A shocking poll found Leeds to be one of the top spots in the UK for bed bugs as residents rarely wash their bedding.
Research by online bed and mattress retailer Bed SOS found that city residents wash their bed linen every 2.8 weeks on average. This makes it number 10 on the UK hotspots for house dust mites.
Sheffield was listed as number two, with people washing sheets every 3.7 weeks on average, and number one was Manchester with an average of 4.8 weeks.
Experts recommend washing bed linen once a week, but 67 percent of Britons postpone the work.
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The study also shows that only 20 percent of people wash their bedding only once a month and eight percent every few months or less.
Additionally, a shocking 68 percent of Britons don’t wash their sheets at a temperature hot enough to kill bacteria and bed bugs – that’s 60 degrees.
23 percent have never vacuumed their mattresses or washed their pillows, 15 percent never bothered to wash their duvet, and 16 percent never turned their mattress.
A duvet that has not been washed in a year can contain more than 20,000 dust mites, which can cause breathing problems, sneezing, coughing, and asthma attacks, and skin and eye irritation.
Danny Richmond, CEO of Bed SOS, said, “Knowing what can be lurking in bed with you is terrible, and dust mites can be a serious problem, especially for those who don’t wash their sheets, let alone their comforters and pillows.
“Mattresses are an investment and can last a lifetime with proper care, cleaning and maintenance. Therefore, taking care of our beds, mattresses and bed linen is not only good for our health, it can also save us money in the long term. “
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The cities that wash their bedding the least, on average, are:
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Manchester – every 4.8 weeks
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Sheffield – 3.7 weeks
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Norwich – 3.6 weeks
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Belfast – 3.5 weeks
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London – 3.4 weeks
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Bristol – 3.4 weeks
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Cardiff – 3.4 weeks
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Newcastle – 2.9 weeks
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Birmingham – 2.9 weeks
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Leeds – 2.8 weeks
Dustmite hotspots were calculated by analyzing the average number of times each city washed its bedding, vacuum cleaner mattresses, laundered comforters and pillows, and turned the mattress.
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On the subject of matching items
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On the subject of matching items
Cleaning expert and owner of Love2Laundry, Nadeem Abbas, says: “Dust mite litter is a very common allergy in the UK and causes symptoms similar to hay fever all year round. Dust mites can cause additional breathing problems in asthma sufferers. “
Nadeem’s tips for keeping dust mites at bay:
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Make sure the bedding is washed once a week
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Vacuum your mattress every time you change your sheets
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Wash your pillows on a low spin cycle every four months
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Have your comforter dry-cleaned or, if possible, wash it in your machine every three months
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Regularly clean other upholstered furniture such as sofa cushions or curtains
