If protecting your mattress investment or keeping your sheets on the bed isn't enough reason to incorporate a mattress pad into your bed ensemble then maybe the Ugly Reason will present more clarity in your decision. Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart), respectively, The North American Dust Mite and the European House Dust Mite.
These microscopic bug-like creatures feed on human skin cells and scales (often referred to as dander) and prefer the warm moist climate of a nice plush mattress. Beds are the prime habitat but pillows, upholstered furniture, carpets, stuffed animals; bed coverings, clothing; fabric and fabric-covered items will do for new colony development.
A used mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside. Body parts and feces from dust mites can contribute up to 10% of a two year old pillows weight; imagine the population and feces in a mattress that you can't wash? One Square yard of carpet can be a feasting ground for over a 100,000 mites not to mention their by products from ingesting your skin flakes and scales.
Dust mite carcasses, body parts and feces can trigger asthma in individuals with allergic reactions to dust mites, and exposure to dust mites can cause asthma in children who have not previously exhibited asthma symptoms, not to mention the bacteria that one is being exposed to. A typical dust mite produces up to 20 waste excretions per day.
The droppings contain a type of protein to which many people are allergic. Proteins in the combined mixture of feces, carcasses and skin are what cause most allergic reactions in humans with symptoms as mild as itchy eyes or skin to asthma attacks. Luckily, unlike other types of mites, house dust mites are not parasites, they only eat dead tissue.
So, Why Mattress and Crib Pads?
There is nothing one can do to stop from shedding or fluffing off skin; it is a natural human rejuvenating function just as there is little one can do to rid dust mites from our lives. When you use a mattress pad you are fluffing onto a washable surface and protecting your mattress from being a 5 star mite resort, which in turn protects you from the proteins that cause the allergic and asthmatic reactions.
With that said, and a tad off the subject of why to use mattress pads, don't you just want to launder you sheets? The next time you lay your baby on the carpet won't you consider a fresh clean Fleece between baby and carpet? For the quality plush comforter or quilt that embellishes your bed, won't you consider using a top and bottom sheet to keep your fluff in a somewhat controlled space?
