If you've ever been to my house, you may have wondered why I never make any of the beds. Perhaps you've thought, "That's odd! She's pretty tidy otherwise!" Well, I'll finally let you in on my secret, confirmed by scientists and reported by the BBC, no less:
Failing to make your bed in the morning may actually help keep you healthy, scientists believe.
Research suggests that while an unmade bed may look scruffy, it is also unappealing to house dust mites thought to cause asthma and other allergies. A Kingston University study discovered the bugs cannot survive in the warm, dry conditions found in an unmade bed.
The average bed could be home to up to 1.5 million house dust mites. The bugs, which are less than a millimetre long, feed on scales of human skin and produce allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep. The warm, damp conditions created in an occupied bed are ideal for the creatures, but they are less likely to thrive when moisture is in shorter supply....
Researcher Dr. Stephen Pretlove said:"We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body. 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."
So now you know: I'm not a lazy slob. I'm just doing my part to kill dust mites.
The beauty of unintended consequences. Now, what other chores can you dispense with for me?
Posted by: Susan W. | January 20, 2005 at 10:17 PM
Oh MAN, just when I've become a reformed non-bed maker, you go and give me good reason to go back to my old ways.
Posted by: nina | January 21, 2005 at 02:37 PM