If your mom is anything like mine, or millions of other moms, she probably always told you to make your bed. You probably tell your kids the same thing. Making the bed tends to make the entire bedroom look and feel neater, since it is generally the largest piece in the room, if not the focal point. It makes sense, because the neater our homes are the cleaner they feel.
However, an interesting study in London has determined that leaving beds unmade may actually be the healthier alternative. Because dust mites thrive in warm, damp conditions, leaving the bed unmade helps air it out. If you make the bed as soon as you rise, you will trap more warmth and moisture inside the bedding.
A typical bed in any home can be a breeding ground for dust mites. Any bed may at any given time contain more than one million of them. Dust mites use dead skin particles for nourishment and absorb moisture caused by sweat. Mites are so tiny that they cannot be seen by the human eye but they can still create problems. They create allergens, which can be problematic for allergy sufferers as well as people with asthma, and they may even cause asthma and other related diseases.
This and other studies are meant to help architects and designers construct healthier homes and buildings. It is an interesting idea, and one that kids all over the world will certainly be happy to discover. Kids no longer need to make up a bunch of excuses in order forego making their beds. Can you just hear your kids now saying, “Well, Mom, the latest studies indicate…?”
You can check it out at the Kingston University website (but you may want to hide this article and this link from you kids!)