Look. We’re watching the news just like you are, and we know there’s a lot of anxiety and fear out there. We figured now was as good a time as any to refresh our customers (and ourselves!) on some housekeeping tips for your bedding. The CDC and WHO both recommend keeping your environment as clean as possible, and to frequently disinfect any commonly used areas, but what’s the best way to handle your mattresses and bedding?
We put together a quick tip guide on how to best take care of your T&N products so they can keep taking care of you, well beyond the current circumstances.
How to sanitize your mattress
Generally speaking, disinfecting a mattress is challenging because of the construction of the product. What you can do is clean the surface of your mattress, and make sure to keep clean bedding and a protector over it so you’re refreshing your sleep space frequently.
We don’t suggest using harsh chemical disinfectants, but there are a few things that will do your bedroom some good without damaging your Tuft & Needle:
Steam cleaning
Using an at home clothing steamer can help rid the surface of your mattress from mites and allergens, and the heat can help in removing harmful bacteria. Steam the surface and allow it to dry completely before putting bedding over it.
Sunbathing
Did you know the sun is a natural disinfectant? UV rays can help reduce the bacteria living on your clothing, bedding, and your mattress. Although it can’t completely eliminate bacteria, leaving your mattress to dry in a warm, sunny spot can help reduce anything that made it past your cleaner of choice.
Disinfectant Spray
If you do use a disinfectant spray—we don’t think this is the safest method of protecting your mattress, but we get it, we’re all taking extra steps right now—make sure you aren’t using bleach, and be double sure your mattress is 100% dry before you cover it in bedding. You’re at risk for mold and mildew if you don’t!
How to sanitize sheets, duvet covers, and pillow cases
You should be washing your sheets once a week to avoid allergens, mites, and any other things that have made your home theirs. We don’t recommend this method for weekly washing, but if you or someone in the home has been ill, this cycle will help disinfect your bedding.
Turn up the heat
A hot spin cycle can help kill off any lingering bacteria, and is generally safe for whites and light colors. Darker colors should normally be washed on cold, but in this case, a hot wash shouldn’t cause damage.
Break out the bleach
Again, we don’t normally recommend bleaching as a regular laundry practice, but in order to handle germs, it can’t be beat. Make sure you’re using color-safe bleach if you aren’t washing white sheets!
Dry it out
Set your dryer to the hottest setting possible and dry your sheets for at least an hour. If you’re like some of us laundry procrastinators, you’ll love this next part—leave the sheets in the dryer for an extra 20-30 minutes after the cycle to make sure anything on them is a goner.
How to sanitize pillows
You spend a lot of time with your face buried in your pillow, even without the constant reminder that germs are everywhere right now, it’s probably a good idea to routinely clean your pillows anyway.
Original Foam Pillow
You’re going to be tempted, but do not wash the inside of our foam pillow. Instead, treat it the same as you’d treat our mattress. Steam clean it, or if you use a disinfectant—again, not our preferred method!—make sure it’s totally dry before putting the cover and pillowcase back on.
You can machine wash the cover, on a hot setting, and hang dry in the sun to make sure it’s clean.
Down Alternative Pillow
Our Down Alternative pillows are machine washable, and usually we recommend washing on a cool setting and drying on low, but just like with our sheets, every so often shouldn’t cause damage. If you’ve been sick, run a hot rinse cycle and then tumble dry your pillows until completely, 100% dry.
How to sanitize your duvet
Both our Down Duvet and Down Alternative Duvet are machine washable. As with the rest of our products, we recommend washing on a cool setting and tumble drying on low in most cases. To disinfect, go ahead and wash on hot settings and dry thoroughly in the dryer.
We recommend tumble drying rather than hanging our duvets on a line to avoid mildew or mold forming.
Should you use laundry sanitizers on our products?
Commercial sanitizers are available from brands such as Lysol, but while you may be tempted to use one, they could be harsh on your fabrics and might add a step to your laundry routine. The CDC doesn’t believe adding chemical sanitizers actually do much more than a hot laundry cycle would, so it’s probably best to skip it. Your typical laundry detergent should be enough to cleanse and sanitize without any additional products.
