How Often Should I Change My Bed Sheets
Most people spend more than a third of their lives in bed. Bed sheets get dirty from body oils, fluids, and dirt. Sheets can quickly develop into a botanical park of bacteria, dust mites, and fungus. These become problematic when users have open wounds or sensitive skin. One should clean bed sheets frequently. For those who have skin conditions, the pillowcase may even require higher cleaning frequently. The answer to how often you should change bed sheets is straightforward, but you should also consider a few things.
How Often to Change Bed Sheets
Most people do not wash their bed sheets often enough. A recent survey shows less than 50 percent of users wash their sheets once or twice per month. How often should you wash your sheets? There are a few factors to consider.
Factors to Consider
- Pajama: Does the user wear pajamas or sleep naked in bed? Without pajama or thorough cleaning before bedtime, you could share your bed with foreign microbes. These include animal dander, pollen, soil, lint, dust mite debris, and feces. Furthermore, pajamas protect the bed sheets from your sweat, sputum, dead skin cells, and vaginal and anal excretions.
- Sweaty Sleeper – Does the sleeper perspire during their sleep? Humans produce approximately 26 gallons of sweat in bed every year. When the weather gets hot and humid, this combination becomes what scientists call “an ideal fungal culture medium.” Consequently, heavy sweaters need to change sheets more often for obvious reasons.
- Showering Before Bed: Does the sleeper bath or shower before they get into bed? A clean body minimizes body soil on the sheets.
- Health: People with cold, flu, virus, or other health condition should consider having sheets changed daily. Sensitive users with conditions such as allergies or asthma will also benefit from daily changes.
- Habits in Bed: Users who eat, read, study are likely to get the sheets dirty quicker. Users who allow pets in the bed also fall in the same category.
Two-Week Frequency
In general, for a person that showers daily, wears pajamas, and uses the bed only to sleep, he or she should change sheets every week, or no more than every other week.
If a person wakes up with a stuffy nose, it could be the sheets. Dust mites that are fed on skin cells are allergy triggers. Unclean bedding exposes users to materials that can trigger sniffing and sneezing since the microbes are so close to their mouth and nose that they are almost forced to breathe them in. One to two weeks of this type of buildup can give people scratchy throat — especially those with significant allergies or asthma. In fact, this can even affect those who don’t have allergies. They can have an allergic response. Morning stuffy nose and scratchy throat may be signs that you should wash your sheets more often.
Effects from Dirty Sheets
With a busy schedule, it is quite possible that users do not wash the sheets frequently enough. The risk from dirty sheets is the increased exposures to the dust mites, bacteria, fungi, pollen, and everything you touch directly and indirectly. Other than the visible stains and odor, these may not necessarily make you sick. However, for sensitive people, prolonged time in dirty bedsheets can trigger eczema or cause contact dermatitis. More than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies each year. If you are in this group, dirty bed sheets can cause a stuffy nose and sneezing. The study also shows that infections can be transmitted through soiled sheets.
Washing Bed Sheets
Most bed sheets have fabric care labels attached to them. The label lists fiber content. It also provides instructions on how to wash them. These instructions typically include water temperature, the use of bleach and washing machine. Follow the instructions to wash and dry the bed sheets. For additional resources and tips, see our articles on how to wash bed sheets.
Clean the Pillows
It is likely that you clean pillowcases when you wash the bed sheets. However, do you wash your pillows? Pillowcases don’t really protect the pillows as well as you think. Most likely, you do not clean the pillows as often as you should. The pillowcases do not shield from sweat, dust, and skin cells. Consequently, pillows get soiled. In a study that assessed the level of fungal contamination in bedding, researchers found that a test sample of feather and synthetic pillows that were 1 1/2 to 20 years old contained as many as 16 species of fungus.
It is recommended that pillows are washing every six months. The frequency increases if the uses have an allergy or are sick. As there are various pillow fillers, follow the instructions on the care label, and clean the pillows. Besides, consider using protective covers on the pillows to shield them from unwanted debris.
Wash Other Bedding
Owners should also wash other bed linens such as blankets and duvets every week or two. Regular cleaning can allow duvets to last as long as 15 to 20 years.
Keeping Sheets Clean Between Washes
Between the washes, you can upkeep your sheets using the following methods.
- Bath or shower before bedtime
- Remove makeup before going to bed
- Minimize putting on lotions, creams, or oils right before bed
- Do not eat or drink in bed
- Keep your pets off your bed
- Remove soiled clothes and socks before going to bed
- Use clean pajamas in bed
Summary
With our busy schedule and hectic life, washing bed sheets is an unwelcome chore. However, a little effort every other week will bring comfort and health to the users. Moreover, proper care enables fine sheets to last from five to ten years, thus maximizing your investment.
It is a good idea to have another set of sheets to swap out when you wash your sheets. This enables you to wash the soiled sheets at your convenience. Check out our article for tips on choosing the best bed sheets and best bed sheets for adjustable bed for you. Furthermore, our ‘Bedding Allergy‘, ‘Down Comforter Allergies‘, and ‘Best Bedding for Acne‘ articles may be helpful if you have allergy or acne symptoms.
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