Make a Clean Bed

www.rebuild-from-depression.com

     As the season changes to cooler weather, I am airing out my winter bedding.  Before the cold really snaps and I want to sleep in my down comforter I take the time to clean and air the bedding.  A good airing is better than an expensive dry cleaning.  A gentle breeze dries and freshens better than any bottled spray or chemical freshener.  

     To clean bedding before and during the season, spot clean any stains with hydrogen peroxide.  Replace heavy detergents with a vinegar/water rinse instead of heavy soaps. 

    UV rays can kill some bacteria (mostly the odor causing kind).  So as long as you are airing bedding, get those stinky shoes out in the sun!  Airing in the sun is safer than trying to dry boots or shoes near a heater or fireplace.  It's called multi tasking, but today, the sun is doing the real work.

• Twin Extra Long Mattress Cover
• $19.99

http://www.dollartree.com/

     I have been considering travel, the fact that I am in and out of so many homes of business travellers and the spread of bed bugs.  Once you see one, it changes your thinking.  
     I wanted to put mattress covers on my beds to save them from any possible infestations.  The best value for dollar I found was at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Then, I came across a mattress cover at my local Dollar Tree store.  It is not the envelope fully encased style, but a sheet with some elastic at the corners.  The thought of bed bugs escaped me when I realized, it's a barrier.  It's a water barrier, it's a heat barrier, it's a start at a rock bottom price.  

    
     Before covering or encasing your mattress, clean it.  Pull everything off the mattress, spot clean any stains with peroxide.  Freshen with a spray, if you think you need it, but PLEEEEASE, vacuum  the mattress.  Many mattress manufacturers use the fact that humans slough off skin as a reason to sell you a new mattress.  Prolong the life of your bed by vacuuming it at least four times a year.  Vacuuming the mattress removes human dander, pet dander, hair, mites and dust.  If you have a vacuum with a wind tunnel that lets you see the dirt as it comes up, empty it and just watch the whirlwind of fuzz and debris coming out of your mattress.  It's impressive!  


     Now you are ready to rotate or flip the mattress.  Seasonal cleaning and rotating preserves the life of the mattress.  Planning to do this is okay but doing it is better.  It's like changing the batteries in your smoke detector.  Just do it and forget it till next season change.  Take care of your back.  Get help if you need it.

     You now have a clean, dry, encased or covered foundation, clean fresh bedding.  It's time to make your clean bed.