Considering that pajamas are clothes you wear only when sleeping, you might believe they do not need frequent washing. Some people wear the same pajamas even for weeks because they only wear them in bed, and they regard this environment as clean and bacteria-free. However, is it okay to wear the same pajamas every night, or should you change them often, even if you wear them only when sleeping?
According to the American Cleaning Institute and various hygiene research, pajamas should be changed after three or four days. However, if you sweat excessively during the night, or you wear your pajamas the whole day at your home, then you might consider changing them even more frequently.
Pajamas are clothes that you wear when sleeping, so assuming that they are clean most of the time is a common thing to do. However, pajamas require frequent change, and you should know when it is most appropriate to wash them. Here, you will read all about the recommendations for changing and cleaning pajamas and how you can maintain good hygiene when sleeping.
Is It Okay To Wear The Same Pajamas Every Night?
If you wear your pajamas only while sleeping, you might think you won’t need to change them regularly. Your pajamas might still have the fresh smell of detergent even after one week, so you might believe that they are always clean and they are safe for use every night. This is a common belief, and people tend to sleep in the same pajamas even for weeks before washing them, so if you have the same opinion, you should know that you are not the only one.
However, pajamas are an important part of hygiene, and you should know the proper ways of keeping them in a clean condition. Even though you might wear them only in bed, you still spend at least six hours in them when sleeping. That is six hours of a certain type of clothing on your skin, which sheds and changes over the night.
Therefore, proper hygiene steps need to be considered to maintain a good and clean environment even when sleeping. In other words, your pajamas also need frequent washing, and you need to consider them as you do with your casual clothes. There are different recommendations about how often you should wash your pajamas, so you might get confused about which recommendation you should take seriously.
However, when in doubt, you should always go for the recommendations from real research and studies because their primary task is to study the best ways to use something. Therefore, when it comes to hygiene and pajamas, you should consider the advice given by credible institutions. This kind of advice is usually the most accurate and beneficial for hygiene routines.
So, according to the American Cleaning Institute, pajamas should be washed and changed every three to four days, i.e., after three to four times after wearing them consecutively. This recommendation
is given assuming that you do not wear your pajamas the whole day around the house. If you tend to wear your pajamas as your comfortable attire when home, you should consider washing them even more often.
You need to remember that although you wear your pajamas only around your home, a place that you consider clean and healthy for yourself, you still shed skin all the time, and bacteria are easily spread on the clothes you are wearing. Therefore, you must change your clothes often, so your skin would have the opportunity to change and shed healthily. The shedding happens especially during the night, so clean pajamas are a must.
How Often Should You Change Your Pajamas?
You have probably heard the saying, “Every day that you can stay in your pajamas is a good day.” However, to make the “good day” actually good, you need to think about hygiene and change your pajamas as frequently as you can. In other words, keeping pajama hygiene is of crucial importance for your health and well-being.
Some people go to extremes and tend to change their pajamas every day. However, that is not something you should necessarily do unless you are sweating extremely over the night or you are sick at the moment when you wear them. So, as I mentioned above, the recommended way to change pajamas would be to wear the same pajamas three or four times.
Nonetheless, if you have the habit of having a shower every night before you go to bed, you can extend the period between washes. In addition, if you do this and wear your pajamas only when you go to sleep, you might be able to wear the same pajamas five to seven times before you wash them again. This way, you will even be able to notice the freshness of your pajamas if you only wear them for sleeping, so you might easily decide when it would be appropriate to change them.
This is the recommend routine that most people use when it comes to washing and changing pajamas. However, you should also consider the type of your skin when you are trying to decide when you should wash your pajamas. For instance, you might not sweat while sleeping, but you might have oily skin, meaning that your skin will sweat throughout the night.
If this is your case, then you might consider changing your pajamas every other day. This will prevent bacteria and odors from spreading on your skin as well as your bedsheets. Also, this will contribute to the freshness of your sleeping routine and the quality of sleep you get in a night.
Washing your pajamas is not only good for the hygiene in your bed, but also for the hygiene around the house, as well as the people who live with you. Clean clothes contribute to the prevention of the occurrence of bugs and odors around your home. You might have never thought about this, but pajamas play a crucial role in the general hygiene of yourself and your home.
How Should You Wash Your Pajamas?
Usually, when you buy pajamas, they include a label with directions for proper washing. However, some people tend to wash clothes according to the general rules for particular fabrics. Whatever way you choose to follow, you need to consider the fabrics of your pajamas.
Some fabrics might be delicate and sensitive, so you must wash them carefully to avoid ruining their materials or shapes. Also, when you are not washing clothes properly, it might shrink their fabrics, which can commonly happen with pajamas. If you tend to buy expensive pajamas with unique designs, you would not want this to happen to them, so make sure that you follow the directions given on the pajama label.
Some pajamas do not have labels that have washing instructions. Therefore, I have provided some simple rules for different fabrics. This way, you will be on the safe side, and you will know that you are not ruining your pajamas when you wash them. Washing machines can sometimes be cruel to some fabrics; therefore, following general washing rules might save them.
Cotton Pajamas
Cotton pajamas are the easiest to wash in the washing machine since they are pretty durable and cannot be easily damaged. Also, you might include them with your regular laundry, so you do not have to separate them into a special pile of clothes for washing. In addition, they quickly dry up naturally in warm weather, especially in summer.
Flannel Pajamas
If you wear flannel pajamas during the colder days, then washing them might include different rules. They are not complicated for washing, but you have to know that turning them inside out might prevent them from pilling. Flannel is not a delicate fabric, like silk, but turning them inside can preserve their original material.
Lingerie Pajamas
Lingerie pajamas are more delicate, and you should consider separating them from your regular clothes. Usually, lingerie pajamas include lace and similar sensitive materials; therefore, making a particular pile for washing is of great necessity. So, make sure that you use a large mesh bag for these kinds of pajamas not to damage the fabrics and adequately preserve the shapes.
Silk Pajamas
Silk pajamas are the most delicate and the most expensive of all. As you may already know, silk clothes require dry cleaning, so washing your silk pajamas in the washing machine is not an option. This is why many people avoid buying silk pajamas, at least not so often.
So, these are the general instructions when it comes to fabrics. Other additional things that you might want to consider are the detergents you are using in the process and what other types of clothes you can include when you are washing your sleepwear in the washing machine.
Therefore, if you tend to sweat a lot during the night or you have oily skin that might leave some spots and marks on your pajamas, you should consider using a heavy-duty detergent for the washing. When it comes to separating clothes for washing, you can consider washing your pajamas with some pairs of jeans or some bath towels or robes. This is a safe way for washing your sleepwear, so you would know that you will not cause any damage to the fabrics.
Is Wearing The Same Pajamas Every Night Unhealthy?
If you opt for wearing the same pajamas every night, you might be faced with the risk of developing infections. For instance, not changing your pajamas frequently might lead to a common skin bacteria staph infection. This bacteria is easily washed off the skin when people change their clothes and have regular showers.
On the other hand, if regular hygiene of changing clothes and having showers is not properly taken, you can let the bacteria spread and multiply on your skin. You can also make it possible for the bacteria to enter your skin if you have some open wounds, like cuts. This usually happens when you wear the same pajamas for sleeping and throughout the day without changing them.
Bacteria can easily live in fabrics and quite easily spread on the skin. Pajamas are the easiest link for germs to spread all over your home. For instance, if someone from your household is sick, you will likely get sick as well since the germs have entered multiple fabrics around the house.
That is why washing your pajamas is of crucial importance. Also, this is why you should not wear your pajamas when you go to the store to buy something quickly. You might not be ashamed to leave your house in your pajamas, but you have to think about your health and hygiene.
Another thing that might be considered risky when it comes to pajamas is irritating the skin, which is particularly important for children with sensory sensitivities. Wearing the same pajamas many days in a row can cause irritation and itchiness to your skin, so frequent washing is of crucial importance to avoid this unpleasant occurrence.
As you can see, wearing the same pajamas every night is not okay, and you need to take frequent washing seriously and changing your sleepwear. You might not need to change your pajamas each day, but make sure that you pay attention to the periods between their washing.
Sources
- https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/cleaning-tips/clothes/laundry-basics/do-i-need-wash
- https://www.sfgate.com/shopping/article/how-often-should-you-wash-your-pajamas-15297534.php
- https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/how-often-should-i-wash-pyjamas
- https://www.moms.com/change-pajamas-rules-expert-advice/