Socks can be dirtier than a DOORMAT, study finds trends now
If you go to bed without taking your socks off at night, a new study may make you reconsider.
Socks that are worn to bed after a full day of use are dirtier than a TV remote and even a doormat, scientists report following lab experiments.
Among the bacteria found on socks was E.coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen commonly found on cockroaches and in their faecal droppings.
The scientists agree that wearing socks to bed can be the key to getting a good night's sleep as they help regulate your body temperature.
But they stress that it's important to put a new pair on right before bed, rather than sleeping in the pair that you've worn throughout the day.
A new study conducted by MattressNextDay has revealed that people are wearing socks to bed that are dirtier than a doormat
The new study was led by MattressNextDay and Dr Deborah Lee, a health specialist and medical writer at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy.
Our feet have around 250,000 sweat glands, so if you wear your socks from waking up to the next day, moisture can build up and the bacteria and other microorganisms start to grow as a result.
'At night, the bed is warm, and you are sweating, so this is an ideal breeding ground for pathogens, such as pseudomonas, staphylococcus aureus and E.coli,' said Dr Lee.
'I would recommend getting into bed in clean pyjamas and a clean pair of bed socks – if you choose to wear socks in bed.'
Before the experiments took place, MattressNextDay conducted polls on Reddit to establish whether wearing socks in bed is even a common practice.
Out of 1,017 people who voted, just 18 per cent said they do sleep in socks – but only 30 per cent of those that do change their socks before getting into bed.
For the experiments, MattressNextDay swabbed eight male and female socks that had been worn from 7am to 11pm.
Each person wore the same socks whilst wearing shoes, exercising and generally going about their everyday routine.
The experts also swabbed a doormat and TV remote for a comparison.
They found four of the socks carried Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the same bacteria that can be found on cockroaches and in their faecal droppings.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is described as an opportunistic pathogen often found in soil and ground water. Pictured, Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonies on an agar plate
Although
