Almost half of UK’s single men wash their bed sheets just once every four months, study finds

Single women are most likely to wash their bed sheets frequently

Some men said they only wash their sheets when they remember (Getty Images)

Almost half of the UK’s single men don’t change their bed sheets for up to four months, according to new research.

A survey of 2,250 UK adults has found that men have significantly worse hygiene than women when it comes to their bedding, but this is somewhat improved once they are in a relationship.

In single men, 45 per cent said they wait up to four months to wash their bed sheets, while 12 per cent said they wash them as and when they remember – which could be even longer.

In contrast, 62 per cent of single women wash their sheets every two weeks, while 25 per cent of single men wash their bedding at the same frequency.

Most people in relationships said they change their bedding every three weeks (35 per cent) while 27 per cent said they do so once a month.

Among those who don’t change their sheets often, the most common reasons were forgetfulness and that believing that sheets don’t need to be washed frequently.

Over a third (35 per cent) said they couldn’t be bothered to wash them, while almost a fifth (18 per cent) said they shower at night, so their bed sheets don’t get dirty.

Experts at Pizuna, a bedding retailer which commissioned the survey, recommend that bed sheets, bed linen and pillowcases should be washed once a week.

Blankets and duvets themselves should be cleaned every two to three months, while pillows should be washed every four to six months.

Aureen Chinchpure, brand communications manager at Pizuna, said bed sheets should be washed on a gentle cycle with fabric softener added through the rinse cycle.

“At current times, when sleep health awareness is on the rise and more people would love to get in to bed with clean, fresh sheets, it’s surprising that many people, whether they’re single or in a relationship, may leave it a number of weeks before changing their bedding – longer than the recommended,” Chinchpure said.

“Washing your sheets regularly can really help to improve your health and wellbeing, skin and even your mental health, and might even help you to get a much better night’s sleep.

“If you don’t have sensitive skin, consider using fragranced detergent and fabric softener with scents such as lavender, which is known to aid good-quality sleep.”