The best way to dry your quilt, you will never think of it

The quilt can be said to be our good comrade who lives with us day and night. It accompanies us through one lonely night after another.

Unfortunately, although we sleep on the same pillow day and night, many people ignore its hygiene. Think about how long it has been since you dried your quilt in the sun?

In recent days, a topic "Exposing your quilts to the sun more often is good for your health" has become a hot search topic. Many netizens said that they live in high-rise residential areas and have no place to dry their quilts, and they miss the smell of their quilts after drying them when they were young.

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Today, I will talk to you in detail about the benefits of drying quilts and how to dry them. At the end of the article, I also shared a good way to dry quilts even if you live in a high-rise residential area. Don't miss it.

01

The quilt is not exposed to the sun for a long time and it is really damp and smelly, and there are insects

We know that during sleep, the body will continue to metabolize and excrete sweat. In addition, the air in the bedroom usually has a certain humidity, especially in the south. After using the quilt for a period of time, it will naturally accumulate a lot of sweat and absorb moisture in the air, slowly becoming damp. If the bedroom is too humid, such as during the rainy season in the south, mold may also form.

In addition, while the quilt accumulates sweat, the human body also sheds dandruff. Studies have found that an average adult can shed 0.5 to 1 gram of dandruff every day.

In addition, some people fart, drool, etc. when they sleep, and some people may not take a bath for a long time, etc., so every "old quilt" has its own unique smell.

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Besides being "damp" and "smelly", another problem that cannot be ignored for quilts that are not exposed to the sun for years is "mites" .

There is nothing that mites love more than a quilt that has never been exposed to the sun. The moisture accumulated over the years plus the dandruff shed by the human body is simply a paradise for mites. It is said that the 0.5-1 gram of dandruff shed by an adult every day can feed one million dust mites.

The most direct health risk brought by dust mites is allergies. Not only live dust mites, but also their corpses and secretions can become allergens.

Among the allergens of allergic rhinitis and asthma patients in my country, dust mites rank first, causing harm to countless people.

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02

Drying your quilt more often is really good for your health

Regularly drying the quilt in the sun can not only ensure the cleanliness of the quilt and inhibit the reproduction of mites, but also make the quilt fluffy and soft. Sleeping with a fragrant quilt will naturally make people feel more comfortable.

1. Drying quilts in the sun can kill bacteria

The ultraviolet rays in the sun can effectively kill bacteria. They can destroy the DNA structure of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, making them inactive.

Putting the quilt in the summer sun can not only kill various microorganisms that breed on the quilt, but also promote the evaporation of moisture inside the quilt, reduce the humidity of the quilt, and reduce the chance of bacterial growth.

2. Drying quilts in the sun can remove mites

Ambient temperature and relative humidity are the main factors affecting the survival of mites. What they fear most is high temperature dehydration.

Biological studies have found that the ideal growth temperature for mites is 20-25°C and the relative humidity is 70%-75%. Once the temperature exceeds this range or the environment becomes dry, the mites will become obviously uncomfortable or even die.

Putting the quilt under the sun to bake, removing moisture and raising the temperature is naturally a good way to remove mites. Especially now, the sun can easily make the temperature reach over 50℃.

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3. The quilt is fluffy and smells good after drying

There will be a unique "sun smell" on the quilt that has been dried in the sun, which makes people feel happy and pleasant.

This "sun smell" is not the smell of the burnt corpses of mites, but the new organic compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids that appear on fabrics after being exposed to the sun. Most of these substances have pleasant smells at low concentrations, and some are even used in perfumes.

In addition, cotton fibers will expand to a certain extent after being exposed to the sun for two or three hours, making them feel fluffy, soft and very comfortable.

03

The best way to dry your quilt is different than you think

Of course, there are some skills to drying quilts, otherwise they may become less warm the more they are exposed to the sun. Here are a few tips for your reference:

1. Choose the right time and place to dry your quilt

It is best to dry the quilt between 10 am and 3 pm on a sunny day, as the sunlight is most abundant during this period.

Do not dry the quilt in the early morning or evening, because the humidity in the air is very high during these periods and the quilt may become more and more damp.

At the same time, try to choose an open and ventilated place to dry the quilt to avoid the side obstructions of the quilt affecting the drying effect.

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2. Pat and shake the quilt appropriately when drying it

Before drying the quilt, it is recommended to pat the quilt gently to shake off the dust and dirt on the surface, then hang the quilt on the clothes rack and shake it several times with greater force to remove as much dust and dirt as possible inside the quilt.

3. Drying time should be controlled within 2~3 hours

The longer you expose your quilt to the sun, the better. Prolonged exposure to the sun may cause the fibers of the quilt to break, resulting in a decrease in the quilt's warmth retention.

The drying time should be controlled within 2 to 3 hours to ensure that the quilt is not overly exposed to ultraviolet rays.

If the weather is humid, the drying time can be extended appropriately; if the weather is dry or the ultraviolet rays are strong, the drying time should be shortened appropriately.

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4. Drying frequency is recommended once a week

If the quilt is not used for a long time or is newly purchased, it should be aired before use to ensure that the quilt is dry and hygienic. It is recommended to air the quilt once a week for the quilt that is currently in use.

5. It is best to cover the quilt with a layer of cloth to avoid "secondary contamination"

Many people dry their quilts naked when they are dry. In fact, you can add a layer of old sheets on the quilt. This can not only prevent the fabric from turning yellow and fading due to strong sunlight, but also prevent dust, pollen, etc. from falling on the bedding.

6. It is recommended that the side of the quilt that touches the body faces the sun

The best way to dry the quilt is to let the side that touches the body face the sun. Firstly, this protects the material of the quilt cover. Secondly, the inside of the quilt is in contact with the human body more, and direct exposure to the sun can achieve better drying effects.

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7. Don’t expose wool and down duvets to the sun

Do not expose woolen and down quilts to the sun. Just dry them in a ventilated place such as a balcony for an hour.

This can avoid or reduce the damage to its fibers caused by direct sunlight, thereby extending its service life and maintaining good thermal insulation performance.

Okay, friends, let’s go and dry our quilts!
If you don't have a good place to dry your quilt, there is a good way to dry it anytime and anywhere, that is:

Put a black plastic bag on the quilt

Good heat absorption and does not take up space

This "high temperature sauna room" can be moved anywhere

Solve the problem of drying quilts in one second

Cover the quilt with a black plastic bag

Although there is no UV disinfection effect

But black can increase heat absorption and raise temperature

High temperature can help us eliminate mites in the quilt

But I put the quilt in a bag and dried it

Be careful not to be picked up as trash

Image source: Internet

References:

[1] Ran Xin. There are some tips for drying quilts[J]. New Countryside, 2021(05):42.

[2] Ying Qiangqiang. Dust mites are still the most common allergen in patients with rhinitis and asthma[J]. High School Student Friends, 2023(01):44

[3] Zhang Jidong. Drying your quilt frequently is good for your health[J]. Home Health and Healthy Life, 2014(02):77

[4] Nadchatram M. House dust mites, our intimate associates. Trop. Biomed. 2005.22(1): 23～37.

[5] Shen Lian, Sun Jinlu, Chen Jun. Overview of household allergenic mites[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology, 2010, 47(6):1264-1269.

Author: Ding Yu, PhD in Neurobiology, Zhejiang University; Lin Yiyi, popular science writer

Reviewer: Cheng Fang, Chief Physician, Department of Dermatology, Xingtai People's Hospital, Hebei Province