NEXT time you climb into bed, consider who else might be lurking under the covers with you.

New research reveals 30% wouldn’t change their pillows if they had a new partner - which means many of us are sleeping on a former lover’s bodily fluids.

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Sweat, saliva and dead skin cells are soaked up every night into our pillows, duvets and bedding.

Gross enough, but a survey by bedding company sleepypeople.com, reveals that those living in Lancashire think nothing of hanging onto pillows long after relationships have finished.

Almost 22% of us admit that their new partner is currently sleeping on pillows slept on by a former lover.

On average people keep their pillows for more than two years, but 43% NEVER washed their pillows, with 49% feeling that simply changing the pillow cases and sheets is adequate to keeping their bed fresh.

Although almost everyone (95%) knew about the unseen horrors that can breed in the warm and cosy environment of the bed, people would only consider picking up a new pillow if their existing pillow has become lumpy (65%), looks stained (49%) or fails to pass the ‘sniff test’ (43%).

Washing your ex out of your hair might be easy, but getting them out of your bed is more tricky, with 30% admitting they don’t know the best way to wash bedding – FYI, you should wash two pillows at a time, with warm water and gentle detergent, followed by two spin cycles and then tumble dried with tennis balls in (clean) socks to help fluff them back up!

Paul Coulter, from sleepypeople.com, comments: “Clean pillowcases and sheets aren’t enough to remove an ex from your bed as so much of their skin and sweat will have seeped into your pillows. It’s hardly conducive to a good night’s sleep - for you or your new partner.

“Some people are uncomfortable discussing their past in a new relationship, so you definitely don’t want an ex hanging around in your bedding every night.”