5 Terrible Things That Happen When You Don’t Wash Your Sheets Enoughs
With so many things to do in a day, often you don’t have the time to make the bed every day, much less to wash the sheets every week.
You might want to reconsider skipping this chore if you’re guilty of letting too much time go by before washing your bedding. Because if you don’t and find yourself sleeping on dirty sheets night after night, you’ll have to deal with some nasty side effects.
1. Shoots
If you’ve gone to bed without removing your makeup several nights in a row, you’re not doing your face any favors (think dry skin, early signs of aging, inflammation, and (fun!) infections), and your bed won’t just get stains. Everywhere, but bacteria can start to build up on the fibers, which can cause pesky whiteheads and patchy pimples or exacerbate existing acne, even if your skin has been cleansed. Experts suggest washing your face and body with a good cleanser before bed and washing your sheets every 7-10 days.
Need help keeping your home clean and neat? Our maid service team can help! Contact us today!
2. Skin Irritation Or Eczema
In addition to attracting bacteria, dirty sheets rub against your skin while you sleep, and that friction can lead to skin irritation. Self-treating with greasy ointments or thick creams can exacerbate the problem because those products are harder to absorb and will transfer to your bedding, where they will stay even longer, putting you at risk for more bacteria. If you need to treat a skin infection, it’s a good idea to talk to your dermatologist about medications that don’t wash off and can be absorbed quickly and entirely so you don’t add to the germy wasteland that is your bed.
3. Fungal Or Bacterial Infections
All those night sweats don’t just evaporate; work is just one reason beds can be prime places for fungus to grow. A type of mold, it grows on damp mattresses and can cause asthma, pneumonia, and a fungal infection called onychomycosis, which can cause skin lesions and crumbling toenails.
Worse yet, various nasty infections or rashes can be transferred through dirty bedding, such as a fungal infection that affects the skin of the genitals, inner thighs, and buttocks, also known as jock itch.
A study by a mattress company revealed the nightmare-inducing statistic that sheets left unchanged for even a week have 24,631 more bacteria than a bathroom doorknob—throwing a load of sheets in the laundry room. Good. Now.
4. Dust Mites
Part of the spider family and feeding on flakes of skin you shed while you sleep, pesky mites accumulate anywhere that isn’t cleaned regularly. In fact, there are probably around 1.5 million in your bed each night and they will leave their mark, in the form of welts on the neck, face, arms and upper body or troublesome and difficult-to-cure respiratory problems.
