This is what happens when you don't wash your sheets - and it's disgusting

No one likes to do the chores, but sometimes there's a really good reason why you should

It's common sense that we need to change our sheets but if you've been holding off the chore you might want to consider this laundry expert's warning.

There's a important and really gross reason why you should be changing them fairly regularly.

Laundry expert for about.com, Mary Marlowe, told ATTN that it isn't just about sweating and dry skin, there's something more digusting.

She said: "During sleep, we continue to perspire, and body oils and soil are released. It is possible to find saliva, urine, genital fluids, and fecal matter in the fibers."

If that wasn't enough to encourage you to change the bed linens she explains further.

"If the [linens] are not washed regularly, and the occupant has scratches or wounds, they can be come infected," she said.

"Athlete's foot and other fungi can be transferred from fabrics. Infrequent cleaning of sheets and pillowcases allows the fluids to seep into the pillows and mattresses, and those are MUCH more difficult to clean than tossing sheets in the washer."

ATTN has previously reported that millions of dust mines are living in your bed, waiting to eat your dead skin flakes and make your mattress heavier over time.

Dust mites are loving unwashed sheets

Their faeces is not great for those with asthma or allergies either - but all of this can be prevented by regularly washing the sheets, Leverette said.

"The excrement of the mites can cause breathing problems for those with allergies and asthma, but can easily be removed by washing in hot water.

"By not washing linens frequently, the oils and fluids build up and embed in the fibers, making them much more difficult to remove."

She also has a warning for those of us who think a quick wash is the way forward.

"If you have ever pulled some sheets from the linen closet, and they smell slightly rancid and stale, that is body soil left in the fibers because the sheets were not cleaned thoroughly."

Leverette recommends washing the sheets once a week to avoid such rancid smells, and a generally gross bed.

She suggests using the hottest water recommended for the fabric, and if the weather is hot and you've been sweating a lot - or you're ill - she says to wash the duvet cover and sheets more frequently.

*runs to put the wash on*