Dust mites killed by unmade beds
26-01-2010
Unmade beds may be one of the solutions to the problem of bedbugs, according to research from Kingston University. The study found that untidy, messy beds made an inhospitable environment for dust mites compared to made beds, in which they thrive. It is thought that leaving a bed unmade reduces the warm and moist conditions that the bugs prefer, eventually killing them off.
“We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body,” explained Dr Stephen Pretlove, researcher on the study. “Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die.”
Dust mites, measuring less than a millimeter in length, can number up to 1.5 million in an average bed that maintained the correct temperature. Feeding on microscopic particles of discarded human skin, the bugs secrete allergens that can be inhaled during sleep. The cost of treating allergen-related illnesses in the UK is around £700m per year, underlining the impact of the dust mites on health and wellbeing.
Here at Ergo Flex we’ve been advising customers for some time that it’s clinically proven that folding your bed sheets or duvet back and allowing your mattress to ‘air’ when not being used helps to keep it fresh and hygienic. What’s more, each and every Ergo Flex memory foam mattress is specially treated with an anti-microbial solution proven to resist dust mites and inhibit bacteria – ensuring that your mattress is free from germs, mites and is perfect for allergy sufferers.
The layered consistency of Ergo Flex memory foam mattresses also helps prevent the habitation of bedbugs, compared to the hollow, compartmentalised interior of traditional pocket sprung mattresses.
“We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body,” explained Dr Stephen Pretlove, researcher on the study. “Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die.”
Dust mites, measuring less than a millimeter in length, can number up to 1.5 million in an average bed that maintained the correct temperature. Feeding on microscopic particles of discarded human skin, the bugs secrete allergens that can be inhaled during sleep. The cost of treating allergen-related illnesses in the UK is around £700m per year, underlining the impact of the dust mites on health and wellbeing.
Here at Ergo Flex we’ve been advising customers for some time that it’s clinically proven that folding your bed sheets or duvet back and allowing your mattress to ‘air’ when not being used helps to keep it fresh and hygienic. What’s more, each and every Ergo Flex memory foam mattress is specially treated with an anti-microbial solution proven to resist dust mites and inhibit bacteria – ensuring that your mattress is free from germs, mites and is perfect for allergy sufferers.
The layered consistency of Ergo Flex memory foam mattresses also helps prevent the habitation of bedbugs, compared to the hollow, compartmentalised interior of traditional pocket sprung mattresses.
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