You Probably Don't Change Your Sheets Every Week. Here's Why That's Disgusting!

While most people are fine putting off changing their sheets, I can’t wait more than a week to wash all my bedding.

I even throw my pillows into the wash, because there’s no better feeling to me than going to sleep in a freshly cleansed bed. I’ve always attributed this need to me being a clean freak, but it turns out that it’s actually better for your health in the long run.

According to Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner Dr. Lisa Ackerley, failing to regularly wash your sheets can allow nasty fungi and bacteria to make themselves at home in your bed, making it easy for you to catch viruses, get yeast infections, and even athlete’s foot.

“Depending upon what your bed is used for, and also how clean you are when you get in it (and indeed whether you wear nightwear), your bed can get pretty filthy and may actually be causing your body harm,” she told Daily Mail.

Not only do we leave bodily fluids behind, but we also shed flakes of our skin every day that dust mites love to chow down on. And if you like snacking in bed, chances are that you’re dropping food particles.

“Think of all the things you do in bed. Apart from being the place where we go to sleep, it can double up as the home office, the tea room, the dining table or even your dog or cat’s bed,” Ackerley said.