Our pillowcases host a concentration of bacteria and germs that are not even found on the surface of the toilet! Here’s how to make them less dangerous for our health
@Canva
Summer brings with it high temperatures that make you sweat both indoors and outdoors, day and night. It is therefore not surprising that, in the morning, we find ourselves waking up in a pool of sweatwith the sheets and pillow completely wet.
But be careful: this increase in night sweats could transform our bed linen – and in particular the pillowcase – into a receptacle for bacteria and germseven dirtier than the toilet seat!
The reason? The pillowcase is in close contact with the skin of our face throughout the night, and on it dead cells, sebum, dirt (from the skin, but also from the hair), sweat and saliva or mucus residues accumulate.
In short, a nice jumble of substances that, if you think about it while awake, they look disgusting. But during the night we don’t even notice it – and that’s why hygiene practices are essential.
Read Also: Here’s What Happens to Your Pillows When You Don’t Wash Your Pillowcases for Too Many Days
In bed with the enemy
The good news is that these pathogens are of human origin and therefore not dangerous: we ourselves bring them to our pillows – unless we sleep with an animal. But where do these bacteria come from?
Let us consider that, in a single summer night, we can lose between 500 and 700 milliliters of sweatof which at least 200 milliliters end up in the sheets or pyjamas.
And in addition, the human body releases approximately every day 500 million skin cellsmany of which fall off during the night.
Let’s add other substances to these bodily secretions (such as sebum) and fluids such as drool and saliva.
Washing pillowcases and sheets once a week is essential to avoid the accumulation of germs and bacteria: after a week without washing, a pillowcase can host an average of 3 million colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria per square inch.
Lack of hygiene can lead to further problems, such as the proliferation of fungi or dust miteswhich feed on dead skin cells and can cause allergies and asthma in susceptible individuals.
Read also: Do you know how often you should change your bed sheets?
How to solve the problem
The first piece of advice we give you to improve the hygiene of your bed is to Change sheets frequently – at least once a week.
If we sweat a lot, or sleep with an animal, it would be appropriate change your pillowcase at least every three/four days.
When we get up in the morning, then, we avoid immediately making the bed: this operation can trap humidity under the covers, favoring the proliferation of bacteria. Better to leave the bed unmade for half an hour and open the windows to air the room.
Pay attention to fabrics too: We avoid polyester linen and prefer natural materials such as cotton or linendyed with natural colors or not dyed at all.
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