12-36 months old. Minor allergies to dust mites can also result in a runny nose and other symptoms that can impact the ability to sleep.
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How to clean your headboard
Rex Isap, sleep expert and CEO at Happy Beds has shared his expert advice on how to clean your headboards. Rex says cleaning dust off a fabric headboard should be a regular task within your bedroom cleaning schedule; keeping on top of this will help ensure deeper dirt doesn't build up.
To clean your headboard, you should use a brush attachment and run your hoover over the surface of your fabric headboard, ensuring you're getting into any nooks and crannies. Rex added: "It would be best if you did this whenever you hoover your bedroom, as well as when you change your bedding. Hoovering your fabric headboard often means dust, bacteria and any other dirt is removed quickly."
For a deeper clean, Rex says you should get lukewarm water and mild detergent, apply the solution to a cloth and gently dab or scrub the headboard. The experts note that you should clean your headboard in the morning to allow plenty of time for drying before bed. Once the headboard is fully dry, vacuum it to remove any leftover residue.
For more difficult-to-remove stains, you can opt for a specialist fabric cleaner. However, you should always double-check specific instructions for any cleaners you apply to your headboard. You should also trial your product with a spot test before you carry out the full clean.
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