Why Your Home isn't as Clean as You Think

Think your home is clean? You might be skipping one of the dirtiest spots—your mattress. We wash our sheets and vacuum our floors, but the mattress often gets ignored. Over time, it collects dead skin cells, sweat, dust mites, and allergens that can affect your health and sleep. In this post, you'll learn why it's essential, how to do it quickly, and tips to keep your bed fresh. It's an easy habit that makes your entire home feel truly clean.

I've been doing a deep dive into how to prevent my eczema issues that creep up postpartum and vacuuming your mattress was one thing that came up. My friend cleans houses and is pretty meticulous with her own home. When I asked if she vacuums her mattresses and she said she had never even thought of it, I knew I needed to share this tip out! This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I may make a small commission at no cost to you.

I thought it seemed dramatic. I always use a mattress cover and change my sheets often. But sure enough, I vacuumed my bed and was shocked at how much was in there. I made sure to empty the canister beforehand so I knew it was all from my mattress which is about 3 years old. 

The canister had a good amount of dust and I recently learned dust is about 30% microplastics which is even more of a motivator for me. The dust in the canister was likely microplastics along with dust mites and dead skin cells. According to the American Lung Association over 80% of homes have some form of dust mites... Ew! 

Dust mites are a part of life and don't really hurt you but they can be a problem for people with asthma, allergies and skin issues (like me!). Aside from those problems, if anyone in your house wakes up with a stuffy nose or coughs at night consistently it may be due to dust mites in the bedroom.

The best way I found was to take my Dyson and put it up on the mattress. You could also use an upholstery attachment if you have a good one. This is what I do for my son's top bunk! You'll want to be careful and test what works so you don't damage your mattress but mine is more of a fabric top and it's been fine with the Dyson. I went this route because it's quicker and I think the suction works better without an attachment.

It's pretty quick and easy and honestly I can't believe I didn't think of it before. I have done it a few times since and there isn't as much dust but definitely enough to make it worth the time. I have been doing it every couple weeks but I found monthly to be the most suggested frequency online unless someone in your home is having issues listed above.

To further reduce microplastic in dust in my home I got 100% cotton sheets. I went with white because I'm also working on getting rid of dyes in not just our food. I feel like I'm staying in a hotel every night. If white's not for you there are lots of good color options. You really can't beat the price and they've held up over more than a handful of laundry cycles. I am line drying as much as possible which is the next post on my to-do list!

I also got a set of these bamboo sheets since I am officially on the bamboo train! They are super soft. I love them. 

Whatever bedding you use, be sure to wash it weekly (this is a goal not a requirement especially if you have littles running around 😆) in hot water. Wash pillows and stuffed animals every few months (looks like I have another item for my to do list tomorrow 🤦🏻‍♀️) and actually not making your bed is one way to reduce dust mites since they thrive in dark and warm environments like made beds. There you go, you can take one thing off your to do list. Cheers!

I have been vacuuming more with my little guy crawling around. We have wood floors and I am disturbed at how quickly things build up, we don't even have pets but three boys running around is enough to cause a situation on the daily.

I actually have three vacuums lol I hope I'm not alone! I have the Dyson ball that we got as a wedding gift. It's been going strong for 8 years!

I also love my Dyson stick vacuum that I've had about 7 years. I use this thing constantly. Crumbs, spiders, stray hair, it's all gone quickly and without a cord. It died a few years ago and I was able to replace the battery and it's still going strong. 

When my Dyson stick vacuum died I was like a lost puppy. While I diagnosed the problem and replaced the battery I needed something else but I didn't want to spend a ton since I hoped my Dyson would work again. I got the Black and Decker stick vacuum and love it just as much and it was definitely in the cheaper price range! It's been going strong a few years and the LED light is my favorite. You can actually see what you are vacuuming up making it perfect for under the bed. I vacuum under the beds once a week with this one.

Here is the replacement battery I used for my Dyson. This is definitely a great eco and wallet-friendly option versus tossing the whole vacuum but you want to be careful about getting the right replacement for your vacuum. I like the Black and Decker vacuum because it uses a battery and charger than can be used for their tools as well so they're easy to find and replace if necessary. For Black and Decker you have to make sure you have the right voltage. The Dyson took a bit more research to make sure I was getting the correct model number.

If you aren't off vacuuming your mattresses already then thanks for reading this far. I hope you found some helpful information on keeping you and your family healthier. Whether you're vacuuming more, switching to cotton or bamboo sheets or thinking twice before buying products with plastic, I'm here for you!