People with life experience will find that pillows used by men are more prone to yellowing than those used by women, especially white pillows. Over time, women’s pillows may not appear dirty while men’s pillows clearly turn yellow, giving an unsanitary impression and requiring frequent washing. It’s important to understand the reasons behind this issue and adopt effective methods to keep pillows clean. So, why do men’s pillows turn yellow?
Indeed, men’s pillows are more prone to yellowing compared to women’s, and even bed sheets exhibit this phenomenon. Even with daily bathing and hair washing, these marks persist due to physiological factors unique to men.
Men tend to have more active sweat glands, engaging in outdoor work during the day and potentially exercising at night to promote health. It’s challenging to stay completely sweat-free, and environmental factors during sleep can also lead to sweating. Increased sweat production due to active sweat glands can easily soil bed sheets and pillows.
Pillows turning yellow due to frequent sweating indicate poor hygiene. Therefore, it’s advisable to shower before sleeping to maintain cleanliness, regulate indoor temperature and humidity for better sleep quality, and reduce sweating.
In addition, sebum is secreted by sebaceous glands and is generally pale yellow; upon oxidation in the air, it turns noticeably yellow. Sebaceous glands are mostly concentrated on the chest, back, armpits, head, and face.
The secretion of sebum is regulated by androgens, with men producing androgens several times higher than women, leading to continuous sebum production and yellowing of pillows.
How to keep pillows clean?
1. Regular washing
To address yellowing pillows, regular washing is essential. Use powerful detergents focusing on targeted hand washing for thorough cleaning, followed by timely drying. Due to men’s vigorous sebum production and sweating, it’s recommended to wash pillows and bed sheets every two weeks to reduce dust mite growth and prevent bacterial accumulation.
2. Shower after sweating before sleep
If sweating due to activities or exercise at night, it’s crucial to shower before sleeping rather than going to bed unwashed. Some men, exhausted from work during the day and evening exercise, might skip cleaning and directly fall asleep. Post-sexual activity fatigue may also lead to direct sleeping without proper hygiene, potentially contaminating the pillows. To safeguard health and hygiene, wash hair and body before sleeping to minimize contamination of pillows and bed sheets.
