Should we stop making our beds in the morning for health?

Everyone has their own little habits when getting out of bed. While some stretch or some drink a large glass of water, the most obsessive replace the blanket, carefully fold it on each side and smooth the top with a hand flat. No offense to bed square fanatics, this reflex would not be hygienic. In any case, this is what many influencers of the TikTok social network have been reporting in recent years. Check with an infectious disease specialist and an allergist.

Pest trap

“If you make your bed when you wake up, you’re actually trapping millions of dust mites,” says @sherifelsahly in a video that’s been viewed more than 6.7 million times. Stéphane Gaye, an infectious disease specialist and hygienist at the Strasbourg University Hospital, confirms this. Dust mites, bugs, and microscopic fungi thrive when exposed to heat and moisture. “By locking them under a blanket when they wake up, in an environment at body temperature, with residual sweat and dead skin, we give them something to feed on and grow better,” explains the doctor.

After the disgust, the question arises: what risks do we take living with these microorganisms? Contact with dust mites (90% present in house dust) is primarily more dangerous for the body because it causes an allergic reaction in certain individuals. “Genetic predisposition contributes to the production of IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies, which causes the development of allergies. When coming into contact with an allergen that is especially present in a tick, rhinitis, an asthma attack, conjunctivitis or even atopic eczema can occur, depending on the profile,” explains Kathryn Keke, MD, Allergist (1).

Air well and wash

No offense to Marie Kondo et al, leaving your bed unmade helps avoid these inconveniences. “By leaving the bed wide open and airing the bedroom for at least 20-30 minutes, the ventilation will scare away a good part of these parasites,” assures infectious disease expert Stephan Gaye. The ideal, according to the specialist, is to completely remove the blanket from the bed and spread it outside, and if necessary, on the shelf inside.

Additional rinsing

However, being ventilated isn’t enough to claim victory, adds Dr. Catherine Keke. “Although they disappear, dust mites leave behind invisible to the naked eye droplets that contain allergens,” he explains. To get rid of them, experts recommend washing bed linen every two weeks at a temperature of 60°C, preferably with unscented detergents, so as not to multiply allergens. “You should not hesitate to use the ‘extra rinse’ function of the washing machine, because even if the high temperature kills the stain, it is the long agitation that will remove its dirt,” adds Stephane Gaye.

Rules for taking every day

The composition of bed fabrics should not be ignored either. The allergist recommends giving preference to synthetic materials for pillows, covers and mattresses. “For the latter, avoid steam and instead carefully use a vacuum cleaner tube two to three times a month. In case of allergies, we will take extra precautions by adding an airtight “anti-pancake” coating to the mattress and pillow, rather than a simple mattress pad,” informs Catherine Keke. “Cotton, linen, hemp, wool… Vegetable and natural fibers are more attractive to dust mites,” explains Stéphane Gaye. We will find much less on synthetic textiles such as polyester or polyamide.”

Other simple reflexes contribute to “not putting the part back in the machine”. “We avoid eating in bed or climbing on animals because their droppings feed the ticks,” notes Dr. Catherine Keke. Finally, in the case of recurring allergies or severe asthma attacks, an allergist may prescribe an indoor environmental consultant who will take samples and analyze the quality of the habitat.

(1) Dr. Kathryn Keke is the author New allergiespublished by Éditions du Rocher, 280 pages, €19.90.