We spend ⅓ of our life in our bed, so it is important to ensure that it is clean and comfy. You might not pay attention, but your bed can even harbor more bacteria than your toilet seat. 
Bacteria in your sheets
So what types of bacteria can you find in your bed? As our bedding is extremely germy, you might want to know who they are. A recent study has shown that there are 4 main kinds of bacteria in our bedsheets, and at least 2 of them (Gram-negative rods and Bacilli) are harmful to our health.
Gram-negative rods account for 41.45% and they can cause several types of infection and pneumonia. It can even lead to antibiotic resistance.
Meanwhile, bacilli are said to be the reason for food poisoning and also other infections.
Sheet vs. Pillowcases
We tend to keep our heads and face cleaner than the rest of our bodies. However, this does not mean that there would be fewer bacteria in the pillowcase than in the bedsheet. The sheet had the most gram-negative rods (42%) while the pillowcase ranks first in bacilli (25%).
Mattress
Many studies have been taken to figure out how much bacteria is gathered over the year in our mattress. While a mattress less than 1-year-old has around 3 million CFUs (colony-forming units) of bacteria, the 7-year one has even more than 16 million.
Studies also stated that there are 3 types of bacteria in a newer mattress (bacilli, gram-positive rods, gram-positive cocci). Mattresses from 2 years to 6 years old have a combination of gram-positive cocci, gram-positive rods, and gram-negative rods. And the one that has all four types of bacteria is the 7-year old mattress. This also explains why many experts recommend that we should replace our mattress every 7 years.
We have come up with several recommendations for you to prevent bacteria in your bed. Firstly, remember to clean pillowcases and sheets at least weekly. You can even consider a more frequent cleaning schedule. Secondly, you should replace your mattress when it starts causing issues, particularly every 7 years. Don’t forget to buy a new pillow, too.
Source: Amerisleep
