NHS doctor's grim mattress warning over hidden dirt lurking in your bed

Household chores can be boring and time consuming. But they are necessary for a reason. Among them is washing the bedding, which experts say should be carried out once every one to two weeks for health reasons. However, have you ever tried vacuuming your mattress?

One health expert revealed this could be the key to avoiding respiratory problems, as well as allergic reactions and asthma flare ups. Doctor Karan Raj, an NHS surgeon and popular social media figure. took to video sharing platform TikTok to explain why.

Reacting to another video where the creator testing out vacuuming his mattress, Dr Raj said: “What you're looking at isn't just dust. Unfortunately, it's a forbidden cocktail of dead skin cells, dust mites and their excrement. Every night you share your bed with a few million dust mites.”

He shared some of the health complications that can come from this. “They love to take dumps on your bed and sadly dust mite faeces contain a protein that's a major trigger for asthma and other allergies,” he said.

“You see these microscopic fiends are attracted to filthy environments as well as that 1.5 grams of dead skin cells you shed on a daily basis to feed them.”

To lower the allergen load Dr Raj therefore advised vacuuming your mattress on a “regular basis”. You can Hoover away a “significant amount” of the mites, their faeces, dead skin cells, pet dander and pollen, he said.

Dr Raj continued: “This reduces the risk of these allergens causing itchy eyes, a runny nose or sneezing and less chance of these exacerbating existing allergies, asthma, skin breakouts and other respiratory issues. Ultimately the improved hygiene quality in your mattress means you probably get a better night's sleep and you extend the life of your mattress.

“It’s probably also worth investing in our mattress protector that you can throw in the wash every time you wash your sheets.” His recommendation is backed by Ideal Home, which says you should vacuum your mattress every few months to remove dust and debris. However, this is less necessary if you use a mattress topper, it said.

Symptoms of a dust mite allergy can include:

Postnasal drip Facial pressure and pain Itchy nose, roof of mouth or throat Nasal congestion Runny nose Swollen, blue-coloured skin under your eyes Sneezing Cough Itchy, red or watery eyes In a child, frequent upward rubbing of the nose