Health Hazards Caused by a Dirty Mattress

If you’re sick, your first instinct may be to get into bed and rest. While this is normally an appropriate reaction, in some cases, doing so might exacerbate your symptoms. What you may think is the common cold could just be symptoms from sleeping on a dirty mattress. Without proper and regular cleaning, your mattress could be a significant contributor to your symptoms.

How Did Your Mattress Get Dirty?

From You

The human body is one of your mattress’s biggest contaminants. People naturally slough off sweat, oils and dead skin cells at an endless rate – including when you sleep. These waste byproducts coming off your body can accumulate on your mattress and become absorbed by the polyurethane foam padding, creating a warm and humid surface full of pollutants that can lead to bacteria growth and attract other pests if neglected, including dust mites and bed bugs.

From Pests

Dust mites feed on dead skin cells and thrive in humid indoor environments, which makes your mattress – and the foam padding in particular – an inviting home and breeding ground. While latex mattresses are bacteria and bug-resistant, InnerSpring mattresses aren’t always as resistant.

These pests can aggravate respiratory symptoms, causing watery and itchy eyes, congestion and coughing. They pose a serious threat to those with allergies, as dust mites can exacerbate their symptoms and potentially make it harder to breathe. What’s worse is that they are too small to see, making them harder to identify as the cause of your symptoms. The best way to protect yourself from these pests is to wash your sheets and vacuum your mattress, as well as clean the polyurethane foam padding and pillows regularly and thoroughly.

From Your Environment

Your home environment can also dirty your mattress. Pet dander and fur, dust, pollen and other common allergens can build up on your mattress and be trapped in it, aggravating allergies. The cleanliness of your home will impact your mattress. If your room is dusty or dirty, those pollutants will settle onto and even penetrate your mattress. High indoor humidity and moisture levels can also increase your risk for mold and mildew growth in or on your mattress.

Can You Catch Something From a Dirty Mattress?

Although a dirty mattress can harbor allergens, you’re unlikely to contract an ailment from one. One of the only ways you could directly become infected from your bed is if you sleep on it immediately after someone with a contagious infection was in it without first cleaning the sheets.

That said, your mattress can indirectly contribute to ailments or worsening symptoms. Your immune system is dependent on your ability to get a good night’s sleep, which a dirty mattress can interfere with. Poor sleep can weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to viruses and increasing your risk of getting ill.

Why Mattress Protectors Are Important

If a mattress is not regularly cleaned or protected with a mattress cover and/or a mattress protector, it is more likely to accumulate dust and dirt over time. Polyurethane foam can be particularly absorbent and be a magnet for contaminants in your mattress. Due to its open-cell texture, polyurethane foam that harbors allergens can release pollutants that will not only make it harder to get a good night’s rest but also negatively impact your indoor air quality.

You can save yourself the trouble of constantly having to clean your mattress and prevent potent odors from being emitted by getting a mattress protector or removable and washer-safe mattress cover. While they won’t negate the necessity of regular mattress cleaning, a cover and protector can make the need for mattress vacuuming less frequent.

Even with a mattress protector and mattress cover, you should still vacuum your mattress every six months using the upholstery attachment.

Alternatively, if your mattress is visibly discolored, emitting a foul odor or if you’re waking up with body aches or aggravated allergies in the morning, you may benefit from mattress replacement. Mattresses exhibiting those obvious signs of dirtiness are likely old and may already offer diminished comfort value, which can be an even bigger detriment to getting a good night’s sleep.

We’re a Family-Owned Operation That’s Been Designing Mattresses for Spokane, WA Residents for Over 30 Years

At Twilight Bedding, we offer a wide selection of comfortable and high-quality InnerSpring, latex and custom mattresses that are made locally. Because we’re a factory-direct company, we can tailor every aspect of your mattress to your preferences – from its level of firmness to how much polyurethane foam padding it has. Our in-house manufacturing allows us to provide custom mattresses at a lower price than our competitors, who have to outsource their production.

Call (509) 926-2333 or visit one of our showrooms in North Spokane or Spokane Valley and start getting a healthier night’s sleep consistently.