These are the 10 biggest icks in the bedroom

Yes, yellow pillows made the list

A well-kept bedroom reflects your self-respect and readiness for romance. Image: iStock

From dirty piles of laundry to pets that sleep under the covers, these are the biggest turn-offs - and turn-ons - of Australian singles, according to new research. 

If you’ve been recently dating you know there are some hallmarks of single Aussie men. It might be a mattress on the floor. Pizza boxes by the bedside. Or even the infamous ‘yellow pillow’, the TikTok-famous trend. 

For the uninitiated a yellow pillow is one so old, peel its pillowcase back and it’s yellow inside, harbouring sweat and oil stains, and god knows what else.

If this description has given you a visceral reaction, you’re in good company. Turns out, when it comes to icks in the bedroom, single Aussies agree on a laundry list of items.

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So in a dating culture where icks have exploded, what exactly are they? 

“Made famous by pop culture and TikTok, an ‘ick’ is where initial attraction to a current or potential romantic partner suddenly changes to a feeling of disgust. Icks can be physical, emotional or values-led and they can be something as simple as a potential partner’s choice in footwear, or as deep as their political beliefs,” Bumble’s resident sexologist Chantelle Otten tells Body+Soul. 

“The opposite of an ick, is a tick. Think of this like a behaviour that highlights a green flag in dating.” 

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Bumble partnered with bedding brand I Love Linen, releasing research revealing singles' top 10 bedroom icks and ticks. 

The list found the yellow pillow came in second place, with 70 per cent of single Australian women confirming it’s a major turn-off in the bedroom. This was just behind the 77 per cent of women who see stains on the bedding as a deal-breaker. No surprises that lube on the bedside, kid's bedding and piles of dirty clothes also made the list. 

When it comes to icks in the bedroom, singles agree on a laundry list of items. Image: Pexels

And turns out, there’s merit to the saying, tidy room, tidy mind, with 85 per cent of singles finding a correlation between their bedroom cleanliness and positive mental health. 

As Otten explains, a clean, well-kept bedroom not only contributes positively to your mental health but also reflects your self-respect and readiness for romance. 

“The state of your bedroom plays a significant role in your love life, particularly for singles,” says Otten. 

“Embracing a fresh, inviting bedroom environment, free from 'yellow pillows' and clutter, can significantly enhance your confidence and openness to new relationships.”

As for whether icks are permanent or something you can move past, Otten has this advice. 

“Sometimes you can’t, especially if they come down to a conflict in core values and if this is the case, you don’t need to. However, most icks are subjective and if you really like someone, it is possible to look beyond them. Think about whether your haste to write a potential partner off because of an ick is revealing a pattern of self-sabotaging behaviour. You might be letting someone great pass you by because of something small and in the big scheme of things, not really a big deal,” she says. 

Remnants of food or drink by the bed is a big ick for many. Image: Getty

The top 10 bedroom icks

1. Stains on the bedding 
2. Yellow Pillow 
3. Remnants of food or drink by the bed 
4. Piles of dirty clothes on/near the bed 
5. Mirror on the ceiling 
6. No bed frame/mattress on the floor 
7. Empty cups nearby 
8. Lube on the bedside table 
9. Pets that sleep under the covers 
10. Kids bedding 

The top 10 bedroom ticks

1. Tidy room 
2. The smell of fresh sheets 
3. Having a made bed 
4. Having a fan or air conditioning 
5. Soft lighting 
6. Stylish bedding 
7. Artwork
8. Folded laundry 
9. Linen bedding 
10. Music playing

Originally published as These are the 10 biggest icks in the bedroom