Study shows almost half of single men have ’gross’ bed sheet habit

Ew. Photo / 123RF

Single guys have just admitted something that is most definitely not going to help their relationship status.

A British study looked at how often adults change their bed sheets, and single men were found to have “significantly worse hygiene than women”.

Almost half (45 per cent) of the UK’s single men admitted they wait up to four months to wash their bed sheets, while another 12 per cent said they wash them as and when they remember – which could be even longer.

Unsurprisingly, their bedding was changed more often once they were in a relationship, most likely because women perform the majority of household chores, according to a recent study by The Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The gross and concerning findings were originally shared by bedding retailer Pizuna, which commissioned the survey in April last year.

However, they were recently republished by the BBC, who called for the “shocking habit” to be ditched by single men in 2023.

As a result, social media erupted in disgust, as many women pointed out: “Maybe that’s why they’re single?”

“Huge red flag, I’d rather stay single,” one lamented.

“How about home economic classes for men so women don’t have to educate them!! Division of labour is still an issue,” another raged.

As one scoffed: “So you recommend dating men with partner? To be sure that sheets will be clean?”

Many men made light of the findings in the comments, teasing the study was single-handedly “shaming” them, while others joked they got “longer” with certain tricks.

“I get 8 months actually … just flip it over and it’s brand new … saves on water and electricity … just doing my bit for the planet,” one commented.

“You can get another four months if you turn it inside out,” another remarked.

As one went as far as to state: “When I was single, once a month. These days, my Mrs does the job.”

Some men took it for a joke. Photo / 123RF

However, the jovial attitude angered women even more, with some stating it highlighted common issues in heterosexual relationships.

“Notice the men’s comments are deflect, jokes and some other nonsense?! Go Google how to be a grown adult please,” one woman said.

“These clowns will die single because they don’t have the self-awareness needed to understand that the toilet isn’t gonna flush itself,” another stated.

“What’s wrong with so many men? Seems like plenty don’t follow basic hygiene, from simply washing hands after using the toilet to this,” another mused.

Even the guys got in on calling out the habit, labelling it “disgusting” and “dirty”.

“Come on guys, once every week at least,” one bloke declared.

“Not me! There’s no excuse for this,” another guy commented.

As one said: “Do better guys. This is filthy behaviour.”

The study determined women fared much better at changing their sheets more regularly, with 62 per cent cleaning their bedding every two weeks.

Meanwhile, couples claimed to do theirs every three weeks.

According to experts, we need to be washing our sheets every week as dead skin cells and body oils accumulate quickly, which can attract dust mites.