The Stimulus Checks are Going Out: Let’s Talk Pillows

What are you going to buy with your stimulus check?

Maybe give some thoughts to new pillows.

Pillows? Yep, pillows.

Did you know that according to the “experts” you’re supposed to buy new pillows every 18 months?

I know family members that have had their pillows for 30 years!

Apparently, the need to buy new pillows comes from dust mites that will live in them nearly doubling the weight of the pillows after a few years (same with your mattress actually.) From the Ohio State University:

Beds are a prime habitat (where 1/3 of life occurs). A typical used mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside. (Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.) Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it. A favorite food is dander (both human and animal skin flakes). Humans shed about 1/5 ounce of dander (dead skin) each week. About 80 percent of the material seen floating in a sunbeam is actually skin flakes. Also, bedroom carpeting and household upholstery support high mite populations.

You can wash the pillows in hot water to kill off some of the bugs and bacteria.

But it only kills some of them, apparently.

They also tell you to change your sheets every week and vacuum every day (if you have carpet in the bedroom.) Yes- I KNOW you’re doing those things. I hear about people vacuuming every single day. (sarcasm, sarcasm.)

The only way to truly live “bug free” is to buy new pillows.

Makes you wonder what you’re sleeping on when you go to a hotel, doesn’t it? Especially the small town hotel that is family owned. Think they’re buying new pillows every 18 months?

Right- me neither.

I must confess, I’ve owned my pillows for a few years. They don’t feel twice as heavy as when I bought them- but maybe they are and I just haven’t noticed. Or maybe I’m in denial about all the dust mites (what you can’t see, can’t hurt you type of thing.)

Maybe I should buy new pillows with the stimulus check after all.

Nah….