How Often Should You Change Bed Sheets?
Your bed should be a haven for rest and peaceful slumber, but over time it can also become a haven for dirt, dust, bacteria, and fungus if your bedding isn’t changed often enough. But how often should you change bed sheets?
Why you need to change your bed sheets
Because we spend around a third of our lives in bed – around 50-60 hours a week, give or take – washing your bed sheets regularly is just as important as washing your clothes. Most people wouldn’t dream of wearing the same shirt or pants for 50 hours a week without a wash in between!
Humans naturally shed dead skin and body oil on a daily basis, and this accumulates on your bed sheets and your pillows, even if you’re showering every day. More serious skin conditions and illnesses can also develop over time from dirty sheets as bacteria and fungus turn your bedding into a breeding ground. Your skin is in direct contact with your bed sheets all night, so knowing how often you need to change your bed sheets is important for your health and wellbeing.
How often you should change your bed sheets
So how often should you change bed sheets then? As a general rule, you should be changing your bed sheets around once a week, especially if you:
- Don’t shower before bed
- Sweat heavily
- Are prone to allergies or get eczema
- Snack in bed
- Have an active infection or wound on your body
- Sleep without clothes on
- Share your bed with pets
Having pets that share your bed in particular will add to the accumulation of dirt, dander and bacteria, which may eventually lead to health issues; and can trigger allergies, skin irritations and eczema.
If you shower before bed, don’t share your bed with pets and aren’t prone to skin irritations, washing your bed sheets every fortnight may be reasonable, but longer than this and you’ll be running the risk of a build-up of dirt and bacteria that could lead to ill health.
How often you should buy new sheets
The question of “how often should you change bed sheets” is important, but so is knowing how often you should buy new bed sheets.
Good quality cotton bed sheets will last longer than cheap polyester sheets, and they’ll guarantee you a much more comfortable sleep. 100% cotton sheets are also naturally hypo-allergenic, breathable and durable, which is important when you’re washing them every week for longevity as they won’t fade and pill.
Zip Sheet’s colourful and high-quality range of 300 thread count, 100% cotton bed sheets are the best choice if you’re looking for breathable sheets that will last through regular washing and family use. Better yet, with the handy zip-up sides, they’re a dream to take off the bed and put back on, making washing day so much easier. They’re also ideal for bunk beds and caravans, where regular changing, washing, and re-making beds can be a definite chore. Make washing day much easier with Zip Sheets – the sheets that zip for the ultimate convenience.