A Warm Welcome For Bed Bugs
– 1.7 million British men wait more than a month before washing their bed sheets(1) –
Tuesday 15th November 2011: New research out today reveals that more than one in ten Brits (13 per cent) sleep in bedding that has not been washed for over a month, while a quarter (27 per cent) sleep on mattresses that are more than ten years old.
The annual Bed Bug Audit(2), conducted by Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, found that 29 per cent of Brits have cut back on washing their bedding due to lack of time while 17 per cent delay washing their dirty laundry to cut costs. Men are the worst culprits, with 1.7 million waiting over a month before washing their bed linen.
With forecasters predicting temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius this winter(3), British bedrooms could become the perfect breeding ground for bed bugs, which take refuge in the warmth of mattresses, pillows and sheets to feed. To add to the cosy conditions, over half of Brits (56 per cent) said they will use extra blankets to keep warm this winter, while 31 per cent will opt for a hot water bottle.
Almost a fifth of Brits surveyed (19 per cent) said they were more likely now than last year to buy second hand furniture, which is a leading source of infestation as a pre-owned mattress alone can contain up to 10 million bed bugs(4).
Some 16 per cent of British men put in an average of 30 days sheet use before washing their bedding while four per cent admitted to not washing their bedding in over two months. Nine per cent of men confessed that they did not think washing the bed was important with over a third (35 per cent) confessing they put off washing due to sheer laziness.
This is all the more worrying as bed bugs are not the only ones enjoying a bite in bed - 46 per cent of Brits said that they had eaten a meal in bed. Nine per cent admit they regularly eat breakfast in bed, while one in ten (ten per cent) even said that they eat their evening meal there.
The Bed Bug Audit also revealed that 26 per cent of Brits polled had no idea how bed bugs spread and a quarter (25 per cent) said they were unaware of any measures to counter them, such as leaving sheets exposed during the day or regularly vacuuming all areas of the room – including the seams of the mattress.
Jacky Brown at Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance comments: “We spend so much time in our beds that it is astounding so many Brits and particularly bug busting men - do not keep them clean. Simple measures like avoiding eating in bed, leaving the sheets exposed during the day and washing them regularly can help avoid an infestation
“Bed bugs in the home can be an extremely unpleasant experience so it is important that homeowners have a way to deal quickly with an infestation such as our pest cover(5) otherwise the upcoming cold spell could provide a nasty wake-up call.”
Regional Differences
It seems those in Yorkshire have the cleanest bed sheets with the average person washing their bedding more than three times every month. Londoners seems to be the worst when it comes to keeping their linen clean with over half (51 per cent) of Londoners surveyed admitting to putting off washing bedding when they are feeling lazy. 18 per cent of Scots put off washing to cut costs.
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For further information please contact the Sheilas’ Wheels press office at Mischief on 020 3128 6600 or email sheilaswheels@mischiefpr.com
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Notes to Editors:
(1) 1,680,840 (seven per cent). Source: Office of National Statistics. Total UK adult male (over 18s) population is 24,012,000.
(2) Sheilas’ Wheels used the independent online research company Fly Research who surveyed 1,031 Brits from across the UK, aged 18 and over, between 1st November and 3rd November 2011. The ‘Bed Bug Audit’ is the name given to this research by Sheilas’ Wheels.
(3) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2056424/After-glorious-autumn--Britain-prepares-Siberian-freeze-just-weeks.html
(4) http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php
(5) Sheilas’ Wheels pest insurance covers the removal of grey squirrels, wasps, hornets’ nests. Rats and mice infestations. It is available as an ‘add-on’ to anyone with a Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance policy (either buildings or contents). As from 27th November all Sheilas’ Wheels new business customers purchasing pest cover will now be covered for the treatment/extermination of bed bugs in one infested area in the event of an emergency.
