Monsoon is the most beautiful season of the year. It gives us relief from scorching heat and creates a pleasant atmosphere. Refreshing natural vistas gives us an opportunity to unwind in an authentic way.
However, on the practical side, the monsoon brings with it some troublesome issues that need to be tackled in our day-to-day life. Apart from the obvious problems like muddy roads, traffic jams and power cuts, there a few other issues that need to be handled within the house.
Food and water contamination is prevalent during the monsoon season. It increases the risk of gastric infections, such as gastroenteritis, ulcer and indigestion. During this season, air-borne diseases are transmitted easily, resulting in common cold, cough, flu and viral fever. Monsoons can trigger allergies and other health issues for many.
In this season, an increased level of moisture and humidity promotes the growth of molds, microbes and other disease-causing organisms. These microbes can easily outgrow your clothing, furniture and household items and may end up being hazardous for your health and well-being.
Your mattress is one of the common household items that becomes vulnerable to developing mold and mildew during the rainy season. Humidity and moisture may make your mattress damp and create a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria, fungus and microbes.
It is important to take extra care of your mattress during monsoon to prevent mold infestation. Otherwise, it may become a host to various disease causing germs, and microbes. This will also affect your sleep quality and overall health.
Here are some simple and practical tips that can help you in protecting your mattress during monsoon season and help you sleep peacefully.
During monsoons, it is important to be extra cautious regarding following basic mattress hygiene measures. You should change your bedsheets and bed linens once in three days and wash them at least once a week during the rainy season. Use hot water to soak and wash the bed covers and sheets. You can also use white vinegar to remove the odor and make them extra clean. Additionally, vacuum your mattress regularly to keep it clean and dust-free.
Regular washing and taking good care of basic hygiene play an important role in keeping your mattress clean and hygienic during the monsoon season.
A mattress protector is one of the best mattress accessories that help in protecting your mattress and your health. It saves your expensive mattress from spills, stains and other common accidents. But more importantly, a waterproof mattress protector keeps your mattress dry and clean. It also allows air circulation while keeping dust and dampness out.
Mattress protector also protects your mattress against dirt, mites and allergens while maintaining a good level of mattress hygiene. It helps in keeping common allergies and sicknesses at bay. These features offer great help during the monsoon season. They not only keep your mattress safe and clean but also reduce monsoon-related diseases.
Mattress protectors are easy to maintain. You can wash mattress protectors easily to make them fresh and clean.
Sunlight is a powerful and natural disinfectant. It absorbs the moisture and dries the mattress quickly. Additionally, it kills the microbes and keeps your mattress free from disease-causing organisms. It helps in sanitizing your mattress naturally and prevents the growth of molds and microbes.
During the rainy season, first, check the weather forecast and then put your mattress in sunlight, when the sun is out. Do not leave your mattress outside up to evening or night. The cool temperature at night may make your mattress damp again and will neutralize the positive impact of sunlight.
Bugs, insects and mold thrive easily in damp and poorly ventilated areas. It is important to keep your room well-ventilated during the monsoon. Open the windows and allow the sunlight and fresh air to come in. This helps in proper aeration in the room and prevents the growth of microbes. This is one of the simplest ways to protect your mattress from dampness and moisture.
During the monsoon, the humidity levels are high. High humidity not only makes us uncomfortable but also promotes the growth of microbes. Dehumidifiers help a lot in maintaining humidity levels and prevents the growth of micro-organisms. By minimizing humidity, a dehumidifier protects your mattress and can offer great help, especially during monsoon season. Dehumidifiers are especially useful, if you live in humid places like close to the seacoast or sub-tropical regions. They also help in reducing allergic symptoms and make the environment healthy for sleeping.
An air purifier is also a great way to keep air quality clean. They help in neutralizing the unpleasant odor and reduce the chances of air-borne disease. Additionally, they improve air circulation and keep the spore quantity up to a minimum. You can use a small size air purifier in your bedroom that will help keep microbes' growth in check and will protect your mattress.
Baking soda is an amazing natural cleaning agent. You can use baking soda as a natural disinfectant. It helps to clean mattresses naturally and removes unpleasant odor too. Take a sieve and sprinkle baking soda generously all over the mattress. Allow it to sit for at least 4 hours. If you have time and alternate sleeping arrangement, you can keep baking soda overnight too.
As the next step, take a hand vacuum and remove all the baking soda from the mattress. After removing, do not forget to put the mattress in the sun, before putting the bedsheets on. Sunlight acts as a natural disinfectant and helps in removing unpleasant odor and making your mattress free from microbes.
You should flip and rotate your mattress regularly. This thing helps in avoiding microbes from settling down and also keeps your mattress even from all sides. Following this method also helps in increasing the lifespan of your mattress.
This one is another simple way to improve air circulation in the room. Try to keep the fan or air conditioner on for some time every day. This helps in reducing the moisture level in the room and prevents the growth of microbes.
Though room fresheners are a great way to make your room smell good, however, you should avoid using them too much. Using room fresheners on the mattress surface may make it damp and affect the mattress foam quality.
Using Naphthalene balls is one of the most popular options for preventing bug infestation in the home. You can place naphthalene balls under your mattress. It helps in reducing moisture and keeps your mattress safe from bug and insect infestation.
If you are planning to buy a new mattress invest in a 100% natural latex mattress. While the mattress initial cost is higher than compared to other mattresses, this mattress needs minimum care and can last up to 20 years. It is naturally hypoallergenic, dust free, mite free and cool.