A great pajama debate has started on TikTok leaving users with strong feelings about this question: How often should you change your pajamas? TikTok creator Allison Delperdang sparked the debate after having a realization that not everyone wears or rewears their pajamas more than once. “I need to know if people wear pajamas like multiple times in a row,” she said in a now-viral TikTok video.
@allisondelperdang what are adults doing these days? Asking for a friend… #pajamas #laundry #sleep #sleepover #adulting #adult #DoritosTriangleTryout
Delperdang explained that when she was younger, her parents made her wear her PJs multiple days in a row, “because they weren’t dirty and I still do that as an adult.”
She ended the video by asking, “I need to know as adults are we still doing that or should I be literally making dirty clothes every single night? Are we wearing pajamas multiple nights? What’s the situation?”
Not surprisingly, the Internet has some thoughts about this. Delperdang’s comment section was flooded with shocked opinions, most people never having asked themselves this question or never realizing there was another way to live.
“I am 59 years old and I’ve never thought to ask this question,” one user commented. “Wait. There’s people that DON’T wear their pjs multiple nights in a row???” another user astonishingly asked.
On the other side of the debate, one commenter explained that she changed her pajamas daily because she lived in a tropical climate, so there was “lots of sweating.”
Commenters seemed to fall into two main camps: Those who are strictly Team Rewear Your PJs, and those who change them every day. We polled our coworkers at Sleepopolis and found them to be divided on the issue.
A few firmly said they thought washing their PJs once a week was plenty. “I thought once per week was the norm!? Is anyone washing their PJs EVERY SINGLE NIGHT?” Daisy wrote.
“It just sounds like a lot of laundry,” Lauren responded. “I don’t know if I’d be up for that.”
Meghan estimated that she washes her PJs once every three days or so, while another coworker, Rachel, noted that she splits the difference by wearing the same pair of sweatpants to bed for a few nights in a row but changing her t-shirt each night.
“A ‘pair’ for me is the given sweatpants and t-shirt I’ve decided to grab (so roughly threeish different fits per week),” she said. “We do laundry once per week in the house. I own many t-shirts – probably too many.”
Two more coworkers – who shall remain anonymous – pointed out that our poll didn’t take into account people who sleep naked – but we’d argue they aren’t a part of the pajama debate since they don’t have to change any clothes. (But if you do sleep naked, it’s a good idea to wash your sheets frequently.)
Like the TikTok commenters, a few teammates pointed out that it can be gross to sweat into your PJ shirt and then wear it over and over again. Most agreed that unless you sweat profusely, though, pajama pants are probably good for at least a few days to a week before washing.
Okay, So What’s the Answer? How Often Should You Wash or Change Your Pajamas?
This debate ultimately comes down to your personal preference and some factors like the amount you sweat at night.
Martha Stewart told the Today Show that she is Team Daily Pajamas, saying, “I absolutely suggest you wash your pajamas, your nightgowns, your underwear, whatever you sleep in, every day.”
On the other hand, the American Cleaning Institute has stated you should wash your pajamas every three to four wears, but if you shower before bed, you could get some additional pajama wears in.
Unsurprisingly, the expert consensus seems to be that if you sweat profusely you probably should wash your PJs every day or cycle through different pairs.
“When deciding how often to wash your pajamas, consider how close in contact they have been with your skin and how much you’ve perspired while wearing them,” Gwen Whiting, co-founder of The Laundress, told Real Simple. “If you wear your pajamas to bed and change out of them in the morning, you can probably get away with a couple of wears before naturally occurring body oils, perspiration, and bacteria begin to build up in the fabric, all of which can lead to odor.”
Join the debate by letting us know how often you change your pajamas.
Do you wear your pajamas multiple times in a row or change them every night? ? ?
— Sleepopolis (@sleepopolis) January 27, 2024