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The summer heat means more sweating during sleep. In winter, sickness means a breeding ground for bacteria in your bed. When was the last time you washed your bed sheets?
Considering humans usually spend about one-third of their lifetime snuggled up and asleep in bed, it stands to reason that our sheets, pillows and duvets are probably a whole lot filthier than we imagine. So according to the experts, how often should you wash your bed sheets?
A 2022 study from the Sleep Foundation found that the average person in the UK changes their sheets once every fortnight (around 36% of people surveyed). Sheet hygiene was also dependent on age, with 18- 24 year olds more likely to wait a few weeks (26% wait at least a month) before popping their bed linen in the wash.
According to New York University microbiologist Philip Tierno, leaving your sheets too long in between washes can turn them into a “botanical park of bacteria”. In an interview with Business Insider, Tierno recommends washing your sheets at least once a week.
“Humans naturally produce roughly 26 gallons of sweat in bed every year. When it’s hot and humid outside, this moisture becomes what scientists call an “ideal fungal culture medium.”
When should washing sheets be done more often?
If there are external factors, such as sickness or change in weather conditions, then washing your sheets should be done more frequently as well.
If you’ve been sick with a virus or infection, it’s recommended to change your sheets as soon as you start to recover. This ensures that you aren’t rolling around in your own ‘sickness’ germs, which can be detrimental to building your immune system back up.
During the summer months, when you are prone to sweating more often during the day as well as when sleeping, washing your sheets should be done (at the very least!) every two weeks. Similarly, if you suffer from night sweats, it’s better to wash your sheets a little more often than once a week, up to once every 4-5 days.
A pillowcase should be changed every 2 days according to Koala Product Manager Stephanie Roberts-Baxter. A study from Amerisleep found that even after a week of washing, the average pillowcase still has over 170000% the number of bacteria as a toilet seat.
What do the BHG readers think?
A question on the Better Homes and Gardens Facebook page sparked lots of conversation on this topic. While 67% of BHG readers agree that washing sheets should be done regularly, some mentioned fortnightly and even monthly wash schedules.
Many people commented that it really depends on the weather and other factors, like whether you shower before bed or if you’ve been sick within that week. 10% of answers said that summer means more frequent washing (weekly or twice-weekly), and in winter, the cadence lowers.
Overall, it seems that washing your sheets is definitely down to personal preference. Whether it’s weekly, fortnightly or once a month, at least you’re not like the 10% of men that don’t know how often they do!
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