On making the bed

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My grandparents, two of the Greatest Generation, have accumulated a museum's worth of antiques and collectibles in their lifetime. Their collections are impressive, and they own many beautiful, historical pieces. As a book-lover, I was always intrigued by all of their old books. I think they still have every text book they ever used in school.

Once, as I was perusing the old books, I came across my grandmother's home economics text book (possibly this one). What a fascinating piece of literature! Of all things, the detail that stuck in my brain from reading that book was about bed-making. Since it's been fifteen years (or more!) since I read it, I can't give a direct quote; however, in a nutshell it stated that bedding should be aired out for several hours before the bed is made each day. It specifically said that the homemaker should wait until the afternoon to make the beds! This was to allow the bedding to "breathe" and refresh, which is more healthful, according to the text!

I was taught from an early age to make my bed first thing in the morning, so this advice (out of a home ec text book, no less!) struck me as… strange! That's probably why I still remember it so vividly. My mom hated to see an unmade bed, so I made my bed to please her when I lived at home. Fast-forward to now, when making the bed feels like a monumental accomplishment (which does not occur on a daily basis, although I'm getting better lately). I like the bed to be made. It seems like it makes the room itself look less cluttered, and when it is bedtime, the bed seems so much more inviting when it is attractively made.

Any time that I do not get the bed made before bedtime, however, I comfort myself that I have let my bed "air out" that day, which means that my sleeping environment is more healthful. So, if you forget to make your bed, take heart. You're simply following the textbook homemaking guidelines!