It’s the same thing with making the bed. Many people have learned from an early age that when you get up, you shake up the duvet and pillow and then fold them neatly on the mattress.
Either you stick to this habit throughout your adult life – or you simply leave the blanket lying rumpled on the bed in the morning.
Now there is bad news for both factions: Either way, it’s not good for the mattress, says Claudia Wieland from the Mattress Industry Association.
Do not make the bed immediately after getting up
Claudia Wieland: Better not. The best thing to do first is to pull back the duvet. This means that moisture from the mattress and bedding during the night can easily be transferred into the room air.
This is mainly sweat that we release when we sleep. Afterwards you should ventilate well – the moisture gets out of the bedroom.
Then, if you really want to, you can make your bed. But we recommend, for example, not to use the thick bedspreads that people used to spread over the bed. So that air can constantly reach the mattress and ventilate it well.
What is the best way to make the bed?
Wieland: Personally, I shake up the duvet and turn it over once so that it doesn’t cover the entire mattress. Of course, this also depends a bit on the duvet, for example whether you have an airy, light duvet or a heavy one.
Of course, the firmer and heavier the duvet is, the more of the mattress it covers. Depending on the filling, I also recommend shaking the pillows carefully so that the contents don’t clump together.
However, you should not do this with ergonomically shaped pillows made of foam. In the worst case scenario, this could damage it.
How long should you let the mattress evaporate?
Wieland: For a few minutes. So maybe first take a shower or make the coffee, then open the windows and make the bed.