Messy is healthy

If you leave your bed unmade in the morning, it doesn't mean you're lazy, it actually means that you take care of your health, according to a study conducted by Kingston University.

House dust mites, believed to cause asthma and other allergies, don't like the dry environment of an unmade bed, scientists say.

"We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body. Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die.", according to Dr Stephen Pretlove.

"Our findings could help building designers create healthy homes and healthcare workers point out environments most at risk from mites.", Dr Pretlove added, mentioning that the research had the potential to reduce the £700m spent treating mite-induced illnesses each year in the UK.

According to Dr Matt Hallsworth, of the charity Asthma UK, “House-dust mite allergen can be an important trigger for many people with asthma, but is notoriously difficult to avoid."

"However, most homes in the UK are sufficiently humid for the mites to do well and I find it hard to believe that simply not making your bed would have any impact on the overall humidity." said Professor Andrew Wardlaw, of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology.