SEMAINE DE POKO: 7 bad habits that turn your home into a germ nest

While making your bed is often seen as a sign of a tidy home, a French infectious disease specialist suggests it might be detrimental to hygiene. Dr. Stéphane Gayet explains that the warmth and moisture trapped under the covers after sleeping provide a perfect breeding ground for dust mites, bed bugs, and fungi. Instead of immediately tidying up, he recommends leaving the bed open and airing out the bedroom for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This simple change, he argues, can significantly improve the cleanliness of your bedding. The article also touches on other seemingly innocuous habits that can impact home hygiene, such as flushing the toilet with the lid up, which can disperse fecal bacteria into the air, and not removing shoes indoors, a common practice in many Asian and European countries that helps prevent tracking dirt and germs into the home. Leaving wet clothes in the washing machine is also flagged as a practice that can lead to unpleasant odors and hygiene issues.

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By trapping them under the duvet upon waking, in an environment at body temperature, with residues of sweat and dead skin, we give them something to feed on and develop better.