We spend atleast 32% (or 26 years, on average) of our lives in our beds. A bed is the most used piece of furniture you will own. Therefore, it can easily become a harbor for bacteria, crumbs, and oil buildup. Experts say that you should wash your sheets once a week (and more often than that if you sleep naked, have a pet, eat in bed, or go to bed without showering). Skin experts also encourage people to change their pillowcases even more often as a way to avoid breakouts. Sleeping with unclean pillow cases can trigger bouts of contact dermatitis and eczema in those with sensitive skin.
So how often do people usually wash their bed sheets? While cleaning habits can vary (with many extremes on both ends of uncleanliness to obsessiveness), most people (91%) wash their sheets atleast twice a week. Alternating week seems to be a common theme across North American households, according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation.
