RALEIGH, N.C. — We spend about one-third of our lives on our mattresses, which means that out of all of our linen, from tablecloths to favorite clothes, sheets are our most consistent companions.
But as much as we rely on them, we can get a little lazy about taking care of them in return. Our sheets need frequent cleaning, because with the average human pouring around 26 gallons of sweat into his or her sheets every year, leaving bedding unwashed invites bacteria and possibly illness.
Mattress Advisor, and The MA Sleep Institute, surveyed over 1,000 people about their bed-cleaning habits, wishing to learn how often average Americans changed their sheets and which demographics were best at keeping them clean. Some of their findings may present laundromat owners with some marketing opportunities.
The average person changes sheets about once every three weeks, roughly every 24 days. It is a bit longer before pillowcases are cleaned and/or changed: 24.6 days. Experts would encourage a more frequent cleaning cadence, Mattress Advisor says, with some suggesting weekly cleaning to help prevent allergens.
But there are limits for bedding to remain unwashed, with respondents claiming it could take up to 35 days before they’d consider their unwashed bedding “gross.” With the average person shedding about 10 grams of skin each day, a veritable feast for dust mites is piling up in that time.
When it comes to hygienic sheet care, men fell woefully short of women in the survey, Mattress Advisor says. On average, men waited over 10 days longer to swap their sheets. Overall, it was nearly 45 days between bedding changes.
Women may change their sheets more often, but men are more likely to do so when they sense they’ll be sharing their bed with someone else.
So just how often should your laundromat customers be washing their sheets? Experts suggest every week or two, depending on the variables. If there are more people, pets, and activities in the bed, or your customers have health-related concerns, they should go for the once-a-week option. If they have less of those things, then it can stretch to two weeks or more.
While your customers’ opinions may differ about how often they should clean their sheets, everyone can agree that clean sheets feel exceptionally good.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].