New research has revealed that people are wearing socks to bed that are ‘dirtier than a toilet’. According to a study conducted by MattressNextDay, experts discovered the same bacteria found on cockroaches and their faecal droppings on people's bed socks.
As part of the analysis, researchers swabbed different people’s socks that were worn from 7am to 11pm. Each person wore the same socks while wearing shoes, exercising, and going about their everyday routine.
They then swabbed a doormat and TV remote to compare the bacteria found in these germ-ridden hotspots to reveal which was more filthy. The test results confirmed that the bacteria on the socks and the doormat were the same, suggesting that they were just as dirty as each other.
In previous studies, a TV remote has been dubbed as ‘dirtier than a toilet’. However MattressNextDay’s findings reveal that the socks of the participants were even dirtier than a TV remote - meaning people are potentially spreading bacteria in an area where they spend a third of their life.
The swab analysis also showed that people’s socks are likely to feature the same bacteria found on cockroaches and their faecal droppings - known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Dr Deborah Lee at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy said: "Pseudomonas infection only poses a threat to those who are immunocompromised, such as people with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, burns, cancer, organ transplant recipients and newborn babies. We need to keep pseudomonas levels under control to protect this portion of the population who are vulnerable."
Additional research by MattressNextDay also found that only 30 per cent of people change their socks before getting into bed.
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Dr Deborah Lee added: "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. I would recommend getting into bed in clean pyjamas and a clean pair of bed socks - if you choose to wear socks in bed.”
