Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe SYDNEY, March 3 (UPI) -- Australians are inviting dust mites into their beds by not changing their linen often enough, a survey has revealed. One-third of those surveyed by advertising agency Patterson Partners Adcafe said they changed their bed sheets only once in two weeks, The Australian reported Thursday. Advertisement More than 8 percent of the 1,100 people surveyed said they changed their linen only once a month. Bedding is a haven for dust mites, the article pointed out, as they can feed and breed on a single gram of dust. Household bugs also exacerbate such conditions as allergies, asthma and hay fever. The only way to kill the unwanted bedfellows is to wash sheets in hot water, or use a product containing tea tree or eucalyptus in cold water, once a week, said Dr. Sheryl Van Nunen, head of the Department of Allergy at Royal North Shore Hospital. The survey revealed that men tended to change their bed sheets more frequently than women, and also kept their pillows for a shorter time period.
