Poll: Britons sleeping with dirty sheets

LONDON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A British company said its survey suggests more than half a million people in the country only wash their bed sheets an average three times per year.

Insurance company Sheilas' Wheels said its poll found London residents were the guiltiest of washing their linens only thrice yearly, with nearly a quarter admitting to the practice, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

The company said 8 percent of Northern Ireland respondents admitted the same unhygienic practice, while one in six said they wash their sheets once a month.

"With the cold weather making our beds more irresistible than ever, Brits are currently spending more than 49 hours a week sleeping in," Sheilas' Wheels spokeswoman Jacky Brown said. "The bed is one of the most used and expensive items in the home. So it's astonishing that more people aren't keeping it clean, with many beds being used as an alternative to the kitchen table for a place to breakfast or snack."