Germs and hygiene are at the forefront of our minds, now more than ever. But a new study has found that the UK isn’t washing bedding as much as we might expect.
New research carried out by OTTY Sleep has found that people might be putting themselves at risk of illness because they are not washing bedding enough.
The study, which polled 1,002 UK residents, revealed individuals washed their duvet covers, bottom sheet and pillow cases less than recommended guidelines.
Related: Black Friday mattress deals 2024 – the best deals on John Lewis, Eve, Simba and Nectar mattresses
How often should we be washing bedding?
Results found that people laundered their duvet covers every 12 days, when experts advise this should be done every week. Similarly, participants washed their bottom sheet and pillow cases every 11 days. Experts advise these should be laundered every week.
The study did, however, find that participants laundered their pyjamas the recommended amount — every week. It also revealed that people washed mattresses, duvets and pillows more than advised.
On the whole, it’s recommended that duvets should be cleaned every two to three months (or at least twice a year) to prevent bed mites.
Similarly, it’s advised that pillows need to be washed in a washing machine every three months to keep them fresh and hygienic and a mattress protector should be cleaned every two months.
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What else did the survey reveal?
The OYYY Sleep study also looked into sleep hygiene and found that men were less likely to shower before bed, compared to women. Which means men are a bigger risk for bringing germs into their sleep environment.
It also revealed that people in Cardiff were least likely to showered before bed, followed by Edinburgh and Liverpool.
But Belfast appeared to have some of the best hygiene, with almost two thirds (64 per cent) saying they shower every evening before climbing into bed.
Related: New John Lewis anti-snore pillow boldly claims to reduce snoring by up to 50%
Are you washing bedding more during these uncertain times? We will be now.
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