According to a National Sleep Foundation survey, 62% of people wash their sheets at least once a week. If you’re one of them, pat yourself on the back next time you lie down on your nice, clean bed.
And if you’re part of the 38% of Americans who don’t wash their sheets that frequently? Well, maybe it’s time to step up your game. We don’t think you’ll need much convincing, after you read this.
That’s because we asked a scientist why you should change your sheets every week—and what happens every day that you don’t. And trust us: The answers are truly disgusting.
Doing laundry never looked so good.
What’s under your covers?
If you’ve just returned from the beach, it’s common sense to shower before you climb into bed. Otherwise you’ll be rolling around in a scratchy pile of sand all night. But generally speaking, dirt and debris are the least of your concerns when it comes to your sheets.
What should cause more alarm is all the other gunk that rubs off on your sheets every time you crawl under the covers.
“Body oils, sweat, and sloughed-off skin,” lists Bill Carroll Jr., an adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University. “The world looks pretty scary through a microscope.”
In fact, we humans slough off about one-fifth of an ounce of skin cells every week. You know all the “dust” you see dreamily wafting through the air in a sunbeam? About 80% of that is skin flakes.
“And to a dust mite, (those) skin cells are Scooby snacks,” Carroll says.
You can’t see a 0.5 millimeter dust mite with your naked eye. But put your sheets under a microscope and you may be treated to an army of eight-legged creatures that look like a cross between a crab and Jabba the Hut.
As many as 500 dust mites live in a single gram of dust. Now imagine them feasting on your dead skin while you sleep—night after night after night.
“The point of washing,” explains Carroll, “is to return your sheets to their normal state.” “Normal” being “dust mite–free.”
There are germs, too
“We live in a world of pathogens, and not all are virulent enough to take us down,” Carroll says. “But can bedclothes spread disease? Kind of.”
If you’re sleeping in bed and actually sick—particularly from a highly contagious gastrointestinal bug—“those things can be carried forward,” he says.
There’s a reason hospitals meticulously wash sheets between patients.
The ‘best’ way to wash your sheets
To get rid of the nastiness—or at least keep it at bay—Carroll advises washing your sheets at least once a week.
When you do, resist the urge to stuff your washer to the brim. While you may think that doing so saves you time and water, “all the germs coming off in the water could go right back onto your sheets,” Carroll says.
To get sheets genuinely clean, you need to wash them in small loads in lots of water. You also need that water temp to be as hot as your sheets will withstand. (Check the manufacturer’s guidelines.)
“Hot water’s the surest way to eliminate pathogens,” Carroll says.
If the coloring can take it, consider also sanitizing them with oxygen bleach, suggests Leslie Reichert, cleaning coach and author of “The Joy of Green Cleaning.”
Chlorine bleach works, too, but “it does have a fume that lingers and isn’t something you want to be breathing in all night,” she says.
Don’t have the time to wash your sheets that frequently?
“Have at least two sets of sheets so you have a week to get them cleaned, dried, and folded,” Reichert suggests.
Do these things in between weekly washes
Do your best to keep your bed clean and dry so that it’s a little less hospitable to bacterial Armageddon.
That means no shoes on the bed. No taking a nap after your sweat-drenching spin class. And you might want to think carefully before you let your dog jump into bed with you.
You should also revamp your daily bed-making routine. Each morning before you do so, “pull all the covers down from the fitted sheet and let them air-dry for a few minutes,” Reichert says. “This lets the sweat and moisture evaporate rather than capturing it inside your sheets.” (Because, gross.)
To make this process easier, you can invest in sheets that promise to wick away extra heat and moisture. For instance, Bedgear bedding uses the same technology that firefighters do to keep cool amid a blaze.
“Keeping your sheets dry will definitely work against culturing biology,” Carroll says. But just remember that it can’t prevent the sloughing off of dead skin and body oils. Those will need to be washed out.
Each time you change your sheets, vacuum the mattress to remove any dust mites and allergens that have accumulated. You can also lightly spray it with hydrogen peroxide to remove any smells, or sprinkle on some baking soda.
Blankets, comforters, and pillows
Fortunately, blankets and comforters don’t need to be washed every week—once a season should do the trick. If you’re feeling icky about it, though, Reichert suggests simply placing them in the dryer on a very hot setting for 10 to 15 minutes to kill dust mites.
And don’t forget your pillows! A quick spin in the dryer or half-hour outside in bright sunlight can kill those dreaded dust mites and freshen the smell, Carroll says. And when you’re ready to fully wash your pillows (which needs to be done a few times a year), better get a good night’s sleep first.
Because that’s a whole other ordeal.
