It’s Not Pretty if You Don’t Wash Your Bed Sheets Often
If changing your bed sheets is at the bottom of your household chore list (you know, right along with matching socks and scrubbing the shower’s grout), consider this: You’re not sleeping alone. Joining you in bed are countless dust mites and bacteria, not to mention lots and lots of your own dead skin. Dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says you should wash your sheets at least every two weeks — maybe more, depending on factors like whether you live in a warm climate and whether your pet sleeps in your bed. . . . Even when you think you’re sleeping alone, you’re actually joined by an array of strange bedfellows that are invisible to the naked eye — and they can cause skin problems like rashes and eczema, not to mention asthma and allergies.