Expert reveals how often you should be washing your bed sheets
It seems like Groundhog Day everyday when it comes to doing your laundry.
Most of us have an endless pile of washing to complete that never seems to get any smaller - and don't even get me started on drying and ironing it all.
So it's no wonder that stripping your bed and adding a myriad of sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers to the lengthy queue isn't the most attractive prospect.
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But considering most of us spend approximately 49 to 60 plus hours sleeping in our beds each week, it's a necessary evil.
Some people religiously change their bed sheets every few days, while others leave them on for a few weeks - while some chore-dodgers lie in their own filth for a number of months.
One woman really took the biscuit when she revealed her bedding hadn't been washed in 100 years, but that's another story.
Dirty sheets can be crawling with bacteria and end up aggravating allergies, asthma, acne and other health issues.
This is on top of the fact that it's just considered generally unclean to wallow in your bed without putting fresh linen on.
So, for your health and your sleep quality, how often should you be washing your bed sheets?
A safe bet suggested by experts at Sleep Foundation is washing your sheets once a week.
If you don’t kip on your mattress every day, then you may be able to get away with doing a wash every two weeks.
There are some people who should wash their sheets more than once a week, though.
Pet owners who are guilty of sleeping with their pets should be washing their bed linen every 3-4 days to keep on top of cleanly habits.
For those of us who suffer from allergies or asthma, it could also be worth washing your bed sheets more regularly to help improve symptoms.
A weekly washing routine may seem excessive, but it’s a good idea to stay on top of it if you want to avoid your bed sheets accumulating dirt, dead skin cells, body oils, sweat, and worst of all, dust mites – including their carcasses and faecal matter.
If you wanted elaboration on that, dust mites are microscopic creatures found in most households that can lead to skin rashes and irritation.
They may worsen allergy symptoms for some people and can live solely off of dead skin cells...yum!
And, at any given time, there could be hundreds of thousands of them crawling around your mattress and bedding.
So, it’s probably a good idea to wash your sheets once a week in order to avoid the possibility of sharing your bed some unwanted guests.
Olivia Burke