Many people recommend making your bed as soon as you get out of it. It is widely believed that doing so helps set the tone of your day and can have positive impacts on your mental health.
However, it seems that making your bed straight away might not be the thing that you should be doing, and so for those who already don’t, it appears that you are already on the right track. It is recommended that you actually do something else before doing the daily task.
According to a cleaning expert from Good Housekeeping, you shouldn’t make your bed straight away, and you should actually wait for one particular reason.
The majority of people sweat through the night, which results in moisture build-up on your bedding and pillows, and therefore, if you make your bed as soon as you get out of it, you’re giving any time for it to air out.
Carolyn Forte, executive director of the GH Institute Home Care and Cleaning Lab, said: “If you sweat at night, there’s dampness there and the bedding is warmed from your body heat, so you want to give it a chance to dry out and cool off before making the bed.”
The expert also warned that allergens such as dust mites and germs, including bacteria, “thrive in warm, moist conditions.”
So, how long should you wait until you can make your bed?
Well, you can go enjoy your morning coffee, or have some breakfast, then go back to your bed-making habits”.
The homecare expert added: “Pull down the covers a bit and remove and fluff the pillows. Then in about 30 to 60 minutes, it should be good to make. You can always give the sheets a feel to make sure they’re dry.
And there you have it. Making your bed every day is important for keeping organised and tidy, but making sure your bedding gets some air and dries out is just as important.
Ms Forte also noted that regardless of how you make your bedding or what type of bedding you use, you must clean your mattress regularly, by using your vacuum cleaner to remove dust, steaming it to kill dust mites, and spot-cleaning stains throughout.
