how often change sheetsThere are a few things in life that are just perfection -- your child's laugh, the smell of toast, and John Powell's soundtrack to How to Train Your Dragon make that list. Climbing into bed with freshly laundered sheets is another. Sadly, in my house, that perfect sheet scenario doesn't happen as often as it probably should. How often do you change your sheets?

A recent study asked people across the U.S. the same question. They broke it down into categories: every 1-5 days, every 6-10 days, every 11-20 days, or after 21 days or more. What category do you fall into ... and would you admit it?

What did the study find? Most people -- 44% -- fall into the wash the sheets every 6-10 days category. So that's like every week, right? Okay, not bad. About 19% slacked a bit more, the 11-20 day folks, while 26% were in the laundry freaks and germaphobes club, washing the sheets every 1-5 days. And, get this, 11% admitted to be pretty nasty, clocking in at 21 days or more without washing.

To keep away allergens, dust mites, and other ickies, the experts say to change your sheets weekly and, if everyone in that study was telling the truth, then most people do that. But, do we think everyone is telling the truth? I mean, would you tell the parent sitting next to you at the PTA meeting that you only change your sheets once a month? Probably not, because that's just gross.

However, I am here before you admitting I have fallen into every category at one point in my long and illustrious laundry career. I usually fall in the 11-20 day category, but there have been stretches of time when, yes, I have gone 3 weeks without changing the pillowcase. Gross, nasty, even I say "Ewwww!" and I'm talking about myself.

It hasn't been often, I swear. My excuses? Sometimes I forget. Sometimes it is just too much effort to take everything off of the bed. Sometimes the bag is already full and I just can't imagine shoving more into it and lugging it down to my apartment building's basement ... the lugging factor is legit, folks! I don't know what excuse you've come up with if you have a washing machine and dryer in your own home.

What could change all of this? Having more than one or two sets of sheets. Four would be ideal I think ... methinks I need to go shopping.

How often do you change your sheets?

 

Image via janineomg/Flickr