How to Clean Your Room
Bedrooms can be a haven for dust and allergens. With so many hours spent in bed every night, your bedroom is one of the most important rooms to keep clean and hygienic to prevent dust and allergens from collecting.
- Reducing dust, dust mites, allergens and germs in the bedroom
- How to hygienically clean your bedroom
- Why a tidy bedroom is important
Reducing dust, dust mites, allergens and germs in the bedroom
Floors and furniture are prime landing spots for dust and allergens. Soft furnishings, carpet, curtains and shelving are all common places for pollen, debris from dust mites, mould spores and pet dander to collect, and this can be triggering for allergen-sensitive family members. Dust mites in particular love warm, dark places and their preferred food source is shed skin flakes – making your bed their ideal home. Cleaning your bedroom is an important step in reducing the prevalence of dust mites and other allergens.
As for germs, the good news is that there tends to be less chances of germ exposure in the bedroom compared to other rooms like the kitchen or bathroom. Babies’ and toddler’s rooms can also have a heightened risk of germ exposure, so an extra level of hygiene is required here too.
How to hygienically clean your bedroom
How to clean a mattress
You can clean a mattress by vacuuming it weekly, especially in the seams. Since vacuuming can cause dust mites and allergens to become airborne, air the house for an hour or so after vacuuming to help clear the air. If you are particularly concerned about dust mites, you can cover your mattress with a dust mite resistant mattress cover, which should be washed regularly.
If you need to know how to get stains out of a mattress, check the manufacturer’s instructions on the best method for removing them.
How to wash pillows, mattress toppers and bedding
All sheets and pillowcases should be washed once a week, while blankets and non-encased doonas can be washed regularly. Use a washing machine cycle that’s at least 60°C, and follow this with either hot tumble drying or drying in direct sunlight. For further antibacterial action, you can also add Dettol Laundry Sanitiser to your load to help remove germs.
Consider using synthetic rather than feather pillows or doonas, as they hold up better to regular washing. Like mattresses, pillows and quilts can also be fitted with dust mite resistant covers if dust mites are a particular concern.
Cleaning bedroom furniture
Because upholstery and soft fabric can trap and collect dust and other allergens, it’s usually preferable to have furniture made of leather, vinyl, plastic or wood if you’re worried about allergens. Open shelving units should also be avoided in favour of ones with closed doors.
Clean any hard furniture surfaces once a week either by damp dusting or using a dust-collecting cloth, which helps to prevent allergens becoming airborne. Soft furnishings should also be vacuumed weekly, and any removable cushions or seat covers regularly washed in a hot washing machine cyle.
Carpets, rugs and flooring
The best way to remove dust, allergens and other debris from your carpet is by vacuuming. Vacuum carpets weekly and invest in a good quality vacuum cleaner to reduce allergens becoming airborne. Rugs should also be washed regularly and dried outside in full sunshine.
For bedrooms with hardwood, tile or vinyl floors, clean once a week using a mop, water and appropriate cleaning product. Dettol Antibacterial Floor Wipes or the Dettol Floor Cleaning System are convenient alternatives that effectively kill germs. Since carpet and rugs can be generally more difficult to clean, hard floors tend to be recommended for reducing dust and allergens in the home.
Curtains and blinds
Because curtains can easily attract dust and other allergens, opt for lightweight machine-washable curtains so that they can be regularly cleaned. If your bedroom has blinds, even better – they tend to collect less dust and can be more easily cleaned. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the best way to clean your blinds.
Other bedroom surfaces
Other surfaces that may be easily forgotten but need regularly cleaning are ceiling fans and air-conditioning vents. Don’t forget light switches and door handles as well – since these are commonly touched items that can be a source of germs, wipe them down them using Dettol Disinfectant Wipes which contain a hospital grade disinfectant to ensure a hygienic clean.
Bonus tip: Keep your bedroom dry and well-ventilated. This helps to reduce the presence of dust mites and prevent mould growth.
Why a tidy bedroom is important
Having a tidy bedroom isn’t just about making a room look good – minimising clutter reduces the number of items that might gather dust and allergens.
Lampshades, photographs, books and other display items can all be dust traps, so clean them at least once a week by damp dusting or with a dust-collecting cloth. Remember, the more items you have on display, the more surfaces there are to keep clean.
Having a hygienic bedroom means you can sleep soundly knowing you are keeping dust mites and other allergens at bay. By creating a fresh and clean space to unwind and rest, you’re also helping to keep your family healthy.
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