How often do you change bedsheets?

Over the weekend I conversed with a Japanese woman about washing clothes, caring for them, et cetera.

She then asked me how often I change/wash my bedsheets. When I told her once in 3 months, she was shocked! She washes hers at least twice a month.

In your opinion, is once in 3 months too seldom?
How often do Japanese change bedsheets?

I've read some discussions on this in a Japanese forum; freqency really varies depending on the household, some people change it everyday, but majority seem to change it either (1) once or twice a week (2) every week or every two weeks.

Personally once in 3 months sounds far too seldom - at least in Japan where humidity is high in summer it's a complete lack of hygiene... (Sorry for being blunt, but such conditions make me worry about allergy.)

but such conditions make me worry about allergy

How ironic. Isn't exaggerated hygiene believed to be a major cause of allergies...

Teengirl,

If it doesn't bother you, then there is no real need to worry about what other people do or think, but after three months, don't those sheets start to smell? It's probably not good for your skin either.

Wow, and I thought that I was the lazy housewife.

I try to wash large items as often as I can. To be specific, whenever the weather allows me to dry them outdoors, I wash a sheet or a cover or two (simply because my balcony doesn't have space to dry more than three). So I sort of rotate, washing sheet A today, sheet B tomorrow and so on, and I suppose I end up washing a certain bedsheet perhaps 1 to 4 times a month.

As mentioned, if I don't wash them for 3 months, the whole house would probably start to smell, and mites will gather especially with all the humidity in Japan. You have to keep in mind that hotels change your bedsheets every day.

We change ours every week. Though quite often my wife gets lazy and it may drag out to 2 or 3 weeks.
Of course I could do it myself, it's turned into one of those things I take for granted from my wife :(

How ironic. Isn't exaggerated hygiene believed to be a major cause of allergies...

Well, I myself change sheets only once a week, and I don't think it is exaggerated hygiene.

As Uco mentioned, leaving sheets unwashed could be a breeding bround for mites and that is one of the main cause of allergy.

Of course, it can be different under different conditions and climate, and as far as OP finds it OK and have no problems, it should be no problem that she changes sheets once in 3 months.

Well, I don't know about that. As for me (and I am not very good at this either), but at least twice a month. Especially during the summer months, well, guess you know what I want to say?!?!

Every three months means there would be a huge build-up of dead skin cells, and bacteria breed in dead skin cells.

We change our sheets once a week in summer, at least once every two weeks in winter, and this is a not just a Japanese thing. My mother in New Zealand when I was growing up insisted that our sheets be changed once a week, and I don't think that is unusual.

I'm afraid I think most people, in most countries, would consider changing your sheets only 4 times a year to be poor hygiene. Your skin spends 6 to 8 hours in contact with those sheets every day- would you wear an item of clothing every day for 3 months without washing it?

Frankly, I never really thought about it.

I know my mum washes her bedsheets about every other month, and she didn't give any comments knowing that I wash my bedsheets once every season. I do wash the pillow cases once in 3 weeks though. I take a shower right before I go to bed everyday so it's not as bad as it seems.

Hmmm sounds like I need to wash them more frequently. I am planning to wash them once a month after reading the responses. Once a fortnight is a little too much for me.

I simply followed my mum's cleaning frequencies without really questioning myself. She's probably one of the laziest but oh well she's a g8 mum to me! :)

Japanese people also bathe in the evening. Honestly, changing the pillow cases every three weeks is just not enough, hygiene-wise. The skin on your face and head produces the most oil, and lots of it ends up on your pillow case. Bacteria can also start to build up here, and can be a cause of acne etc- perhaps you don't have skin problems, I don't know.

Honestly, I am far from being a clean freak, but sheets and pillow cases that go a long time without being changed start to smell, even if you don't realise it.

If that doesn't bother you, then it is your bed, your skin, so change them as often as it suits you. Please don't tell Japanese people that people in your country only change their sheets 4 times a year though!

They say on TV ads that a human body sweats a glass full each evening in bed just by sleeping. A website tells me that humans sweat and average of 1 litre a day, 3 litres in summer. There are about 8000 to 10000 hair on your head and at each and every root of your hair there is an oil gland which is where sweat and oil comes out from.

I try to flip pillow cases each morning, and once both sides of the cases are used, I wash them. And while I'm washing and drying them, I dry the pillow itself under the sun. However, I don't use pillows myself, so I often just lay a small towel under my head, and during the day I use that towel to wipe sweat, which saves some laundry energy.

I think I would consider burning them rather than washing them if I slept in them for 3 months. we change sheets weekly, pillow case twice a week. mattress pad and blankets at least every 3 months, renew pillows yearly.

I don't change my bedsheets unless a friend of mine plans to stay over (which is not that often). I don't clean my place unless I am expecting a friend.

When a Japanese person did a homestay at our house, she changed hers once every two weeks.

We generally follow that rule at my house in the US too.