When you come home, do you go and sit on your bed in the same clothes you were wearing all day? Perhaps you even lay under the covers in them. Well, you may want to stop doing that. According to experts, wearing your outside clothes on the bed invites all kinds of germs, bacteria, and other unwanted things to where you sleep all night. (1)
Why You Shouldn’t Wear Outside Clothes On Your Bed
Wearing outside clothes on your bed is just a bad idea. Think about it: You’ve been wearing them all day. You’ve sat on public transit, a park bench, and your office chair. Likely parts of your clothes have even touched the bathroom floor. Just as you shouldn’t wear your shoes inside for the same reason, you should change your clothes before snuggling under the covers. If not, all the bacteria and germs you’ve been collecting all day are now snuggling under there with you.
“As much as I’d like to say, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ the fact is we live in urban societies and in an urban environment. The majority of microbial species — viruses, bacteria, and fungi — are coming from other humans,” Jason Tetro, microbiology researcher, explained. “If you’re on the commuter bus, train, subway, at day care, school, or work you can pick up all sorts of bacteria and possibly viruses and fungi from other people and then bring them home.” (2)
The reality is, these germs and bacteria can live on your clothes for a really long time – sometimes for days.
What Kind Of Germs Can You Find On Your Clothes?
There are millions of different kinds of germs and bacteria that you will find on your clothes even after just a few hours outside. Some of them are harmless, however, some can be quite dangerous. Examples of these are:
- Staphylococcus – This is an infection often found on the skin or in the nose.
- Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) – This is an infection that causes infections in various parts of the body. It is resistant to many antibiotics.
- Acinetobacter – This bacteria causes a respiratory infection that can often lead to pneumonia.
All of this said the threat of catching an infection from your clothes isn’t actually that high. First of all, there is a difference between how long bacteria is detectable on a surface and how infectious it is. The infectious rate of bacteria on surfaces drops quite quickly.
Even New Clothes Have Bacteria
Just because you buy something brand new, doesn’t mean there aren’t bacteria on it. Think about it: Likely at least a few people have tried on that clothing item before you. They’ve pulled it over their head (aka eyes, nose, and mouth). It’s likely touched the floor, where bacteria-ridden shoes have been. Just because you’re taking the tag off, doesn’t mean the item is squeaky-clean. You should always wash an item when you bring it home from the store before wearing it.
What Should You Do?
So, does this mean you should completely strip down, wash, and disinfect your clothes every time you enter the house? No – not only is that not a sustainable habit, but it is also not necessary. As already said, the chances of you contracting something from your clothes are not actually that high. (3)
Still, it is a good idea to not sit on or lay in your bed in your street clothes. After all, don’t you want your bedsheets to be as clean as possible? Changing your clothes when you get home can also help your skin stay cleaner and healthier. We shed millions of skin cells every day, and many of those cells and oils get stuck in our clothes. Change when you get home, and all of that acne and skin problem-causing gunk is no longer sitting on your skin.
Keep Reading: People Who Struggle to Get Out of Bed May Be More Intelligent, Evidence Suggests.
Sources
- “How Clean Are Your New Clothes? Find Out” ABC News. Andrea Canning, Rich McHugh.
- “Should You Change Clothes When You Get Home to Get Rid of Germs?” Healthline. Cathy Cassata.
- “Should I wash my clothes after I go outside to prevent coronavirus infection?” Inquirer. Jonathan Lai.