How often should you change your bed sheets?

General Chat In The News
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Research has shown the public cannot agree on the answer, and a new survey of 2,250 UK adults has found another split.

Almost half of single men said they don’t wash their bed sheets for up to four months at a time, with 12% admitting they wash them when they remember - which could be even longer.

Single women changed more often, 62% cleaning their bedding every two weeks, and couples claiming to do theirs every three weeks, according to data from a bedding company.

To cut to the chase, Dr Lindsay Browning, a chartered psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert, says we should be changing our sheets once a week, or every two weeks at the most.

Hygiene is a big factor, and one of the reasons is sweat. If you’ve ever tried sleeping in a heatwave, you’ll know how difficult it can be.

But it’s not just sweat that we need to think of, our own dead skin cells which we get rid of during sleep are also a concern.

Sound horrible? It gets worse. That build-up means small creatures known as mites can feed off those cells, causing discomfort and skin rashes.

If you’re going more than every two weeks “you’re getting into not so great territory”.

Forgetting (67%), not being bothered (35%), and not having any other clean bedding (22%) are some of the top reasons people say they don’t change their bedding more, with 38% saying they didn’t believe bedding needed washing “more often”, according to the Pizuna Linens research.

Dr Browning says “if your sheets are not washed, and they look dirty, they smell, it’s adding to that sensation that your bed isn’t somewhere that you want to be”.

Yuk … not washed for “months at a time” … :scream:

Their beds must be crawling with bugs … :bug:

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I change my bed every two weeks. I even keep a note in my diary to remind me. Any longer than this, l start itching!
I feel I sleep better in a freshly changed bed.

I do change my top pillow case every week as you never know what’s on your hair, or what you might dribble!! :laughing:

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Every 4 months?! :open_mouth:
It saves having to mess about taking the bedlinen off the bed, I suppose - the sheets will jump off the bed on their own by then! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
:nauseated_face:

4

I change my bedding every 5 days, I love crisp clean white cotton sheets… :grinning:

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Me too, Meg. :smiley_cat: :smiley_cat:

6

I always change the bedding once a week .
I like getting into a clean bed.

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7

I change my sheets once a week but I change the pillow cases twice a week …… :grinning:

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All you one week linen changers are making me feel slovenly!! :laughing:

I don’t sweat, secrete and l don’t eat in bed so my bed linen stays pretty fresh!

I am not inferring that any of you one week changers do secrete etc!

9

Your skin still falls off Art and the bed mites eat it no need to encourage them !

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Its hard to beat the feeling of a hot bath, clean pyjamas then getting into a freshly changed bed.

I change mine every day…kidding :rofl:

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Muddy, l do vacuum my mattress occasionally!
I can’t feel the mites chomping away at the skin l shed, there’s no tickling or irritation.
l sleep solidly, so maybe that’s the reason l’m oblivious to their munching! :laughing:

12

We’ve just been staying in a Very Posh Hotel.
First night was Sunday, Wednesday morning chamber maid asked if we wanted clean sheets…after three nights??? I told her not to be ridiculous, made her laugh, she told me I was Very Sensible Guest! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

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To be honest, I’m not really sure how often we change our sheets, because Marge does it.
Marge tells me that if that were left to me, they’d only change themselves when the sheets crawl off the bed on their own.
(Not true of course.)

14

Bedding (duvet) is changed once every two weeks.
Sheets and pillowcases once a week.

15

Once a week. I always put a hand towel over hubby’s pillowcase as he has a sweaty head and I don’t want stains on the pillow cases.

16

Usually I wash my bedding every weekend and put it straight back on the bed when it is dry. However this weekend it looks like more rain so it might have to wait until Monday. (It is pissing down this Saturday morning)

If it does take longer than that then I just change the bedding for another set. I keep them as sets in one of the pillow cases (ie fitted bottom sheet, two pillow cases and a Doona cover)

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Marge is a bit like that.
Whenever I come into the house she puts down sheets of newspaper to protect the carpet.
(Last of the summer Wine)

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18

I never wash mine - my missus does them.

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Ditto. :rofl:

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never my maid changes mine?