Health Tips

Do You Wash Your Bedsheet Often Enough?

Someone once told me that he would wash his bedsheet once in a few months. And as if that’s not already bogging enough, he added that washing bed sheets are not something that he should be doing necessarily. 

If you don’t think that’s yucky enough, then this whole article might just be written for you.

What could possibly accumulate on your unwashed bedsheet?

You probably guessed it. Dead skin cells. 

“According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), humans shed between 30,000 and 40,000 skin cells every single day.”

Sure that’s pretty impressive, but that’s not the only thing you should really be worried about. 

Basically, where skin cells lead, dust mites will follow. 

When you lie in bed, these eight-legged critters feast on your dead skin cells like an all-you-can-eat buffet. 

About 100,000 to 10 million of these tiny critters use your bed as their feeding ground and dumping area. In fact, by the time you’ve decided to change your pillow sheet, up to 10% of its total weight would be contributed by the remains of their fecal matter. 

Are you grossed out yet?

Then there’s the amount of moisture you exude all over sheets as you sleep. We’re talking sweat, drools, body oils, period stains and bodily fluids from sexual activities.

If you’re down with something contagious like cold, or chickenpox, all those germs would definitely be hanging out on your bed, too.

What happens if you don’t wash/change your linens enough?

According to Whitney Bowe, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, author of The Beauty of Dirty Skin and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, 

“If you don’t wash your sheets often enough, all the bacteria they amass can disrupt your skin’s ecosystem. This important balance of microorganisms is also known as your skin microbiome.”

For some people with more sensitive skin, changes in skin microbiome can lead to issues such as eczema and acne.

Then there’s the dust mite factor. Since dust mites are common allergens, sleeping on a dust-mite-infected bed can trigger allergy symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing or even asthma flare-up.

How often should you wash your bedsheet then?

The simple answer to how often you should wash/change your sheets is: it depends.

But generally, most experts recommend weekly washings because it’s frequent enough to avoid building up levels of contamination you really need to worry about.

That’s just a general number, though. There are numerous other factors that determine if you should wash your sheets more often than once a week based on your lifestyle. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do you shower before bed?

• Do you wear pajamas to bed?

• Do any pets sleep with you?

• Do you have dust or pollen allergies?

• Do you sweat a lot?

• Do you move a lot in your sleep?

• Do you often drool all over your pillowcase every night?

• Do you have skin issues such as acne or eczema?

• Do you or your partner have a contagious illness?

You may be able to get away with washing your linens once every to weeks if you’ve had a busy schedule, or if you don’t sleep in your bed every night. However, if your answer to most of the questions is “Yes” then you really should consider laundering your sheets at least once a week.

So for those of you who are not keen on washing your linens every now and then, it’s not to say that this particular habit will guarantee that you’ll get sick. But it’s still smart to wash them often, just in case.

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References:

1. Toscano, J. (2019). Here’s How Often You Should Really Be Washing Your Sheets. [online] SELF. Available at: https://www.self.com/story/how-often-to-wash-sheets.

2. The Sleep Advisor. (2019). How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets - Do You Follow This Rule?. [online] Available at: https://www.sleepadvisor.org/how-often-should-you-wash-your-sheets/.

Image credits:

1. https://i.huffpost.com/gen/2811536/original.jpg

2. https://www.thespruce.com/thmb/SLt79Td7Z7-br478Jaig0v_FBXk=/400x300/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-545865977-5bf2e62746e0fb0026b3134e.jpg

3. https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/43fe124d0a1a7b2c0eff7e1c9830d3c2

4. https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/04/c1/4b/4f/dirty-bed-sheets-at-springhill.jpg

5. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/House_dust_mites_%285247397771%29.jpg

6. https://pestbugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dust-mite-allergy-rash-symptoms-treatment.jpg

7. https://www.thesleepjudge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/bedding-care-washing-blanket-and-beesheets.jpg

8. https://www.sobelathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/bigstock-Female-hands-getting-out-clean-169510856.jpg

Written by

Dr. Jeanrette J. Nierras