HEALTH

Your bedsheets may look clean...but did you know they're actually ridden with oil and bacteria. Which is why you should wash your sheets at least once a week, according to Philip Tierno, Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University's Langone Medical Center.

Cleaning bedsheets is important if you want to prevent acne, allergies, and asthma attacks. Dust mites and pet dander build up quickly, triggering your allergies. Buildup of bacteria and oil on sheets (especially your pillowcase) will cause new breakouts and aggravate existing pimples. Things like sweat, oil, and dead skin cells are left behind after you roll out of bed in the morning. Gross!

Since you're spending between seven and ten hours in your bed per night, washing your sheets at least once a week is essential. Bedsheets are bulky, so you may have to split the flat sheet and fitted sheet in separate loads. Set the cycle to hot in order to disinfect and cleanse the sheets properly.

How often do you wash your sheets? Let us know in the comments! 

by Julia Bonney | 5/7/2018