The Gross Reason You Shouldn't Make Your Bed Right Away

We are always looking for ways to tidy up our homes in a more efficient manner. Since we've come upon the 20/10 cleaning rule, which is basically a tip to clean your home in a 20-minute burst and then rest for 10 minutes, we've made a genuine effort to strive for cleaning efficiency. Other quick cleaning tips we've mastered with low-effort include that overnight coke-in-the-toilet cleaning hack, which has us waking up to a shiny and clean loo. With that, we must admit, when it comes to tidying up our bedrooms, we try to be those people that make our beds as soon as we wake up because it can be a mental health game-changer for a more relaxing bedroom environment. But, why? 

According to The Spruce, it's a task that gives people a sense of accomplishment and can be an excellent way to begin the day. The outlet shared Naval Admiral William McRaven's 2014 commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin. "It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter." We love that, but read on to see why you may want to wait at least 30 minutes!

A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation noted that 71% of people were daily bed makers, which is really something. We are true advocates of getting the job done as soon as we wake up because we know the mental health benefits of an uncluttered, put-together space and made-up bed with every pillow in place. However, there's just a little bit of knowledge we'd like to give you: Instead, we suggest that you enjoy a morning stretch, pull back your comforter as soon as you wake, and wait a minimum of 30 minutes. Perhaps start your day by heading to the kitchen to fix yourself a cup of coffee before returning to your bedroom to reassemble the bed.

Why? According to Homes & Gardens, you're going to want to do this to give your mattress and bed sheets a literal chance to breathe and cool from your body heat from the night. The outlet notes that dust mites are drawn to the warm space you comfortably slept in all night. Per Asthma.net, around 1.5 million dust mites inhabit our beds, which is incredible to think about — and if we're being honest, we're not sure we want to. So, pulling back your covers and not making your bed right away is an excellent way to avoid unnecessary allergens. What's a 30-minute wait, anyway?