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Article Dr Karl Says This Is How Often We Should Actually Wash Our Sheets

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How often to wash your bedsheets is a contentious issues, with varying opinions, but research says we’re probably not doing it anywhere near as much as we should.

Some people are adamant that once a week is the perfect amount to launder sheets, others say it’s doesn’t need to be done that regularly.

Australian scientist Dr Karl has revealed just how often we should wash our sheets, based on our activities during the day.

Why do you have to regularly wash your sheets regularly?

Before diving into the contentious issue of sheet washing, Dr Karl explained why we should be regularly washing them.

“Every day you generate, from your skin, about one and a half grams of dead skin cells, which both attract and are enough food for a million dust mites,” Dr Karl explained. “And then on top of that your skin exudes oils and sweat. And on the other hand while you’re lying in bed you may have a little fart.”

So our bed sheets are absorbing dirt, dead skill cells, body oils and sweat not to mention dust mites and their poo. Gross.

When you consider that most of us spend somewhere between 50 and 60 hours per week sleeping in our beds, that’s a whole lot of build up!

How often should you wash your sheets?

Dr Karl says it all depends on what you do during the day, and just before you get into bed. But it ranges from twice a week to every fortnight.

“Well if you’re in a very sweat environment and you sweat during the day and you come home all sweaty and then you don’t shower before you go to bed and you don’t wear pyjamas, well maybe twice a week.

“At the other extreme, cold environment, don’t sweat, wear pyjamas and have a shower before you go to bed, maybe every couple of weeks.

“The average is every two weeks. And according to one survey in England, four percent of people wash their sheets once a year and men who are in relationships wash their sheets once a month. And men who are not in relationships, once every six weeks. Which might explain why they’re not in a relationship.”

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If you’re horrified by some of the sheet-washing behaviours, make sure you read our article on a cleaning expert’s claim that you don’t need to wash your undies after each wear.

Yikes! Ok, so we have to know … how often are you washing your sheets? Let us know in the comments below.

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Comments

  • Well I should probably start washing my sheets more frequently than once every few months…

    Reply

  • In the summer once a week but during winter maybe fortnightly…

    Reply

  • I wash my sheets once a week. Even though my son will come home and have a shower, he does sweat quite a lot and if his door’s shut overnight his room gets very stuffy. Plus I love the smell of fresh linen

    • The smell of freshly washed linen is certainly good

      • Freshly washed linen certainly does have the most gorgeous smell.

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  • There is no way I could wash my sheets twice a week. I try for every fortnight as this works well for me and my family

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  • Twice a week to wash sheets would be a bit much on water use and remaking beds.
    We try for once a week as we have showers before bed.

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  • Our sheets get done once a fortnight! We both shower before bed so I reakon were OK. I can’t believe some people wash them once a year! Ew.

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  • I certainly don’t wash twice a week. To be honest it depends of how busy i am, but lean more towards once a fortnight

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  • I’m once a fortnight- judging by this I think I’m all good as I work in an office and shower before bed and wear pjs- phew!

    Reply

  • I shower/bathe before bed every night and wash sheets usually every week!

    Reply

  • A weekly wash of all bed linen is a must in this household and when it is exceptionally warm, we wash them more frequently.

    Reply

  • Interesting read. We wash ours once a week. We also shower before bed and again in the morning.

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  • Mine get washed once a week but as I alternate from side to side in the bed as I am on my own these days, I guess I am doing the sheets twice a week these days.

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  • We do once a month but seems we now have to up it!
    We all have a shower just before bed so hopefully that is okay sheet wise.

    Reply

  • Twice a week seems allot! I’m shocked

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  • I try to wash the sheets at least weekly, the waterproof underlay get changed at the same time as we’ve got multiples of those and they get washed separately.

    Reply

  • My kids sheets are washed weekly cause they turn them into a complete mess by the end of the week.

    Reply

  • Always weekly, may be a little more often in Summer.

    Reply

  • interesting topic

    Reply
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