A Third Of People Only Wash Their Bedsheets Once A Year

In case you were worrying you hadn't washed your bedsheets in a couple of weeks, a new survey has revealed that one third of the population only wash them once a year.

Yep, that's one solitary wash in a twelve month period.

The Hammonds Furniture survey, which spoke to 2000 Brits, found they're falling behind when it comes to keeping up with their laundry.

So much so that one in three of us only wash our bed sheets once a year, despite the fact that doing so can lead to dust mites and bed bugs, as well as fungal infections and skin irritation.

This comes despite advice from expert Philip Tierno - a microbiologist from New York University - who suggests we should ideally be popping our sheets in the wash at least once a week.

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Speaking to Business Insider, Philip explained how our sheets can quickly become 'ideal fungal culture medium' that turns beds into a 'botanical park' for bacteria and fungus.

While a little bit of bacteria won't harm you, it can quickly build up on sheets, and within a week could trigger allergic responses.

Dirty bedsheets aren't our only bad habit. In fact, In addition, 36 per cent of Brits only wash blankets once a year, and 18 per cent admit their jeans only get one yearly wash, too!

Towels get a better deal, getting a wash after each use with 40 per cent of the public. Meanwhile, 45 per cent will wash their towel after five uses.

As for scarves, gloves and hats, they were hardly touched, either, despite needing to be washed every five to ten wears.

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Only a quarter of the population even washed their gloves in a year, while 28 per cent would give their scarf a clean.

Luckily, our underwear washing habits fare better. A total of 80 per cent of us would give their knickers a wash after each wear (we don't even want to know about the others.)

Many wives and girlfriends won't be surprised to hear that a quarter (25 per cent) of men admitted to washing their underwear after every five washes, compared to just 13 per cent of women.

Meanwhile, alarmingly, one in ten men claim their undies only get washed every 10 wears, compared to just 3 per cent of women.

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Gross.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that millennials (25-34-year-olds) are the cleanest generation (with 17 per cent washing clothing after each wear), meanwhile those over 65 year-olds have the lowest percentage of 'one use washers' (13 per cent).

So, to all of you who have been sleeping in the same bedsheets for 12 months - sort it out. You're letting the side down.

Topics: Life News, Home

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman