Medical Microbiology lecturer Manal Mohammed says you shouldn’t be sleeping in your bed. The London-based microbiologist warns that your bed is the dirtiest spot in your home and that all the sweat, saliva, dandruff, and dead skins cells people leave behind after a night’s sleep is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a less-than-cleanly bed.

The study author explains that the best thing to do to keep your bed clean is to wash early and often. It may be tough for most people wash their sheets every day, but airing out your sheets every morning can be helpful. Pulling back the covers and exposing the sheets to air makes your bed a less attractive nesting spot for germs and bugs.