How often do you wash your bed sheets? It's a question that will either divide folks or bring them together depending on the answer.

Whether you love sleeping on fresh linen or don't care either way, we can all agree that it can be a bit of a pain loading up the washing machine and taking up a chunk of space on the clothes horse. But for those of us who find the task to be one that can be put off, we regret to inform you that according to the experts, you should be putting your sheets in the wash much more often than you would think. Speaking to Glamour, Nicole Ruth MD, a dermatology expert said that stripping your bed should be a weekly chore to prevent the build-up of bacteria, fungi and dust amongst many other things. [caption id="attachment_589167" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Credit: Getty[/caption] "If you don't change your sheets regularly you will most likely be sleeping with things other than your partner," she explained. "Our sheets become a home for dead skin cells, dust mites, food particles and many different types of bacteria. "The combination of all these things hanging out in your sheets can even trigger some nasty allergies in patients." Especially if you have a pre-existing skin condition such as eczema, any irritants or bacteria lurking between the covers could cause a flare-up. But if you just can't find the time to put on a big wash, you could potentially stretch it out to every two weeks if you have a high level of personal hygiene such as showering regularly and removing all makeup before bed though she does recommend at least changing your pillowcases every week. There's bad news for anyone who shares their bed with a furry friend, according to Nicole you should be swapping out your sheets every three to four days.

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