Is your bed fresh and clean or a haven for mites? photo: MAZZALIARMADI.IT
How often do you change your bed sheets? Be honest. Is it really once a week, as experts advise?
According to The Daily Mail, a new survey by QVC has revealed most Brits change the bed every three weeks – with one in six leaving the chore for over a month.
Sleep deprivation. “The shock figures may explain why three-in-four adults (75 per cent) describe themselves as sleep deprived, as experts believe that a clean bedroom is an essential part of a good night’s sleep,” reported Maysa Rawi for The Daily Mail. And apparently there are regional differences in the bedroom hygiene stakes: “Yorkshire folk clean their bed sheets just once every four weeks, while North Easterners have the cleanest sheets in the country, changing their bedding every fortnight.”
US habits. But it isn’t just the British who are slapdash over sheet changes. In the US, “many people go three weeks, a month or more”, reported The Wall Street Journal.
Why bother? The consequences of not changing bed sheets regularly are not suitable for the squeamish. “Mites accumulate, along with their feces. But there is also animal hair, dander, fungal mold, fungal spores, bodily secretions and bacteria. Also: dust, lint, fibers, particulates, insect parts, pollen, soil, sand and cosmetics,” pointed out the WSJ.
Don’t panic. However, WiseGeek suggested a measured approach is best. While the ideal is once a week, “if you don’t have terrible allergies from dust mites, and your bed sheets aren’t soiled, it’s not likely to cause huge problems if you wait a little longer to change sheets.”
Need some tips on bed linen changing? Check out the video below.