Are You Washing Your Pajamas Enough? Laundry Experts Say Probably Not

If you tend to rewear your PJs, a laundry expert has a word of caution for you.

When it comes to laundering pajamas, it seems that people fall into one of two camps: There are those who wouldn’t think about wearing their pajamas more than one night without washing them. Then, there are those who are comfortable with the idea of wearing them multiple nights in a row—or even up to a week.

If you fall into the last camp, we’re not here to judge. But there are reasons you might want to be more mindful about how long you go without washing your pajamas. Sleeping in dirty clothes can increase your risk of exposure to allergens such as dust mites, cause you to develop or exacerbate chronic skin conditions due to bacteria buildup, and amplify body odor—all of which can be avoided if you launder your pajamas more frequently.

How often you need to do so might depend on your specific lifestyle, habits, and even your body. With the help of a laundry expert, we’ll walk you through the factors to consider when deciding how often to wash your pajamas. Plus, we’ll reveal solutions for extending their cleanliness so you can focus more on your beauty sleep and less on the laundry piling up.

Related: The 10 Best Bamboo Pajamas of 2024

How Often You Should Wash Pajamas

“Pajamas are our comfort zone,” says Wendy Saladyga, stain expert and senior manager of technical performance for Henkel, who produces All Free Clear laundry products. “How often you wash your pajamas really comes down to preference and habits,” she adds. In other words, to each their own.

Some of the factors that can affect how dirty your pajamas get include:

• Going to sleep without showering (even if you didn’t necessarily break a sweat all day)
• Generously applying body lotions, oils, or tanning products right before bed
• Doubling pajamas as loungewear, or wearing them for an extended period of time while awake
• Being a naturally hot sleeper or frequently experiencing hot flashes
• Wearing pajamas while sick with anything, from a common cold to a nasty flu
• Eating or drinking (and spilling) things on your pajamas

The material of your pajamas and whether or not you wear underwear with them can also impact the cleanliness of your sleepwear as well. For example, synthetic fabrics like polyester tend to retain moisture and odors more quickly than cotton or silk. So, to honestly answer the question of how often you should wash your pajamas, you’ll need to assess your overall lifestyle.

“Those who run hot or have hot flashes and sweat through their pajamas every night will likely want to wash after each wear,” Saladyga says. On the other hand, “If you shower before bed and you still feel fresh and clean in the morning, go ahead and wear your pajamas more than one night in a row.”

Similar to how experts suggest washing your sheets once per week for maximum hygiene, most advise going no more than three to four pajama wears before tossing them in the laundry. Note that if you’re getting over a sickness, they should be washed immediately to eliminate germs.

Related: How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets? Probably More Than You Think

Laundry Tips to Make Your Pajamas Last Longer

Even if you think three to four nights is reasonable, you might need or want to drag out the time between washes occasionally. Here are some ways you can keep pajamas cleaner for longer:

• Look for breathable, moisture-wicking sets, such as pajamas made with bamboo.
• Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, and switch to cooling sheets to decrease sweat.
• While it won’t directly keep pajamas clean, using a top sheet can also help regulate body temperature.
• Shower at the end of your day, but go easy on applying body products at night.
• Limit the amount of time you wear PJs outside of bed, and especially refrain from wearing them outdoors. As Saladyga points out, “If you like to have your morning coffee al fresco, don’t forget that pollen can adhere to your clothes and follow you to bed at night.”
• Consider banning your beloved pets from sleeping with you. The dirt and germs they track in, plus the hair they shed, can easily wind up all over your pajamas when you’re cuddling mid-slumber.

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