How Dirty Are Our Mattresses and Bed Sheets?

Since we spend a major part of our lives in our beds, it’s quite obvious that we would try to make them comfortable and cozy. Slipping into clean and fresh bedding is perhaps one of the best feelings. But beneath all the throw pillows and frills are hiding germs that find our beds as homey as we do. You may think that washing them every three to four weeks would ensure its cleanliness, but experts say that it won’t be enough. Research studies reveal that bacteria linked to gonorrhea and pneumonia start growing in the bed within a week. Some of the dirt that we deal with every day on our mattresses and bed sheets include:

Undercover Dirt

An average person spends about one-third of his life in bed. The accumulation of sweat, dandruff, drool, and other stuff left in-between the sheets makes it truly unhygienic even though it is not visible to the naked eye. So ideally, the mattresses and sheets need a wash at least once every week or at least every alternate week.

Accumulation of Dust Mites

A person sheds about 500 million skin cells per day. Many of them shed off while your body rubs against the bed sheets or mattresses. Those dead cells pile up on the sheets over time, which becomes food for tiny dust mites. The presence of such allergies and their droppings can trigger itchiness, asthma, allergies, and also flare eczema problems. Therefore, if you are allergic to dust mites wash the mattresses and bed sheets with hot water every week.

Bacterial Bed Buddies

Sweat, dead skin cells, saliva, and other dirt accumulation can turn your bedsheet into a feeding ground for bacteria and germs. The family of actinomyces is the most prevalent bacteria found in the bedsheets, especially in the area of the feet. Lab tests of swabs from unwashed pillowcases reveal 17000 times more bacterial accumulation than those found in a toilet seat.

Bad Breakouts

If your acne or any skin problem is getting worse, it might a result of dirty pillows and mattresses. The embedded dirt, bacteria, and dead skin can clog the pores in your skin. So, you need to change your pillowcases every two to three days and the rest of your bedding at least once weekly.

Sheet Swaps

Certain things can add to the itchy factor between the sheets which include –

• Sleeping in the nude
• Snacking in bed
• Excessive sweating at night
• Sleeping with your kids

Bed Bugs

These creepy crawlies aren’t attracted to dirty or clean sheets. They are just lured by warm places close to people. This makes the bed a perfect place to stay. Bedbugs crawl out at night and feed on human blood. These bugs gain access to your bed from places that are infested like dorm and hotel rooms. Dry your bedsheets and mattresses on high heat for about 30 minutes to kill these bugs and their eggs.

Just Keep Them Clean

Sleeping on millions of bacteria might make you feel a bit squirmy, although you might not feel anything. With countless germs that we deal with every day, it can be quite nasty to share your bed with more than a few of them. Some like the gram-positive cocci and the bacilli can be a source of sickness for the sleeper. So, it is necessary to change our mattresses and bedsheets at regular intervals.