Nothing beats the luxury of getting into bed when you have nice, clean, fresh bedding. But with our busy lifestyles, sometimes it can be hard to find the time to give yourself this luxury. On the other hand, it’s important to wash your bedding regularly, but just how often should you wash your bedding?
The short answer is that it depends. For example, sheets need to be washed more regularly than pillows and duvets. Your lifestyle will also affect how often you need to wash your bedding. If you allow pets in your bed or you eat in bed, you’ll need to wash your bedding more regularly. If you have allergies then you may also have to wash your bedding more often. However, if you use protectors you may not need to wash parts of your bedding very regularly. There are so many factors, but keeping your bedding clean is vital for hygienic reasons.
Unfortunately, your bedding doesn’t stay clean for long and you end up harbouring all sorts of unwanted guests in bed with you – much of them you can’t see either. Think dirt, sweat, body oils, skin cells, and dust mites. They all build up. Dust mites are so small, they aren’t visible to the naked eye. They feed on dead skin cells, but they don’t bite. However, they can cause allergic reactions.
How often to wash your bedding
How to and how often to wash your bedding differs for each person and each type of bedding. However, there are some basic ideals to try to stick to:
Change your sheets every other week
Although a poll by the National Sleep Foundation in 2012 found that 91% of people change their sheets every other week, this is not enough. Sheets should be changed and washed once a week, although other factors may affect this.
As time can be an issue when trying to change your sheets every week, ensure you have several sets. That way when you change your bedding, you don’t have to wait around for the ones you have taken off to wash and dry.
When washing your sheets, be sure to wash at least 60 °C. Washing at any lower temperatures will get rid of any dirt, but it will not kill pathogens, You’ll just be giving dust mites a bath at lower temperatures. Drying bedding in sunlight is also a good idea, if you can, as the UV light helps to kill micro-organisms.
Wash your duvets twice a year
Duvets should be washed at least twice a year. Check that your duvet is machine washable and your machine’s drum capacity before washing your duvet at home though. This might be one for a launderette or dry cleaners.
Another factor is to make sure that you dry your duvet as quickly as possible. This is especially important if they have a natural fibre filling, as they hold moisture and can become smelly if they’re left damp.
Wash your pillows every three months
Like duvets, pillows should be washed at least twice a year. However, as up to a third of the weight of your pillow can be made up of dead skin, bugs, dust mites and more, a more regular wash can be beneficial. An average unwashed pillow can contain sixteen species of fungi. Therefore washing every three months is a good idea. It can also be a good idea to choose hypoallergenic pillows which will massively improve hygiene.
Make sure you wash your pillows at a minimum of 60 °C and, like duvets, dry them quickly and thoroughly.
Wash mattress protectors every two months
Mattress protectors help to extend the life of your mattress and so should be cared for too. It is recommended that you wash a mattress protector every two months. Though you may need to wash this more often if spillages occur, or if you allow pets on the bed.
Clean your mattress every couple of months
Depending on the filling of your mattress, you may be able to give your mattress a clean by vacuuming it. Though be sure to check the manufacturer’s care guide for your mattress. Just be sure to use an upholstery attachment and use the lowest suction setting. If your care instructions for your mattress allow this, vacuum every couple of months. You can also clean your bed frame too.
Bedding hygiene between washes
If you can’t find the time to change and wash your bedding as often as you’d like, there are ways to help keep your sheets clean between washing, such as:
- Don’t allow pets in the bed
- Shower before going to bed
- Don’t put on lotions before bed
- Remove make-up and wash your face before bed
- Don’t eat or drink in bed
Although this will not kill any germs or dust mites, it will help to keep your bedding feeling clean in between washes.
In summary, for optimum cleanliness, you should wash sheets once a week, or at the very least every two weeks, mattress protectors every couple of months, pillows every three months, and duvets a couple of times a year.
Source: https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/often-wash-bedding/