Can Dirty Bedsheets Trigger Acnes And Skin Allergies? How Often You Should Wash Them

The drool, sweat, dandruff, and other "stuff" like the 500 million skin cells you shed in just a day alone between the sheets can make your beds and beddings a breeding ground for those tiny dust mites.

Even when we follow our Cleansing, Toning, and Moisturizing (CTM) routine religiously, we may still get acne and allergies on our face and body, due to dirty bedsheets. Yes! You read that correctly.

Humans Shed 500 Million Skin Cells A Day

Did you know that you spend a third of your life in bed? And the drool, sweat, dandruff, and other "stuff" like the 500 million skin cells you shed in just a day alone between the sheets can make your beds and beddingsa breeding ground for dust mites, fungi, bacteria, mold and bed bugs.

Yes, you read that right! And in addition, most of the deadly bacteria and acne-causing dust elements thrive in warm and damp environments, which can easily worsen the buildups, leading to a negative impact on your health and causing skin problems.

In a recently published research paper, scientists said, "People carry bacteria as part of their skin microbiome and can shed them in large numbers," Manal Mohammed, a microbiologist at the University of Westminster in the UK, told a leading news media outlet. "Although these bacteria are typically harmless, they can cause serious illness if they enter the body through open wounds, which are more common in hospitals."

Not forgetting the pillows we use daily, David Denning, professor of infectious diseases and global health at the University of Manchester in the UK, was reported to have said, "We think the reason why you find so much [fungi] is because most of us sweat at night from our heads. We also all have house dust mites in our beds, and the dust mite poo provides food for the fungus to live on. And then of course the pillow is warmed up every evening because your head is lying on it. So you have moisture, you have food, and you have warmth."

After How Many Days Can I Laundry My Bedsheet?

According to WebMD, you should ideally launder your bedsheets weekly or at least every other week due to the buildup of contaminants from your daily activities. However, Americans are going 25 days between washes. Denning said that washing sheets can destroy up to half of C. difficile bacteria, a bacterium which causes diarrhoea, especially in older people.

Other Health Conditions Linked To Dirty Bedsheets

Sleeping on dirty bedsheets can cause serious health issues than you think. One study proved that a sheet that has not been washed for a week can have 24,631 more bacteria than bathroom doorknobs.

Dirty bedsheets can cause allergies, ringworms, skin lesions, crumbling toenails, and even pneumonia.