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40 Percent of People Only Wash This Clothing Item Once a Year, Survey Says

You might be wearing it daily, but you're probably not washing it nearly as often.

When it comes to our laundry habits, it seems many of us have a dirty little secret: we wash certain pieces of clothing and household items way less often than we should. Hammonds, a U.K.-based furniture company surveyed 2,000 adults about how often they washed their clothes and fabric home goods and found that some high-use items tend to be woefully neglected in the laundry room. People reported washing these items once per year or even less—despite warnings from experts that doing so is unsanitary, or even a health risk. For instance, 36 percent of people report cleaning their bedsheets once per year or less—meaning they accumulate a year's worth of dust, bacteria, skin cells, and even fungus. Yuck.

So, which clothing item is least likely to get regularly soaked and sudsed? Read on to find out which piece of clothing people typically wash the least.

RELATED: You Should Never Clean Your Toilet With This, Experts Warn.

12
Hoodies

woman wearing hoodie
Shutterstock

People who wash once a year or less: 13 percent

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11
Hats

multicolored winter hats
Shutterstock/LKorol

People who wash once a year or less: 14 percent

10
Pants

pants items you're storing wrong
Shutterstock

People who wash once a year or less: 14 percent

9
Sweaters

Woman choosing from rack of sweaters
Ira Shpiller/Shutterstock

People who wash once a year or less: 15 percent

8
Suits

Blue suit and brown shoes
Shutterstock/Vtmila

People who wash once a year or less: 17 percent

7
Jeans

blue denim jeans isolated
Shutterstock

People who wash once a year or less: 18 percent

6
Gloves

gray winter gloves with black snowflake pattern
Shutterstock/Jinga

People who wash once a year or less: 25 percent

5
Scarves

Woman in hat and scarf
Shutterstock

People who wash once a year or less: 28 percent

4
Bedsheets

Cotton sheets, bed, bedroom
Shutterstock

People who wash once a year or less: 30 percent

RELATED: 1 in 3 People Only Wash These Once a Year, Survey Says.

3
Cushion Covers

colorful pillow covers
Shutterstock/Africa Studio

People who wash once a year or less: 33 percent

2
Blankets

stack of blankets on bed
Shutterstock/Kostikova Natalia

People who wash once a year or less: 36 percent

1
Coats

coats on a rack
Shutterstock/omiksovsky

People who wash once a year or less: 38 percent

RELATED: Stop Washing This Every Time You Shower, Doctors Say.

Lauren Gray
Lauren Gray is a New York-based writer, editor, and consultant. Read more
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