A major health hazard that slips under the radar, a dirty mattress

can contain high levels of dangerous bacteria which can do you a

lot of harm. And despite this, it is one of the things that receives

the fewest cleans in the average household.

The problem lies in the fact that, as we sleep, we lose fluid, and shed dead skin cells. So many, in fact, that we lose around 1lb of skin every year whilst in bed. This provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and over time, very high numbers of germs can build up.

Around one in ten people clean their mattresses less than twice a year, and one in 5 people suggest that they will only replace things like mattresses, pillows and duvets, all of which can be a breeding ground for germs, if they are completely unusable. Perhaps the most shocking statistic is that half of us refuse to replace their mattress even once over a ten-year period. This apathy when it comes to cleaning bedding provides the bacteria with plenty of time to swarm and multiply, which increases the risk of illness.
Your mattress can contain staphylococcus, norovirus, and even the drug resistant MRSA in some cases, all of which are very dangerous. Therefore, it is recommended that you thoroughly clean your mattresses more regularly, to remove these bacteria, and minimise the risk of getting seriously ill.