The infrequent washing of the beddings exposes you to numerous health risks.

Proper hygiene is one of the most important factors for good health. Washing the bed sheets regularly and properly is crucial, considering the fact that we spend over a third of our time daily in bed.

In those 49-63 hours between the sheets a week, we leave oil, sweat, bacteria, germs, dirt, and dead skin to the fabric, which start to accumulate.

Sadly, many people are not aware of the possible dangers of the infrequent washing of the bedding and fail to properly clean it to prevent health complications.

Here are several things to motivate you to throw the sheets in the laundry more often:

• While sleeping, thousands of dead skin cells end up between the sheets, and they are incredibly attractive to dust mites. The tiny organisms that are nearly invisible to the naked eye, feed off of those cells, moisture, and dust, and can cause allergies, asthma, and eczema flare-up.
• If you are waking up with itchy bite marks, you probably have bed bugs in the bed. These blood-sucking insects are actually attracted to you! Wash the sheets with hot water to kill them off.
• The combination of sweat, dead skin cells, and saliva is the perfect home for bacteria. One study showed that after only one week, an unwashed pillowcase contains over seventeen thousand times the number of bacteria on a toilet seat!
• If you love sleeping with your pet, the extra hair left between the sheets can attract even more dust mites. Plus, pets can pass on other irritants, such as mites.
• The buildup of bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt can clog your pores and cause acne breakouts.

Follow these tips to make sure your bed is perfectly clean and bug-free:

• Wash the pillows at least twice annually, according to the directions on the tag.
• Turn back the covers and let the built-up moisture dry for a few minutes before you make the bed in the morning.
• If you sweat a lot, sleep with your kids or pets, eat in bed, or if you sleep naked, you need to change the sheets more frequently.
• Wash the bedding once per week with the hottest water permitted on the label, to disinfect them. To preserve the color, turn pillowcases with a print or a color inside out.
• Vacuum the mattress a few times a year
• Wash duvets and pillows every 3-6 months.

Source: www.businessinsider.com