Things we love: sleeping in clean sheets.
Things we hate: washing our bedsheets.
Ah, the irony. This begs the question – just how often should we be changing our bedsheets? While it’ll be a dream for most to stretch bedsheet day to once per month or even longer, keeping your bed clean is just as important as your personal hygiene.
You spend so much time in bed, so it’s only natural that your sheets fall victim to your sweat, oils, dead skin, dust mites (we’re talking carcasses and faeces) and all other nasties of varying degrees of “ew”. If you keep your body clean by bathing and your clothes clean by doing laundry, shouldn’t you be placing the same importance on the fabrics you roll and roll around in for so many hours a day?
Dirty bed sheets can trigger skin allergies or conditions such as eczema, or the ever-dreaded acne breakout. The dirt and dust trapped in those musty sheets can also be a cause of concern for asthmatic individuals, or those suffering from sinus maladies or allergies. Having clean sheets not only feel super comfortable, but they’re also great for your health and give you an unparalleled quality of sleep.
So then… How often should you wash your sheets, ideally? A good rule of thumb is once per week, but if your bed is subject to more abuse i.e. pets on the bed, you’ll want to take extra caution to make sure there’s no dirt or fur buildup, and can even change your sheets every 3-4 days. If you tend to sweat a fair amount in your sleep, it’s recommended that you change your sheets more regularly too. It’s also worth a try for sufferers of chronic conditions like allergies, sinus or skin flare ups and asthma to start changing their sheets more regularly. It’s quite common to be unknowingly triggered by or reacting to the dust and dirt accumulated in your unassuming, cosy bed sheets.
Let us know in the comments below how often you change your sheets, and if that wash cycle works for you!
