This past weekend my niece Jennifer was freaking me out!
It was a perfect evening and we were eating a lovely dinner in my sister’s beautiful backyard (I mean there were literally birds singing and the sound of a babbling fountain too!) and my niece decides to start talking about dust mites and bed bugs and all sorts of disgusting stuff that relates to our mattresses! It was gross I tell you!
I am not going to subject you to the disgusting stuff I learned that night…..(ok…maybe just ONE thing I learned…An average mattress contains 10,000 to 10,000,000 dust mites! ewwwww)….but I will tell you that cleaning your mattress regularly is a very good idea! And if you’re like me….you haven’t done it lately. Or ever. :-/
Dust mites live in pillows, bed covers, mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpeting, even clothing.One of their favorite places is a mattress. Vacuuming your mattresses every few weeks will help to control the dust mite population. It also helps to put plastic coverings on your mattress that essential SEAL it…but who really wants to do that?? I don’t.
But I can vacuum!
I decided to take a cue from Calli at Make-It-Do.com and mix up my own mattress-cleaning concoction. Baking soda with a little Lavender essential oil mixed in.
Put approximately 1 cup of baking soda into a small mason jar and add 4 to 5 drops of Lavender essential oil (you can, of course, use your favorite scent) and give it a good shake! This was enough to do half my king-sized bed. I just quickly shook up another batch for the other side.
Before you start it’s a good idea to strip off all your bedding and wash it in HOT water (at least 130 degrees)! This will kill the dust mites in your sheets and blankets. While your bedding is in the washing machine, pour enough baking soda through a sifter or strainer to lightly dust your mattress with it. Leave on for an hour or more, allowing it time to draw out dirt, moisture, and odor.
Using the hose end of your vacuum and an upholstery attachment, thoroughly vacuum the mattress. Vacuum slowly so that you’re using the vacuum suction efficiently to pull out as much debris from within the mattress as possible.
The baking soda not only draws out moisture and dirt, but it also deodorizes and leaves the mattress smelling fresh and clean. The Lavender oil helps calm stress and anxiety and promotes sleep….plus it just SMELLS wonderful!
I think I’m going to sleep very good tonight! :-)