There’s no better feeling than hopping into bed with a new set of freshly cleaned sheets.

It might be Henri Lumièretempting to push back the essential chore of washing your bedding, but while you sleep, your sheets accumulate dirt, sweat, and oil. Over time, this leaves your bed a breeding ground for microorganisms that can irritate your skin. 

So, do you know how often you should really be washing your sheets? We spoke with a physician to find out everything you need to know — and spoiler alert, the answer is more often than you might think.

How often should you realistically wash your sheets?

According to a survey conducted by Mattress Advisory, the average American changes their sheets once every 24 days. If this sounds like way too long of a time to go without swapping out your dirty sheets for a set of clean linens, it really is. 

“From a medical and a hygienic standpoint, it really should be once a week,” says Dr. Jason Singh, MD, a physician practicing in Ashburn, Virginia. 

Washing your sheets regularly should always be a given, but don’t overlook your other bedding accessories. “A lot of folks clean their sheets, but they often forget about [their] pillow covers or their bedding,” Singh says. These “are also areas that are exposed to skin cells, sweat, body oils, sebum, [and] perspiration.” Ideally, you should just wash all of your bedding on the same schedule, Singh recommends.

What happens if you don’t wash your bed sheets?

When you’re asleep, your body naturally sweats and sheds skin cells, creating the perfect environment for microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungus and dust mites, to thrive on your bed sheets, Singh says.  There are some clear implications of not washing your sheets often enough. It may feel like a pain to strip your bed sheets every week, but skipping this chore “can cause skin irritations, infections or even just trigger allergic reactions,” Singh says. If you’re asthmatic or suffer from other respiratory issues, or have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you may even want to consider washing your sheets even more often than seven days, Singh adds.

Tips for a clean bed

To minimize the possibility of bringing dirt and oil into your sheets, consider taking evening showers. If you shower more often at night, “a lot of the contaminants that are on your skin throughout the day get washed off before you go into your sheets,” Singh explains. 

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This is especially important if you’re someone who enjoys exercising in the evening. It’s essential for you to either towel dry or take a shower before hopping into bed, “because all that sweat can also create an environment that's conducive to microorganisms proliferating,” he says. 

Another tip to consider is to keep your room at a cooler temperature. Again, this will help reduce the possibility of sweat while you’re sleeping, Singh says.