Experts Say You Shouldn’t Make Your Bed First Thing in the Morning

Making the bed immediately after you get up is often touted as the best way to start the day. But according to cleaning pros, you actually shouldn’t make your bed as soon as you get out of it. Below, we’ll explain why experts say you should wait to make your bed.

Making the bed is a small accomplishment that can set a productive tone for the rest of the day (plus, it makes the room look tidy), so you shouldn’t disregard this task altogether. But according to laundry experts, your sheets and bedding are meant to air out a little bit before you make the bed. Consider this your excuse to go make a cup of coffee, take your morning shower, or simply enjoy a little bit of quiet time before making the bed.

Below, cleaning experts explain more about why you shouldn’t make your bed immediately, how long you should let your sheets air out, and the best way to keep your mattress clean. If you’re also wondering whether you really need that top sheet or if sheets advertised as “self-cleaning” are too good to be true, read what the pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute say about these bedding debates.

Why You Should Wait to Make Your Bed

It’s normal to sweat throughout the night, which leads to moisture buildup on your sheets and pillows. When you make your bed right away, you’re not giving your bedding any time to air out.

“If you sweat at night, there’s dampness there and the bedding is warmed from your body heat, so you want to give it a chance to dry out and cool off before making the bed. Allergens, like dust mites, and germs, like bacteria, thrive in warm, moist conditions,” says Carolyn Forté, former executive director of the Home Care & Cleaning Lab.

How Long Is Long Enough?

If you make your bed right away (like me), the good news is you don’t have to change your morning routine too much. By the time you’re done with your morning cup of joe, it should be okay to resume your bed-making habits.

“Pull down the covers a bit and remove and fluff the pillows. Then in about 30-60 minutes, it should be good to make. You can always give the sheets a feel to make sure they’re dry,” says Forté. “Making the bed everyday is an important step to keeping your home organized and tidy and a good habit to get into.”

How to Keep Your Mattress Clean

While airing out your bedding every morning will help you avoid excess moisture buildup, there are a few other tactics you can try as well. “To keep the mattress and pillows clean and dampness free, I recommend using pillow liners and mattress pads for extra protection,” says Forté. “Some are even moisture-resistant.”

Regardless of how you make your bed or the type of bedding you use, you should still clean your mattress regularly. That means using the upholstery tool on your vacuum cleaner to remove any dust, steaming it with a garment steamer to kill dust mites, and spot-cleaning stains throughout.