Putting new sheets on the bed can seem an arduous task - unless there are visible marks on the bed why wash them? Well a doctor has warned bed sheets can harbour bacteria, fungus, dust mites, dead skin cells and even faecal matter, so require washing much more often than you think.
US-based doctor Dr Poonam Desai revealed how those things end up in our bed on her TikTok channel. Addressing her 23,000 followers, she said: "Yes, faecal matter, especially if you're sleeping naked, if you're sleeping with pets, if you're sleeping with your toddlers or if you're doing, you know, other things in your bed, you can get faecal matter on your bed sheets.
She added: "The faecal bacteria in your faecal matter can grow and all these dust mites and dead skin and faecal matter and bacteria and funguses can lead to exacerbation of asthma, eczema, can lead to skin rashes and even infection."
Dr Desai said a study was done that showed some single men don't wash their bed sheets for at least four months.
So how frequently should you wash your bed sheets? The answer is once a week, said Dr Desai.
She also advised "Make sure that you don't forget about your pillowcase covers, your duvet covers your comforters, your comforter covers, those are important too."
Dr Desai's advice opened up a big debate. One TikTok user commented: "Every two weeks, who has time to wash them every week? All I would be doing on my weekends is laundry."
Another said: "At least once a week. Once in a while twice a week if I've been in the sheets a lot I like fresh sheets."
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One user claimed: "Once a year." While this may seem a rare case, a survey published in 2020 found a third of people only wash their bed sheets once a year.
The research, conducted by Hammonds Furniture, was based on a survey of 2,000 participants.
One in three (30 percent) admitted to washing their bedding just once a year.
The gross habit didn't stop at bedsheets - 36 percent of Britons said they only wash blankets once a year, and 28 percent admitted to only washing jeans annually.
Winter garments like scarves, gloves and hats were also rarely washed, even though gloves can pick up germs easily.
But people were found to be cleaner when it came to towels - 40 percent of people washed these after each use, with 45 percent ensuring they are washed after five uses.
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