Up next
Is Netflix adding ads?
As a reformed slob, I’m unsurprised that half of single men in the UK leave linen unwashed for months on end
The revelation that almost half of single men don’t change their bed sheets for up to four months conjures memories and smells from my former life as a slob, although I doubt many of today’s bachelors are as bad as I was. At 22, I didn’t need to change sheets because I slept on a bare mattress. I did very little laundry, in part because each week I bought five pairs of socks for a pound from Primark and tossed them into the bin, which I rarely emptied, after one wear.
At the same time, I knew this behaviour wasn’t healthy, and I don’t believe anyone really wants to live in filth. I felt embarrassed by my untidiness without addressing it. Towards the end of my first year at university, there were room inspections at our halls of residence and I was told, in front of my flatmates, that mine was disgusting. I had 24 hours to fix the problem, pending a second inspection, so I ran around Leeds, buying disinfectant, air fresheners and sheets, feeling sick with shame.
Max Liu is a freelance writer
