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Table of Contents
- How Frequently Should You Clean Your Bed Sheets?
- Why Is Washing Your Bedding Important?
- How To Wash Your Bedding Properly
- How Often Should You Wash Pillows And Other Bedding?
- FAQs
When was the last time you took the sheets off your bed and washed them? If you're like most people, it was some time in the last four weeks, but is this regularly enough to ensure that your precious sleeping space is free from dust and mites that can aggravate your skin and cause breathing difficulties?
According to sleep experts, it's not; in order to keep your bed clean and free from bugs, you need to wash your bed linen sheets every week. Not only do you need to wash the bedclothes, but you also need to wash them right; that means you need to wash them at high temperatures.
In this article, we take a deep dive into the world of bedding and washing practices. In truth, there is not a lot you need to know, but the knowledge you do need is indispensable. After you read this article, you will be armed with everything you need to know to ensure your bed stays clean and hygienic.
How Frequently Should You Clean Your Bed Sheets?
Let's face it; your bed is one of the most important pieces of furniture in your home; it's where you spend a lot of your life, so you need the mattress protectors to be free from body oils and dead skin cells. Surveys show that many people wash their bed sheets every three weeks, but this isn't enough.
Some people are immune to dirty sheets and can tolerate unclean sheets for longer, but others suffer from health conditions brought on by not washing sheets regularly enough. If you have a skin condition or your breathing is sensitive, you need to wash your sheets at least once a week.
Why Is Washing Your Bedding Important?
Washing your bedding can be a hassle; you have to take everything off and put fresh bedding on, then you have to wash the old bedding and find somewhere for it to dry. It's much easier to leave it as it is and wash it once a month instead of once a week, but this lets dust mites feed on dead skin cells.
Dust mites are tiny creatures that live at the micro-level; however, they are not parasites, and contrary to popular belief, they don't bite. However, mites can aggravate and cause allergies due to the faecal matter they deposit on your bedsheets, so remember to wash your sheets.
If you don't have any allergies yet, you're in luck, but you should still pay attention to the frequency of bedsheet washing; that's because the presence of dust mites and bed bugs can cause allergies you wouldn't have otherwise. Not only that, unclean bedsheets can cause different skin conditions.
How To Wash Your Bedding Properly
Hopefully, we have convinced you that washing your sheets once a week is the best practice for your health and wellbeing, but that leaves the question of how to clean your bedding so that you get the best results. First, determine whether your bedding is made from cotton or polyester.
Cotton bedding can be washed at a high temperature, such as 60 or 90 degrees, depending on what your washing machine is capable of. Polyester throws for beds need to be washed at lower temperatures to protect the integrity of the fabric. Wash at the highest temperature possible to kill the bed bugs.
Also, remember to use the right washing liquid and products on your bedsheets; again, this depends on the materials used in the fabric. However, if your bedsheets are made from cotton - which most are - never use a fabric softener; it turns them waxy.
How Often Should You Wash Pillows And Other Bedding?
When it comes to the hygiene of your pillow case, things are a little different! Of course, it goes without saying that you should wash these pillow protectors as frequently as the bedsheets to prevent the appearance of bed bugs and protect your sleep health, but you also need to wash your bed pillow at least once a year.
Some people who wash their bedclothes forget about their pillows; after all, pillows seem to be a secondary concern, they can wait. But remember, you spend up to 60 hours every week in your bed, and the majority of that time, your head is on the pillow.
Always check what type of pillows you have before putting them in the washing machine; if your pillows have a natural fibre filling, they can be put in the machine and washed at a high temperature. This is not the case with foam-filled pillows or a feather or down pillow - these must be dry cleaned.
FAQs
Is it okay to wash bedding once a month?
The short answer is yes, but it depends on your hygiene standards and your medical conditions. Most people spend between 40-60 hours per week in their beds; that doesn't seem like a lot because you are sleeping for most of it, but it's plenty of time for your linens to acquire dust mites, oil, sweat, and other detritus that can affect your health. Avoid dust mites by regularly washing sheets, weekly instead of once a month.
How often does the average person wash their bedding?
According to a survey conducted by Mattress Advisor, the majority of people change their bed linen every 24.4 days, which works out at around three weeks. Although this study was conducted in America, it was taken as an average of 1000 people giving us a reasonable idea of the bed cleaning habit of most people. Washing bed linen once a month is the average, but washing weekly is recommended.
What products should I use to wash sheets?
Washing your duvet sets regularly is important, but so is washing them in the right way. If you want to eliminate dust mites and bacteria, then you need to wash the linen at a high temperature. Always choose the highest temperature to wash your bed linen at, and never use fabric softener. A fabric softener might seem like a good idea, but it coats your mattress toppers in a layer of surface wax.
