Pillowcases are one of the dirtiest things in your home, and experts say you're probably not washing them nearly enough

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Pillowcases are one of the dirtiest things in your home, and experts say you're probably not washing them nearly enough
The pillowcase you rub your face on is full of dead skin cells and dirt and oil from your hair.Joey Hadden/Insider
  • Nothing in your bedroom is as dirty as your pillowcase, professional cleaner Bailey Carson said.
  • Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells build up each night, which can cause acne and feed dust mites.
  • Carson says to wash your pillowcases at least once a week to prevent this buildup.
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If you're anything like me, you groan at the thought of doing laundry, especially when it comes to bedding.

Just the idea of pulling apart my sheets and duvet cover to wash them and then put them back on my bed later makes me want to go back to sleep forever.

But it'll be hard to sleep easy after learning what the dirtiest item in your bedroom is, according to professional Bailey Carson, a home expert at household services app Angi.

"Pillowcases are actually one of the dirtiest items in your house," Carson told Insider.

She added that the fabric covers can accumulate roughly 3 million bacteria colonies per square inch after just one week of sleep.

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That's millions of bacteria touching your face as you toss and turn in your sleep - more than what's on your toilet seat, Carson said.

This is in-part because your body sheds about 15 million skin cells every night, and those can build up if you don't wash your bedding often, feeding thousands of dust mites living in your sheets, as Insider reported in 2020. Not washing your bedding also give fungi and bacteria a chance to build up as you sleep.

Pillowcases should be washed at least once a week

Dirt and oils from your hair build up on your pillowcase, Chris Brantner, a certified sleep science coach, previously told Insider.

"Most people don't realize that our hair holds more dirt in it than anywhere else on our bodies," Brantner said. "And each night, we're mopping our pillowcases with it. Not only that, we are rubbing our faces all over our pillowcases as well, leaving behind sweat, oils, dead skin cells ... you name it."

This buildup can cause acne, Brantner said, and to avoid it, you should wash your pillowcase every two days.

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To ensure a safe and clean slumber, Carson said that washing your pillowcases at least weekly will suffice.

"For being one of the places our body spends the most time, pillowcases usually only get washed once every few months," Carson said.

Bedding should be washed in hot water and dried on a hot cycle to kill dust mites, allergy and immunology specialist Kerry Lebenger told Insider in 2016.

"The detergent will probably kill it, but the heat will definitely kill it," he said.

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