2024-01-18
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Oh, goodness. How are you supposed to know that your nightly pajamas could be toxic?

According to a study, hygiene experts believe that you are swimming in a mess of microorganisms by wearing your bedtime clothes as they put you at risk for cysts, allergies, infections and MRSA. "They are full of microorganisms," Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told MailOnline. "We all have skin and gut organisms that are usually not harmful on our skin and in our gut. But if they get into the wrong place they can cause problems."

What does she mean by the wrong places?

If you have any cuts or open wounds on the body, staphylococcus bacteria can get into your system if it is in your pajamas. You can get infected by the E-Coli bacteria that you carry around in your feces because it can get into your pajamas as well. "If they get into the urinary tract they can cause infection." With the average female waiting an average of 17 days to wash her jammies, no wonder we are subjecting ourselves to certain creepy bacteria. Men are not off the hook, it takes them 13 days to wash their clothes. 

Yuck, all those germs hiding in your clothes and sheets at night! Our parents were right to make sure we wash our clothes after so many days of wearing them. 

It gives bacteria a chance to grow.

Some people already have some staph bacteria on the skin. About 25 percent of people carry staph bacteria in the mouth, in the nose and or on the genitals without experiencing any kind of symptoms. Since this is an easy bacteria to pick up, it can grow in colonies and get inside the skin through cuts. Staph can cause pimples and rashes, but could also put the lining of the heart at risk. Washing your pajamas is essential since the fabric is exposed to these elements.

It causes pimples.

When microbes build up in your pajamas, they can transfer onto the skin and cause pimples. When the oils from your body and the dead skin cells start to grow in the folds of the fabric, they clog the pores causing pimples. However, they can also develop into sebaceous cysts which grow slowly on the back, neck, torso and the face.

It gives a breeding ground to dust mites.

Are you feeling itchy? Well, it could be that dust mites are living in and on your dirty pajamas. We shed enough skin to feed a million dust mites. These mites cause an estimated 20 million Americans to be allergic. "Dust mites are tiny microscopic relatives of the spider and live on mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, carpets," Medicine.net reported. The creatures feast on dead skin cells and they love your warm bed and your soiled clothes. Washing should get rid of most of these pests, but these microscopic creatures live in every home.
Washing clothing in hot water and pouring a half cup vinegar along with detergent in the wash should remove mites and other microorganisms.

It can transfer bacteria.

When you finally wash your pajamas, you could also risk infecting other articles of clothing. "When you put your pajamas in the wash if they get heavily contaminated with microbes, they will be transferred to all the other linen in the wash," Bloomfield added. It can be transferred to towels, sheets and other garments. Not only can it be transferred to clothing, but to people as well.

It makes you feel dirty.

Wearing dirty pajamas is counterproductive if you shower at night. You are putting dirt on a clean body and whatever is on your clothes will get absorbed into the skin. "Waking up and immediately changing out of your nightclothes and into your workwear can be an unpleasant feeling, like tracking dirt into a clean house," Littlethings.com shared. Not only will you feel dirty, but you will start to smell as the body sweats at night.

It causes allergies.

Dirty pajamas can cause respiratory complications and aggravate asthma. Dust allergy symptoms are similar to pollen allergies where the suffer will experience itchy eyes and watery eyes. According to WebMD, just "one piece of dust can contain pet dander, pieces of dead cockroaches and mold spores, along with dead skin and dust mites." When your pajamas are dirty they just add to allergy issues.

It tires the immune system.

While you are inviting all these germs in bed with you, it is causing the immune system to work harder. This could put you more at risk for the cold, for the flu and other viruses. "That means that you’re generally more likely to get sick. So if you pick up that stomach bug or case of flu you’ve been dreading, your pajamas might be to blame," Littlethings.com explained. To keep your immune strong, wash your PJ's and start taking vitamins like C and D3, and eating a healthy diet of vegetable and fruits. Drink plenty of water and cut back on caffeine and high-sugar drinks.

We bet you will never look at your pajamas the same again and we hope you don't. If you are careless about your washing your pajamas, it can really take a toll on your overall health. If you rather not wash them, think of the dust mites that you are inviting for dinner.

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