Sleeping in those soft beds with fluffy sheets and pillows that characterize a five-star hotel isn’t always easy to achieve at home, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect changing your mattress or maintaining proper hygiene in your bedding. Experts must meet weekly and at least every two weeks.
Environmental health physician Lisa Ackerley knows this well: If you don’t wash your sheets every week, you could be at risk for viruses and serious infections.
“We have all kinds of bacteria and fungi in our bodies and beds are a great place for them to thrive, especially given all the humidity, saliva, fluid and skin that accumulates while we sleep,” the doctor explained to the Daily Mail cell.
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the bacteria that can spread on bedsheets and is commonly found on human skin or noses in healthy people, as well as in cuts and boils in people with these conditions.
If these bacteria enter the body, conditions such as skin and wound infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and blood infections can occur.
But in addition to bacteria, there are also fungi or viruses that can accumulate on sheets and cause infection. One of the most common is athlete’s foot or Candida albicans, which can settle on sheets and can only be eliminated through thorough, regular washing of bedding.
For cleaning, experts recommend laundering sheets and pillows once a week if possible, or at least once every two weeks at temperatures above 60°C. If you’re worried about damaging your fabric, you can lower the temperature, but you should always use a strong detergent. Remember, bacteria grow best at body temperature, so washing at 30-40 degrees won’t work without laundry detergent.