How often you should be washing your pyjamas?

If we’re really honest, most of us would admit to not changing our pillows and bed sheets as often as we should. But, now a mum has sparked a debate online about how often we should be washing our pyjamas.

Taking to parenting site Mumsnet the woman (who we’ll leave unnamed to protect her privacy) asked how often other people put on a fresh pair of PJs and whether or not they would “always change them straight after a night of, erm, bed-activities.”

“Asking for a friend,” the mum added jokingly.

Unsurprisingly, other users were quick to offer their opinions on the divisive subject.

For some, wearing the same pair of pyjamas more than once simply wasn’t an option.

“Yes I wash them after one night’s use. You perspire a lot in bed…ahem,” one user commented.

“I have different ones every night. I wear them without knickers so wouldn’t wear more than one night,” another offered.

“New PJs every night and same for DS (dear son). Nice fresh PJs. Can’t beat them,” another added.

However, other commenters couldn’t get their heads around how much pyjama washing was going on in one-wear only households.

“Why would you have a new pair every night? That’s OTT,” one user wrote.

“Washing them every night is not normal,” added another. “If I was away for a two week holiday I’d only bring one pair, generally speaking. At home maybe change every week.”

“Probably once a week, not sure why I would need to change my PJs more frequently. I don’t wash my tops/trousers/bras after 1 wear and all I do is sleep in pjs,” another user commented.

A previous poll about the topic revealed that on average, men wear their PJs for 13 days without changing them and women for 17.

But it seems the frequent PJ washers may have a point as according to some experts, the number one hygiene trap in bed is actually our pyjamas.

“Sleepwear that’s worn for too long can cause bladder and even skin infections, so change our pyjamas at least twice a week and wash them at 60 degrees,” advises Roxanna Pelka from Helpling.co.uk.

Our PJs aren’t the only items we should be washing way more either. According to some studies not keeping on top of our bed sheet laundry means we’re creating a breeding ground for harmful microbes that can totally make us ill.

Philip Tierno, from New York University, told Business Insider that we need to be washing our sheets every week if we want to avoid some seriously icky effects on our health.

According to the microbiologist, microscopic life can build up over time within our bed clothes and, eventually, make people sick.

In fact, just two weeks of, er, build-up is enough to leave you with a scratchy throat, especially if you suffer with allergies.

And turns out we should be washing brand new clothes before wearing them too thanks to those pesky people trying them on before you, and potentially passing on all sorts of nasties.

Philip Tierno, professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University, has conducted a number of studies in which he’s tested clothing from both popular clothes shops and high-end fashion businesses.

And in those clothes he’s found everything from strep and staph to norovirus and faecal germs. Gross!

That’s the last time we stick on that fresh-from the hanger new top.

We might need a little more convincing on the PJs though.

Too. Much. Washing.

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