A person wears a shirt once and immediately throws it in the dirty clothes pile after changing into pajamas. That same person sleeps in her/his bed every night, but yet finds it unnecessary to wash the bedding more than once a month. Sound familiar? Well, you’re not alone. Many people go weeks or even months without washing their sheets and blankets. The problem with not washing your bedding, however, is that it is becoming much more dirty than you realize.

When you’re sleeping, your body sheds dead skin cells. And do you know what bug likes dead skin cells? Dust mites. These tiny, microscopic bugs feed off dead skin cells, and so the more cells you leave behind, the more dust mites there will be in your bed. Having dust mites in your bed is not only something to shudder at, but they can also cause you to get an allergy. If you wake up one day with red eyes and realize you’ve been sneezing a lot more often than usual, there is a good chance that you have dust mites in your bed.

Dust mites aren’t the only reason to be concerned. If you do not wash your bedding often enough, oils, saliva, crumbs and sweat will seep into your sheets and blankets. Eventually, bacteria will form and you may end up with a weakened immune system. Sleep is supposed to be a time of recuperation, but if your sheets are dirty, sleep could actually be the reason why you’re getting sick.

So how often should you wash your bedding? Well, definitely not just once or twice a month. Washing your sheets once a week is the best way to keep your bedding as clean as possible, but two weeks is also acceptable. When washing your bedding, be sure to include your sheets, blankets or quilts, pillowcases, and bed covers. If you don’t already have a bed cover, you may want to consider getting one. Since mattresses aren’t exactly easy to wash, you can use a bed cover to protect and keep your mattress clean.

You spend about a third of your day in bed. Don’t you want it to be clean? Get in the practice of washing your sheets weekly or bi-weekly and enjoy cleaner, healthier sleep.

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Wendy Weinert

Wendy Weinert is an HGTV addict and avid DIYer. When not working on a craft project, as an interior design blogger and enthusiast, she is passionately helping people beautify their environment by providing insightful advice and inspiration.