Never mind the monsters under the bed – they pale in comparison to the ones living right in your mattress!
Over time, your mattress can accumulate all sorts of creepy crawlies and other contaminants without you even knowing it.
The usual debris such as pet dander, dirt and sloughed off skin but also some pretty nasty bugs that can affect your health and that can be hard to get rid of.
In this article, we look at some of the main culprits and offer some advice for dealing with these unwelcome pests.
Dust mites
House dust mites are microscopic but extremely widespread insect-like pests that thrive in human homes, where they feed primarily on dead skin and hair cells.
It’s regularly claimed that the weight of a mattress doubles over a ten-year period, thanks to dust mites and other particles. It’s likely that this is something of an exaggeration – but studies confirm that old mattresses can contain literally millions of dust mites.
The mites themselves don’t bite or sting. However, their faeces contain digestive enzymes that are a potent allergen.
Along with fragments of their exoskeletons, these make it into the respiratory system and eyes, triggering allergic symptoms in as many as one in every ten people.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs are nocturnal, parasitic insects that feed on human or animal blood. They’re known as bed bugs because mattresses are a favoured habitat.
Although you won’t typically feel them bite you, their bites can trigger allergic responses and cause blisters and rashes.
A single female bed bug can lay as many as 500 eggs over the course of its life. The incidence of bed bug infestation has been increasing dramatically since the 1980s, possibly because of resistance to insecticides.
Bacteria and viruses
A number of bacteria may thrive in mattresses, feeding on skin and hair cells. Among these are the common Staphylococcus aurea, as well as bacteria in the families Micrococcus, Enterococcus, Psuedomonas, Bacillus, Fel d1, Can F1 and Coliforms.
Studies have also shown that certain viruses can survive in a mattress for up to several weeks. For example, the norovirus, which causes stomach flu, can live for up to four to six weeks outside a host. When a surface is disturbed and the virus becomes airborne, people may breathe it in and be infected.
Mould and fungal spores
Last but not least, mattresses may be a haven for mould and fungal spores, especially in humid or damp conditions.
These can cause a number of health problems, including allergic responses and serious respiratory disorders.
Other pollutants in mattresses
While they’re not as harmful as bed bugs and mould, there are other pollutants that can also contaminate your mattress and should be dealt with just as swiftly. These pollutants can lead to allergic reactions and stains that are hard to remove.
Pet dander
Pet dander consists of skin cells from pets like cats or dogs. On its own, it can trigger allergic reactions in people. Like human skin cells, it’s also a food source for dust mites.
Pet dander can make its way into a mattress and remain there for years.
Skin cells
When a sunbeam enters your house at the right angle, it’s amazing how many particles you can see floating in the air. Did you know that as much as 80% of this material actually consists of dead skin?
According to the Boston Globe, the average person sheds from 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells every hour. That’s an awful lot of skin cells over the course of a year.
Many of these skin cells make their way into your mattress, where they’re a primary food source for dust mites and bacteria.
General dust and grime
Like any surface in a home, mattresses can also get covered in general dust and dirt. Dirt and pollen can blow in from outside, especially during the dry seasons and pets can track mud in from outside.
Spills and accidents can also happen, especially if you have children and the sooner you clean up these types of contaminants, the better.
Cleaning your mattress
To keep your mattress clean and free from mites and other potentially dangerous contaminants, it’s important to vacuum and air it regularly, preferably in direct sunlight.
Vacuuming with a good quality machine can significantly reduce dander and allergens while direct sunlight will help with any bacteria or mould spores, especially if you lightly spritz the surface with a suitable disinfectant first.
Just because you can’t see a anything, doesn’t mean a contaminant isn’t there. Mold spores and bacteria are invisible to the naked eye and pet dander isn’t as noticeable as pet hair.
There is a lot you can do at home to keep your mattress clean and fresh but eventually a professional deep cleaning will be needed to ensure your mattress is free of all contaminants.
It is recommended that you get your mattress professionally cleaned at least once a year and possibly more if you have kids and pets.
Professional mattress cleaning
At Chelsea Cleaning, we offer professional mattress cleaning that can eliminate most contaminants, leaving your mattress clean and fresh.
With decades of experience, we will ensure the mattress cleaning process is thorough, professional and doesn’t disrupt your home.
We offer mattress cleaning in the greater Cape Town area, extending from the West Coast to Helderberg and down the Southern Peninsula.
