We sleep, on average, about 7 hours a night, which means that we spend way more time in our bedroom than we do in any other room of the apartment. And, naturally, we spend more time in our bed than on any other piece of furniture. It follows then that the bedroom can affect our health more than any other room.
So, when we started waking up every morning with a stuffy nose and a sinus headache, we knew something was wrong. After the jump: How we tackled the problem, and some general ideas on how to make your bedroom a healthy place...
1. Start with the basics: take a peek under the bed. Is it clean down there? It's easy to forget about sweeping, vacuuming, etc. under the bed. But you've got to do it. Pull out all the storage bins, clean them, and clean the floor under your bed regularly.
2. Consider your sheets: a) are they organic cotton, and b) are they clean? If they aren't organic, consider buying organic fabric the next time you need to purchase new sheets. (Target carries fantastic, affordable organic cotton sheets). Now, ask yourself: How often do you put fresh sheets on your bed? You should be doing it once a week. Do you? We know we weren't, but we've started and it's helping!
3. Rethink your pillows: Think about it: If you sleep on your stomach (like we do) you are literally breathing your pillow for 7 hours a night. So, obviously, it's a good idea to wash it! Then consider what your pillow is stuffed with. A lot of us are allergic to down, so consider a natural, hypoallergenic filling, like wool. Or, invest in some hypoallergenic pillow covers: they'll keep the bad stuff (dust mite feces and other grossness) in your pillow and out of your nose. But remember, they need to be washed regularly too! A more expensive, but possible, solution is a natural foam pillow. We like Keetsa's Down Alternative Memory Foam Pillow ($69.99).
4. The heart of the matter: your mattress: A natural mattress is always the best way to go. But a lot of us already own an expensive mattress and don't intend to swap it out anytime soon. If you fall into that category, treat your mattress just like your pillows and invest in a hypoallergenic cover. This CleanRest Mattress Cover gets great reviews at Brookstone.
5. Keep pets out: Lastly, something we continually fail to do: Keeping pets out of the bed can be a critical step, especially if you struggle with allergies.
Do you already do all of this? What else do you do to keep your bedroom healthy?
Top image via AT:LA
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I recently got a small air purifier for the bedroom. I cant bring myself to leave it on all day, but we turn it on an hour before we go to bed and keep the room shut during the day. Helps my husbands (mild) asthma a lot
I have a humidifier that I run at night when I sleep. It helps combat the chronic dryness that all of us suffer from in the Arizona desert, and helps me breathe more easily during the night and the next morning.
My husband and I both just ordered buckwheat-filled pillows. They're amazing and healthy :)
Aside from doing what you mentioned (almost, the dogs sleep on a bamboo blanket on the foot of the bed), we have an air purifier and a humidifier in the bedroom. And use a ceiling fan to keep the air circulating.
I have to say I did not think much at all of the Target sheets. I'll stick to Land's End, thanks.
Air purifiers are key! I developed serious asthma induced colds i had for weeks in college thanks to my chronic smoking roomie! since i have bought that thing and leave it on when I sleep, i haven't been sick once! plus its a bonus because it shots out cold air in the summer, I use the air conditioning way less. Its a Honeywell stand-up and doesn't ever require new filters, just vacuum the existing one
Um, this might sound like a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway: how does one wash one's pillows? I've never known anyone to wash their pillows, but it kinda makes sense. Do you put them in the washer and dryer? Do you soak them in the tub and then let them air dry? Wringing them out would obviously be a bad idea, but if they air dried, would all the water get out, especially from the center? And where would one put a pillow to dry? I can't drape it over a drying rack or a railing; it's a pillow.
I have had athsma all of my life, so I have to be very careful about the health of my home. Avoid down. The Company Store has really cozy down-alternative duvets and pillows. Oh, and don't wash pillows. It never really works. If they are expensive, put them in a trash bag and then stick the vacuum cleaner hose in there and suck out all the air until the pillow is tiny. This removes dust mites and other allergens. I personally buy inexpensive pillows and replace them once or twice a year. Never have plants in a bedroom. They harbor molds. If you have allergies, think twice about putting fresh flowers in your room. Take every opportunity to open the windows. That's the best thing you can do for the air quality of your home.
Kate the Great,
Here's a post that shows you how to wash a pillow!
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/bedding-blankets/how-to-wash-a-pillow-042606
Consider getting an allerban cover for the duvet too. While I wash the flat bedding weekly, removing the comforter from its cover and washing both weekly is just too much. I have an allerban cover on the duvet but under the decorative cover. I wash the decorative cover every few weeks and the actual duvet just a couple of times a year.
When my allergies were first diagnosed, I took all of my books out of my bedroom--they trap so much dust, even with frequent cleaning. Now I keep the books I'm currently reading in my nightstand--our bedroom is tidier and less allergan-filled
I have tried so many times to banish my cats from the bed. It's just not possible. They meow loudly and scratch at the door, interrupting my sleep.
To reduce allergens I just try to open my window for at least 10 minutes a day, regardless of the season. Changing the sheets once a week is my new goal.
Another option to removing all your books from your bedroom is use shelves with doors on them. I have Ikea Billy bookshelves in my bedroom with the glass doors and they look fab!
Wow. I'm kind of grossed out, but thank you!
Emily
I'm going to add my tips on washing pillows. I put mine in the freezer for a few hours, then wash them (in the washer) with hot water. Then I put them in the dryer with three tennis balls that are kept just for this purpose. (That means I don't use them to practise my serve!) The tennis balls make a horrendous noise but they plump up pillows, duvets and snowsuits as they dry.
I tried using the mattress and pillow covers, but found that they completely negate the coziness of the pillow top that I paid extra money for b/c it felt like sleeping on plastic =(. so off it went.
maybe I just haven't found the right kind of cover? anyone have a recommendation for a cozier brand?
Lovelyrita - I use a dust barrier mattress cover underneath a pillowtop cover that is removable and thus washable. The idea is to protect the mattress long-term while still getting pillowtop comfort.
I too have never had luck washing pillows. I buy non-down pillows and replace every two years. It's certainly not the most eco-friendly option but it's probably balanced out because I reduce my need for allergy medicine.
Alas, the dogs will never stay off the bed. I gave up years ago and now keep a lightweight blanket tossed over the pillows and upper half of the bed when I'm not home.
I use tempurpedic pillows. Any tips on how to clean them?
My husband has horrible pet allergies, clearly I am trying to kill him, since we have two cats and I dog. We have come up with a few solutions over the years, we have a furminator brush and they all get brushed down weekly and after brushing, they get a spray down with Natures Miracle pet dander remover. Eeeeeeverything gets vacuumed once a week too. OH, also, I have recently started adding raw food to the pets diets, that is supposed to help with pet allergies as well.
I also put a light weight throw over the bed in the morning after I get up. I would have to hobble my pets to keep them off my bed...
I just want to throw an entomologist's and asthma/severe dust mite/chronic sinusitis sufferer's warning to those of you with humidifiers. Dust mites thrive in more humid environments, lowering the humidity of your home is one of the more helpful things you can do to decrease the abundance of dust mites.
Watch out for humidity too. A lot of heating methods can dry out the air, causing you to wake up with nosebleeds or headaches.
A good humidifier can be had for not too much money. They can attract mold, however, so remember to clean it out occassionally.
Doesn't defeat the purpose of getting all this organic and hypoallergenic products and then you go to sleep without taking a shower or let your pets sleep on the bed with you?
I too am allergic to my cats and I have 4. There are products by this company Allersearch which denaturalize the dander. I use this both the laundry detergent and the adms spray which really really help the air quality. (Apparently clothes carry it even after washing since dander is sticky.)
I also use the regular dryer sheets made for people with allegies. And I wipe my cats down with catwipes weekly, use an airpurifier and humidifier and it all allows me to breathe better and love my cats! And I'm not sure why, but using white vineger as a cleaning agent -everywhere- seems to really help as well.
Lots of great suggestions, but personally my two dogs and cat who sleep in the bed are very important to my mental health! I do keep them well brushed and cleaned, and air out the room regularly.
Another alternative to commercial humidfiers:
a Crock Pot filled with water...I had that suggested to me b/c appearantly misting types of humidfiers can harbor mold or bacteria or something like that where as a crock pot is just a very gentle source of humidity...of course there are some cons...like you can't forget to turn it off before you leave or at least refill with water (unless there's an automatic shut off) or it just burns. Then there's the issue of where to safely place an open container of hot water in a bedroom etc but I find it works better for me. I've had the same supercheapo crock pot for over 8 years but then I hardly use it in the Pacific NW (mostly when I have a cold now) but the other advantage is that you can put essential oils like lavendar in the water as a sleep aid. YMMV.
Two added tips from me:
- Get some air-purifying plants. Mother-in-laws tongue filters the air and releases its oxygen at night. They are hard to kill and my cats don't try to eat them.
- If you have heat vents in your home (like me) make sure you bed is not above them. This is not a big deal in the summer but in winter the heat vents can stirr up dust right under you and cause problems. You should also clean your heat vents regularly
I got cotton dust mite covers for my mattress and pillows from The Clean Bedroom. I don't know what brand they are, but I'm very happy with them. They are a little expensive, but I've always been able to find 10% off coupons for this store. When I moved and needed to buy a mattress, I bought a mattress that wasn't treated with flame retardant chemicals. It was expensive (around $1500 without a box spring), but worth the investment to me.
If you have a humidifier take good care of it to clean often, use filtered water, thoroughly dry when not in use.
Take the cover off your pillow and put the pillow in the sun regularly between washes. Sun kills dust mites. Do the same with your mattress, duvet inners and blankets.
Sorry, but the dog stays. My bed has a white cotton bedspread on it that takes well to washing in hot water.
I recently washed all of our blankets and wake up far, far less sneezy since.
Of topic -
Where are the curtain in the top picture from or what is the fabric called?
re: humidifiers... If you put lavender essential oil in with your humidifier water it helps keep it from growing gross things. It also smells rather calming when you're trying to sleep. =)