You are going to love me today!! I am giving you all permission to NOT make your bed today!
Seriously, I am!! I even have a good reason for you to NOT make your bed.
I
know this is contrary to everything we were taught as children. At least if
you lived in my house the bed had to be made before any fun for the day
was going to happen.
Everything I have ever read on how to keep a tidy home has told me that one of the things to do is…. “Make your bed everyday!”
Not only is it on the chart, but is almost always #1!
So how in the world can I give you permission to not make your bed? Keep reading…..
Author Cheryl Mendelson said the following:
"Each
day when you arise, air the bed. Open the windows, if possible; throw
the bedcovers back over the foot of the bed. (If the bedding will
otherwise drag on the floor, stand a chair at the foot of the bed to
support it.) Let the bed stand this way, unmade, while you shower and
eat breakfast. The bed should air for at least an hour if you are going
to work, or even longer if you are staying home. This helps immensely
toward keeping the bed feeling and smelling fresh until you next change
the sheets."
Now here is the why you are getting permission to not make your bed!
"While
you are sleeping, you breathe about two pounds of moisture, along with
breath odors and flocks of microorganisms, into the air, your pillow and
your bedding. You also perspire, perhaps a cup's worth, and exude skin
oils and body smells. And you use up the room's oxygen and replace it
with exhaled carbon dioxide. When there are two or more people in the
bed or the room, these effects are multiplied. All this explains why, if
you sleep with closed windows, the room has a characteristic stale
morning smell (although you might not perceive it until you leave for a
few minutes and then return.) Unless you leave the bedcovers pulled down
and the windows open for an hour or two, the moisture you have left in
the bed either does not evaporate or evaporates very slowly, which makes
for an environment in pillows and mattress in which dust mites, molds,
and other microbial life have more of an opportunity to multiply.
Opening the windows lets in new air to dilute the pollutants (microbial
and particulate), carry them off, and bring in fresh supplies of
oxygen."
Who knew?
I don't know about you, but after reading that, I am a believer in NOT making my bed everyday!
Unmade
beds really don’t look that bad, trust me, I do it almost everyday. Let
me show you my unmade bed right after getting up, and then look at the
after, still not totally made up, and it is airing out nicely and I even
gave it a spritz of linen spray….
(Remember both images below show an unmade bed, the one on the right is how it looks while airing out and the one on the left is how it looks when we get up. The one on the right is neat and tidy, but still allows air to get to the bedding.)
(Remember both images below show an unmade bed, the one on the right is how it looks while airing out and the one on the left is how it looks when we get up. The one on the right is neat and tidy, but still allows air to get to the bedding.)
See it is not so bad!
My bed all made up for the rest of the day!!
I like what Erma Bombeck said……..
‘
Here is one more little quote that I will leave you with…
Now go un-make your bed and let it air out!!!
17 comments:
Aww, too late. I already DIDN'T make my bed. :)
When we lived in Germany years ago, all the "hausfraus" hung the blankets and down comforters, the pillows out of the bed windows (no screens) each morning. I enjoyed doing it also. I really need to start doing this again. I want this book...even at my age!!
Kathysue, it does make perfect sense.
I may be able to do this several days a week!
xoxo
Karena
2013 Design Series
Great advice!!!! We leave our bed unmade until after coffee. Now I have an even better reason.
OK!
I'm with you 99%!
The 1% is opening the windows. I do the turn down bit, but I can not open the windows. The home ventilation system must sub for the "fresh" air.
BECAUSE
The fresh air here is filled with pollen etc. Too many allergies to the "wonderful" outside.
I'm always in such a rush in the morning that it would never get made..
I've always "aired out" the bed in the morning...have my coffee and then MAKE THE BED. I honestly find it "pleasureable" to "change up" the bed (only takes a minute.) franki
Now I have a good reason for not making the bed! My husband always found it annoying that the bed didn't get made until after lunch. His opinion is: "the last one out of bed has to make it when they get up." Of course, I'm always always the last one out of bed! When I tell him this he will won't bug me anymore about having a messy bed when he comes home for lunch.
Now I have a good reason for not making the bed! My husband always found it annoying that the bed didn't get made until after lunch. His opinion is: "the last one out of bed has to make it when they get up." Of course, I'm always always the last one out of bed! When I tell him this he will won't bug me anymore about having a messy bed when he comes home for lunch.
Yuck..who knew! Science and technology has really made life so worrisome! Imagine we have all lived all these years not knowing this but I will say that I could never leave my bed unmade all day only because I would not like a messy room and I do not like to crawl into an unmade bed at the end of the day. That's just me...
Diane,
I am with you! I could not leave it all messy, but as you can see in the AFTER pict. it is neat and tidy, still allowing the sheets to air out.I can totally appreciate you not liking it to look messy all day!
Great advice! I've always let the bed air for a bit, then go back and make the bed. I like your version of a tidy look while airing. '-)
Hi Kathysue! I like this post! :-) Mine often gets a good airing because one of my kitties decided to get a morning nap there. But when I lived in France, everyone knew that already! Part of the morning routine was to pull back the covers and open the windows! People even pulled off the blankets and hung them over the window ledge to air. And I mean winter and summer! I was in a small town, of course, and I am not sure if that is done in Paris, but it was expected where I lived. Sooo..it seems they were right! Thanks again! Hugs...Debbie
It really is a fantastic idea and that you showed a very neat way to do it. Here's to a healthier bed!
xo Nancy
Wow so interesting....but I cannot imagine walking into a room with an unmade bed, ditto dishes in my sink...yes I am OCD!! I love the way your room has come along, just gorgeous!
I like it!!! perfect reason not to make the bed:)
informative with lovely segues. but, now i am freaking out about hotels!
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