If you think that the title of this article is a rather fanciful exaggeration...
then think again.
The Problem It might come as a shock to many, but the mattress on which we spend one third of our lives is a teeming world of tiny creatures (belonging to the spider family) that thrive in the perfect conditions that we generously provide for them.
While we are hopefully enjoying a good night's sleep, two million of these tiny unwanted, uninvited and extremely unsavoury guests are very active, feasting and multiplying in their ideal environment.
This is not a scare story.
It is a fact that a double mattress is home to around two million dust mites and this applies to any mattress that is more than 6 months old.
Dust mites live on the millions of dead skin cells that we shed each night and the moisture that we produce.
As they have no predators to control their activity it really is a perfect environment for them to thrive in...
and thrive they certainly do.
Apart from knowing that we are sharing our bed with these disgusting creatures, what is the real problem? Well aside from the obvious hygiene issues, these dust mites happen to be a major cause or trigger of Asthma and allergic reactions such as Eczema and Rhinitus.
Actually, it is not the dust mite itself that is the problem as it does not bite or suck blood, but having finished its banquet of skin and sweat it eventually has to relieve itself and it is the dust mite feces that cause the problems.
Their droppings are rich in a digestive enzyme which is a potent allergen that causes a range of allergic reactions such as those above.
Each time we move in bed we create a cloud of these tiny particles which inevitably come in contact with our skin and are breathed in.
This is the reason for the extremely high levels of Eczema, Rhinitis and Asthma attacks that occur at night, when sufferers are particularly vulnerable.
Even people that do not suffer from allergic reactions may regularly wake up with a blocked nose or itchy skin, but accept this as normal.
In addition to the problem that the live dust mites cause there is a further problem because the vast quantity of dead dust mite remains, attract a host of bacteria.
So all in all, our mattress is a particularly unhygienic, unhealthy place.
So what can we do to combat the problem - how can we effectively clean a mattress? The Solution The solution is quite simple.
There is only one way to prevent Asthma and Allergic Reactions being triggered and that is to remove the cause - the dust mites - completely.
We can wash our bedding at high temperature and have our duvets professionally cleaned but it is virtually impossible to clean a mattress using conventional means.
Fortunately, it is possible to clean a mattress and eliminate dust mites completely...
if you have the necessary equipment.
Several companies offer a specific mattress cleaning service using specialised equipment.
However, you can carry out the treatment yourself, if you obtain the necessary equipment.
The advantage in doing your own treatment is that you can repeat that treatment as often as you wish, without having to pay each time...
a substantial saving in the long term.
Basically you will need two particular items of equipment: (a) In order to carry out an effective cleaning it is essential that you have a specialised vacuum cleaner with powerful suction and a highly efficient filter system.
(b) In addition, you will need to sanitise your mattress with a high intensity Ultra Violet Light source to kill off any mites and bacteria that were not removed by the vacuum cleaner.
Both pieces of equipment are available from recognised sources and the initial cost outlay will be more than compensated for, by the relief that the allergy sufferer will gain.
So if you want the satisfaction of knowing that you are sleeping in a genuinely clean, hygienic bed, safe from attack by an army of allergen-armed invaders, you should seriously consider obtaining the necessary equipment so that you too can clean your mattress, effectively.