I was recently sucked into a Self Magazine article, Here’s How Often You Should Really Be Washing Your Sheets. On one hand I was very curious, but on the other I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know the answer. My curiosity got the better of me—thanks a lot internet.
I am not going to drag this out. We are busy moms and usually just want an answer up front, so here it is: You should be washing your sheets at least once a week.
Now let’s discuss this magic number.
Skin Cells + Dust Mites
Humans shed between 30,000 and 40,000 skin cells every day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guess what likes to feast on these. Dust mites. These microscopic monsters find unwashed bedding the perfect place to eat, live and multiply.
Moisture
Sweat, drool, skin oils, face lotion, you name it, that is all over your pillow. And for more unappetizing information: “If you sleep naked, you may even be adding tiny bits of dried fecal matter to the mix, microbiologist Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., a professor and vice chairman of microbiology and immunology at The Medical University of South Carolina. So, if you don’t wash your sheets for an extended period of time, it’s kind of like you’re sleeping in a cesspool of your own making.” (SELF)
Husband + Kids + Pets
Now if you have a significant other, kids or pets that also like to climb up in your bed, you are also sharing their dead skin cells, hair, drool and oils etc. Anyone else feel like they are sleeping in a total germ pool at the moment?
As our boys have become bigger and messier, I have instated the “no outside clothes in our bed” rule. If they have worn those clothes outside to play, to school or really anywhere besides the house, I prefer that they don’t use our bed to make their latest fort or as a “Hide and Seek” hiding spot. Simply put, I don’t want dirty stinky feet and outside germs all over our bedding.
The Nitty Gritty
- Do dirty sheets make you sick? Not really.
- Can they cause acne or inflame eczema? They could.
- Will they make your allergies act up? Dust mites are a very common allergen.
If you are sitting there trying to remember the last time you washed your sheets, don’t fret. According to Good to Know (UK), “A recent YouGov poll, one in 20 of us wash our sheets only every four weeks, and more than a third wait 14 days.”
Alright moms and dads, confession time, how often do you wash your sheets?
Love this! I TRY to wash my sheets once a week but it does not always happen… but man clean fresh sheets are the best!
I am with you on the once a week thing, I try but it doesn’t always happen. The smell of fresh sheets though is one of the best things in the world! 🙂