Pillowcases could be 'dirtier than the toilet,' expert warns

Article content

Up for some filthy pillow talk?

Experts have revealed that a sweaty night’s sleep could mean bacteria in your pillowcase that can make sleeping scenarios dirtier than a porcelain bathroom fixture.

“Your pillowcases could be considered dirtier than the toilet,” Dr. Gareth Nye, a program lead for medical science, told Wales Online per the New York Post. “The good news is these bacteria are very likely to be from you to begin with and, therefore, aren’t harmful.”

The medical expert said washing pillowcases and bedsheets once a week is very much advised to avoid any buildup of germs and bacteria growth lingering on them, even if they are their own.

“In terms of bacteria, some studies have shown that there were 17,000 more bacteria colonies on a pillowcase after a week when compared to a toilet seat,” Nye said.

A report from Real Simple said that “after one week without washing, their pillowcases carried an average of three million colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria per square inch.”

Most people can lose between 500 mm and 700 mm of sweat on an average night, but at least 200 mm of the water gets soaked into the bedsheets or pajamas, according to Nye’s studies.

“The body is replacing skin cells leading to skin cell shedding. With people losing an average of 500 million skin cells a day (most of which come off at night), the body is also producing other body secretions and then you have the added fluid loss through drool/saliva,” Nye said.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

Ignoring this can lead to fungi or dust mites, which thrive off dead skin cells and can leave droppings that spark allergies and asthma.

“One study found that a typical pillow has as many as 16 different species of fungus and literally millions of fungal spores,” Nye said.

The expert suggests avoiding polyester bedding and considering “cotton or linen sheets or put the duvet away and utilize sheets alone.”

For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.