THE GREAT DEBATE: How often do you change your bedding, really? Are you washing more often to avoid bed bugs?

The recent outbreak in bed bugs plaguing Europe has resulted in the reignition of that age-old debate, how often should we be changing our bedding, both to reap the benefits of fresh clean sheets and to avoid attracting tiny, bloodthirsty critters?

The answer it seems, at least according to experts, is more often than we think – and definitely more than we would like to. While most of us would consider ourselves to be the pinnacle of personal hygiene when it comes to our bodies, many of us are guilty of being much more lenient about the cleanliness of our bedding, which we fester in for 8 hours every night. 

The common recommendation is to change bed sheets once a week, however according to a 2022 YouGov survey, less than a third of Brits are currently managing to do the switchover this frequently. The largest proportion of the UK claim to wash their sheets every 2 weeks however.

The people least likely to keep up with good hygiene in the bedroom? Young people, who confessed to waiting a month or more before changing their sheets. 

While many maybe alarmed by this lack of cleanliness amongst the younger generation –  they will be even more so, when they discover that for those who sweat excessively or, worse yet, already have a bed bug situation at hand, the recommendation by experts is to change your sheets twice a week.  

But why are do we procrastinate so much when it comes to this particular domestic task, especially with the rise in fear of bed bugs, when we regularly carry out other, less important chores like clockwork? 

What do YOU think? How often do YOU think it’s acceptable to go without changing your bed sheets? Are you someone who is more likely to put off changing your bedding than other cleaning tasks? Join the debate in the comments. 

How often should you wash your bedding?  

According to the experts who spoke to FEMAIL, parts of your bedding should be changed a number of times a week – while other pieces can be left for longer.   

Bed sheets – once a week 

Pillowcases – two or three times a week 

Pillows – every six months 

Mattress pads and protectors – once a month 

Duvet – once every three months  

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