Former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona has revealed how often she washes her bed sheets and it’s safe to say that people have mixed opinions. The mother of five wrote in her weekly OK! column that changing the sheets too often is a “hassle.”
She went on to say that she washes her bed sheets every fortnight.
“I live in a big house with a lot of kids [five], so it’s a hassle. I probably change my sheets every fortnight,” Katona says.
This is perfectly normal for some, whilst other people think you should clean your bed sheets more often.
But what’s the expert opinion on the matter?
How often should we change our sheets?
“Ideally, you should be washing your bed sheets every single week. Every night, the average person sweats at least 200ml of liquid, which naturally seeps through to your duvet,” Martin Seeley, the CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay says.
Other studies show that the average bedding has around 20,000 dust mites which can trigger anyone who suffers from allergies, causing them to have a runny nose or congestion.
80% of dust mites are made up of your dead skin, which you naturally produce more of overnight, so ideally you should be washing your bedding at least once a week.
“However, if you tend to get night sweats or get hot flushes, you should wash your bed sheets even more often,” Seeley explains. “If your bedding feels damp or ‘clammy’ in the morning, you should strip them and wash them straight away.”
Seeley adds: “In addition, some medical conditions require that your bed is as clean as it can be with no bacteria or dust to trigger allergies.”
“Suppose you suffer from a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, or a respiratory condition like asthma. In that case, it may be aggravated by dust mites or bacteria built up in a dirty bed. Therefore, you should wash your sheets as often as possible.”
How should you be cleaning your bedding?
Seeley recommends washing your bedding at 60 degrees temperature for killing germs. But he adds that “you will however need to combine this wash with a good detergent to protect your bedding and keep it extra soft.”
“When possible, you should always air dry your sheets, too. Not only does using a tumble dryer make your bedding more wrinkly, but as one the most energy-intensive appliances in your home, the costliest dryer can cost Brits £175 per year.”
Try to hang your sheets outside, this can allow the creases to naturally fall out. “Plus the ultraviolet rays of the sunlight will remove any bacteria and bleach your sheets, which is extra beneficial for those with white sheets,” Seeley explains.
You should also let your mattress air out for at least 30 minutes in the morning before making your bed.
The expert adds: “This is because dust mites tend to thrive in warmer environments, therefore, letting your mattress air allows it to cool down, decreasing the number of dust mites it attracts.”