UK households are being urged to wash all bedding at a minimum temperature of 60C this week.
Much of the UK is basking in its fourth heatwave of the summer this week and the hot weather is forecast to continue into this weekend. The Met Office forecast says Friday, August 15, will be the hottest reaching highs of 31C in southern England, with hot conditions continuing into the weekend at top temperatures of 30C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday. As most UK homes don’t have air conditioning, the hot weather can make the nights feel particularly uncomfortable and it can quickly make your bedding a breeding ground for bacteria.
Warm nights inevitably cause you to sweat more and this is transferred into your bed and on your pillow, which, when combined with dead skin cells and dust mites, quickly creates a pretty unsavoury sleeping environment that can trigger allergies like asthma or eczema to flare up.
To avoid this, experts say its essential to wash your bedding more often than normal during a heatwave and to do so on a minimum temperature of 60C.
Dr Gareth Nye, Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Salford, explains: “Most individuals are losing around 500-700ml of sweat every night, which ends up on bed clothes and bedding. This can be significantly higher, though, as most people will have variable sweating rates through the night, with men normally sweating less and women going through menopause sweating the most.
“Humans will shed around 500 million skin cells a day, with the majority occurring in our sleep. We are also producing other body secretions, such as drool/saliva, amongst others you might find. All of these secretions are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi as well as some other nasty bugs, ultimately leading to a range of health issues.
“Dust mites may become an issue if you forget to change the sheets. These little bugs love dead skin cells and leave their droppings on sheets, which can trigger allergies or asthma and make eczema flare up.
“Some studies have shown that there were 17,000 more bacteria colonies on a pillowcase after a week compared to a toilet seat, meaning where your head is laying each night could have more bacteria on it than the toilet! Even worse, a typical pillow has as many as 16 different species of fungus and millions of fungal spores, which can impact those with allergies or asthma.”
To avoid allergies being triggered, and to rid your bed of any nasty bugs and bacteria that may be lurking, sleep experts say bedding should be washed at 60C every three to four days when the weather is hot.
Phoebe Street, Brand Manager, Textile & Sleepwear Specialist at Pretty You London, said: “Most people wash their sheets every week or two, which is usually enough during cooler weather. But during a heatwave, when you’re sweating more, it’s important to wash your bedding more often.
“Every three or four days is ideal, but if you don’t have time to strip the whole bed mid-week, just throw the sheet and pillowcases into the wash instead. They collect the most sweat, dirt and bacteria because they’re in constant contact with your face and hair.
“In normal temperatures, washing bedding at 30 or 40C is fine, and better for the environment too. But when it’s very hot, bacteria and sweat increase rapidly, so washing at 60C is much more effective at killing germs and getting sheets truly clean.
“If you need to wash at lower temperatures, adding a laundry sanitiser or antibacterial detergent is another great way to kill bacteria and keep sheets as fresh as possible. Also, always avoid overloading your washing machine. Bedding needs enough space to be rinsed thoroughly, ensuring all trapped sweat and dirt are washed away properly.”
