Why You Should Be Washing Your Sheets At Least Once A Week
April 23, 2020
source: The Sleep Advisor / Unsplash
Let’s be honest here for a minute – how often do you really wash your sheets? Is it part of your weekly chores routine? Or is stripping and washing your sheets lower on the priority list? If you only wash your sheets when it feels like it’s been a while, you’re going to want to keep reading. Experts suggest washing your sheets at least once a week – and the research behind why is pretty alarming.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the average person sheds between 30,000 and 40,000 skin cells every day. Most of us spend an average of eight hours in our beds each night, so I don’t have to tell you where a lot of those skin cells end up. The more dead skin cells present, the higher the likelihood that microscopic dust mites will be in your sheets feeding on them. Pretty disgusting, right?
To make things even more gross, you’re also throwing your bodily fluids into the mix. Our sheets absorb sweat, oil, drool, sexual fluids, and even something more repulsive. Michael Schmidt, microbiologist, PhD professor, and vice chairman of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina explains to Self magazine that if you sleep naked, you might even be adding tiny bits of dried fecal matter to your sheets.
And, that’s for one person alone. If you share your bed with someone, the same applies to all of their bodily fluids. Oh, and do your pets hangout in your bed? You have to consider the skin cells, hair, oil, dirt, and fluids that they emit, too. And while sleeping among all of this grossness may not cause severe health problems, it can cause some undesirable effects.
The more bacteria your skin is exposed to, the higher the likelihood of experiencing acne or other skin issues. If you have eczema or sensitive skin, this bacteria could cause additional skin inflammation. Oh, and let’s not forget about those dust mites. Dust mites are a common allergen, and can cause itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, and general discomfort while you’re trying to sleep.
As a general rule of thumb, experts recommend washing your sheets at least once a week to prevent an accumulation of dead skin cells and bacteria. Wearing pajamas to bed, showering before you hit the hay, and keeping pets out of your bed are all additional ways to lessen the bacteria ending up in your sheets. Now that you know this unpleasant but important information, I’m willing to bet you’ll be washing your sheets a whole lot more!