Mum discovers secret dirt hiding in clean doona

A woman shared the “shocking” find she made inside her “clean” bed linen – and chances are your doona is hiding the same.

A mum has made a stomach-churning discovery in her bed covers, and it’s enough to give you nightmares.

NSW-based Sara, who has asked to withhold her surname as she’s too “embarrassed” by her find told news.com.au she decided to clean her patterned doona after seeing people raving about a technique to clean your covers without damaging them online.

But when she completed the “strip wash”, which involves soaking items in boiling hot water for several hours, she was “embarrassed” by how filthy her sleeping partner was.

“I usually wash my doona in the machine about once a month, so decided to try this method this month,” she said.

“Within half an hour of it soaking I could see how dirty the water was and I was horrified and embarrassed. It was really gross.”

As a result, Sara decided to share her shocking discovery online, writing in the Mums Who Clean Facebook group.

A mum who regularly washes her doona in the machine decided to do a ‘strip wash’ and was shocked with the results. Picture: Supplied/Sara

The method involves soaking her covers in the tub. Picture: Supplied/Sara

RELATED: ‘Gross’ fact about your washing machine

RELATED: Aussies are going nuts for this $5 cleaning hack

“I’m totally grossed out but have to share,” she wrote.

“I decided to strip soak/wash … my doona. Yes I regularly wash it and I’m shocked at how dirty it was.

“The fact I sleep under it has totally made me sick … I didn’t want to post but my sister Kirsty told me to … please be nice.”

Alongside it she shared three photos, one of her clean bathtub before she soaked her bed cover in it, one during the big clean and another one after she removed the doona.

And it’s this third photo that has left people feeling queasy.

The bath was left with filthy water. Picture: Supplied/Sara

And a heap of dirt was left behind that was previously inside the cover. Picture: Supplied/Sara

The once fresh and sudsy water has been left nearly black, shocking the 17,000 members of the cleaning group.

“I’m cringing because I haven’t washed mine,” one said.

“Wow! I’ll have to strip mine now – eek,” another wrote.

“It’s shocking how much dirt still comes out after it gets washed,” one person commented.

Others praised the efforts, describing it as “satisfying” to get the doona so clean.

“Bet you feel better knowing it’s clean now,” one said.

“It’s so satisfying seeing the dirt come out,” another wrote.

She hung the doona out to dry. Picture: Supplied/Sara Campbell

Others have shared their shock at the dirt hiding inside the doona. Picture: Supplied/Sara Campbell

“Go girl! Bet you feel heaps better now, and will sleep more soundly,” one mum wrote.

“The reaction has been good I didn’t want to post it cause I was so embarrassed at how dirty it was,” Sara told news.com.au.

“A lot of people have said they had the same thing happen so I felt better.”

On average, there are around 10 million dust mites living inside your bed, including in the mattress, doona, pillows and linen.

A study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) found that people who wash their bedding and sheets regularly reported a 19 per cent better rest at night than those who neglected their bedroom hygiene.

The dedicated sleep organisation recommend washing your bedding regularly, at least once per week.

Continue the conversation @RebekahScanlan | [e-mail]