How Often Should You Clean Your Bed Sheets?
Most of us spend 49 to 60 hours or more sleeping in our beds every week. That’s a lot of time to receive the rest our bodies require to recharge, but it’s also a lot of time for sweat, dirt, oil, and other crud to accumulate on our sheets and bedding.
In many facets of life, proper cleanliness is crucial. It’s maybe more significant than you realize regarding our bedding. Dirty linens, if not cleaned regularly, can lead to allergies, skin breakouts, asthma, and other health problems. It’s critical to keep things clean for your health and sleep quality – but how often should you wash your sheets?
How Frequently Should You Wash Your Bedroom Sheets?
The majority of individuals should wash their bedding once a week. If you don’t use your mattress every day, you might be able to reduce this to once every two weeks or so.
Some people should wash their linens more frequently than once per week. If you have pets, especially if you allow them to lie on your bed, you should wash them every 3-4 days. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, it may be worthwhile to experiment with washing your bedding more often to see if your symptoms improve.
It’s also a good idea to wash your linens more frequently during the hot summer because you’ll likely get more sweat on them. Likewise, if you, or someone you share your bed with, have seasonal allergies in the spring or summer, washing bedding more frequently may help alleviate symptoms.
Why Is It Necessary to Wash Your Bed Sheets?
It may appear like washing sheets once a week and making your bed daily is overkill, but it is well worth your effort. Even after only a few days, bed linens can amass significant levels of:
- Dead skin cells Dirt
- Body lotions
- Sweat
- Dust mites
While most of us can accept sleeping in our dirt and sweat to some extent, this final thing causes many of us the most concern.
Dust mites are tiny critters that are abundant in most homes. They do not bite, but they can cause skin rashes and irritation and aggravate allergy symptoms in many individuals.
Dust mites proliferate rapidly and may survive entirely on dead skin cells. Dust mites can number in the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, in your mattress and bedding at any given moment. Even if you aren’t allergic to dust mites, you don’t want millions of them in your bed. Washing bedding regularly might help.
How to Clean Bed Sheets
We know that bed sheets should be cleaned once a week, but how should they be washed?
1. Carefully read the product label to determine if there are any particular care recommendations.
2. Wash with the warmest water recommended per the label (cotton can typically handle hot water, while some other materials like polyester should be washed warm).
3. Machine wash with a mild detergent.
4. If you have sensitive skin, rinse the sheets again to eliminate any remaining detergent.
5. Air dry or tumble dry on low heat.
Because washing and drying bedding takes a few hours, many individuals prefer to have two sets of sheets. That way, you may strip the bed, make it up with fresh sheets, and wash the soiled sheets when convenient.
What About Other Kinds of Bedding?
We’ve determined how frequently we should wash sheets – ideally, once a week. But what about other types of bedding?
Pillowcases: Every week
Covers for duvets: Once every two weeks to once a month
Comforters: Once every two to three months
Blankets: Once every two to three months
Pillows: Replaced every 4-6 months (if washable)
If at all feasible, follow the manufacturer’s care recommendations. While these instructions are generally valid, specific bedding may have a distinctive pattern that needs special care and cleaning.
Best practices suggest cleaning your mattress every six months. Cleaning can help extend the usable life of your mattress and bedding while enhancing your sleep quality and health. Updating your mattress every 6-8 years or so is necessary to guarantee you are enjoying the most outstanding possible sleep.
What if I don’t want to use bed sheets?
Laying on a mattress for long periods without sheets is a wrong decision.
Instead of delivering advantages, it exposes your mattress to various germs, bacteria, and fluids. The presence of bacteria and dust mites can cause several health issues ranging from sneezing to skin diseases!
Leaving the sheets off your mattress can cause it to get rigid, which can be pretty painful for your body and disrupt your sleeping routine.
For the reasons stated above, you may spend a significant amount of money on new mattresses every few years.
Consider spending the extra money to buy one of the best mattress sheets to avoid skin and health concerns while also extending the life of your mattress.
Final thoughts on Washing Your Sheets
Bed sheets should be sanitized at least once a week, more often if there is an illness in the home. It’s also important to wash your pillows, comforter, and blankets every few months. These items are often forgotten but can harbor a lot of dirt and dust mites. Dirt and dust mites might lead to allergies and other health issues. Follow these tips for optimal sheet-cleaning hygiene and keep your bedroom healthy and fresh! As always, if you need help with home cleaning and light laundry, your friends at Clean Heart Maids are here to help.