With the average person spending around 26 years sleeping in their lifetime, making sure your sleep space is clean and hygienic is just as important as getting good quality sleep.
The interest in keeping beds clean is there, with over 115.9 million videos on TikTok related to ‘mattress cleaning hacks’. However, despite people’s best efforts, experts at Piglet in Bed have revealed three things everyone is doing that are making their beds dirtier!
“Whether you’re trying to use minimal heat on your hair to avoid damage, or like many, simply don’t want to face the chore of drying your hair before bed, sleeping with wet hair might need to become a thing of the past.”
“If you are sleeping with wet hair you may risk your pillow becoming mouldy. As you sleep your pillow will absorb the moisture from your hair, and as we know, moisture and warmth breed bacteria. Whilst you might not be able to see it, you could end up harbouring mould and bacteria inside your pillow, creating a very unsanitary sleeping environment, that could begin to affect your skin, eyes and even your airways.”

“Whilst I would always recommend drying your hair before bed, if this is not an option for any reason, make sure to remove your pillow from its cover first thing in the morning and air them both out. This will allow moisture to dry up, reducing the production of bacteria. I would also recommend washing your pillows once every couple of months to keep them fresh and sanitary.”
Sitting on the bed in a towel
“We’re all guilty of getting out of the bath or shower and sitting on the bed for a bit of procrastination time, but doing this could lead to bacteria and in worst-case scenarios, mould if you’re not careful. Similar to sleeping with wet hair, your bedding will absorb the moisture, making the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.”
“To avoid this, find a new procrastination spot, or increase how often you are washing your bedding to at least once a week. Additionally, before making your bed in the morning, throw back the duvet to aerate. For a more thorough freshening hang it over your washing line outdoors – when the weather allows. The sun will help to kill bacteria too, so make the most of any sunshine.”
Letting dogs sleep with you
“Every dog owner is guilty of swearing they will never let their dog sleep in their bed until they fall victim to the puppy dog eyes. With dogs comes dirt and with dirt comes bacteria, and letting them sleep in or on your bed will most definitely be making it dirtier.”
“Of course, we don’t expect you to banish your dogs to the floor, so to keep your bed fresh and clean and both your and your dog’s health in check I’d recommend washing your bedding as often as possible. Washing your bedding weekly is recommended, but leaving it a little longer when it is just you sleeping in your bed is fine, however, if you are sharing your bed with a pup, then I’d advise not leaving it any longer than a week. ”
“Washing your bedding so regularly isn’t feasible for everyone, especially with the increased cost of water usage. So another option is to invest in a second set of bedding so that you can rotate and wash both sets of bedding together bi-weekly.”
“Whether you’re trying to use minimal heat on your hair to avoid damage, or like many, simply don’t want to face the chore of drying your hair before bed, sleeping with wet hair might need to become a thing of the past.”
“If you are sleeping with wet hair you may risk your pillow becoming mouldy. As you sleep your pillow will absorb the moisture from your hair, and as we know, moisture and warmth breed bacteria. Whilst you might not be able to see it, you could end up harbouring mould and bacteria inside your pillow, creating a very unsanitary sleeping environment, that could begin to affect your skin, eyes and even your airways.”
“Whilst I would always recommend drying your hair before bed, if this is not an option for any reason, make sure to remove your pillow from its cover first thing in the morning and air them both out. This will allow moisture to dry up, reducing the production of bacteria. I would also recommend washing your pillows once every couple of months to keep them fresh and sanitary.”
Sitting on the bed in a towel
“We’re all guilty of getting out of the bath or shower and sitting on the bed for a bit of procrastination time, but doing this could lead to bacteria and in worst-case scenarios, mould if you’re not careful. Similar to sleeping with wet hair, your bedding will absorb the moisture, making the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.”
“To avoid this, find a new procrastination spot, or increase how often you are washing your bedding to at least once a week. Additionally, before making your bed in the morning, throw back the duvet to aerate. For a more thorough freshening hang it over your washing line outdoors – when the weather allows. The sun will help to kill bacteria too, so make the most of any sunshine.”
Letting dogs sleep with you
“Every dog owner is guilty of swearing they will never let their dog sleep in their bed until they fall victim to the puppy dog eyes. With dogs comes dirt and with dirt comes bacteria, and letting them sleep in or on your bed will most definitely be making it dirtier.”

“Of course, we don’t expect you to banish your dogs to the floor, so to keep your bed fresh and clean and both your and your dog’s health in check I’d recommend washing your bedding as often as possible. Washing your bedding weekly is recommended, but leaving it a little longer when it is just you sleeping in your bed is fine, however, if you are sharing your bed with a pup, then I’d advise not leaving it any longer than a week. ”
“Washing your bedding so regularly isn’t feasible for everyone, especially with the increased cost of water usage. So another option is to invest in a second set of bedding so that you can rotate and wash both sets of bedding together bi-weekly.”