This article might be helpful if you’re thinking about revising your bedding wash routine…how often to wash your bed sheets?
Your bed is a sanctuary where you unwind, relax, and rejuvenate, so keeping it cosy and fresh makes sense.
But how often should you wash your sheets to ensure they remain fresh and free of allergens, bacteria, and dirt?
While it might be tempting to push off washing your sheets due to a busy schedule, keeping a regular washing routine can be key to maintaining a healthy sleep environment.
Here’s a suggested guide to how frequently you could consider washing your sheets and why it matters.
The General Rule – Every One to Two Weeks
For most people, washing sheets once a week is a good rule of thumb.
This regular cleaning schedule helps to remove all the nasties – sweat, body oils, dead skin cells, dust mites, and other allergens – that can accumulate on your bedding.
However, if you find it challenging to wash them weekly, pushing into the second week might still be ok…just!
Consider Your Personal Habits and Lifestyle
Your personal habits play a significant role in determining how often you might wash your sheets. Here are a few things to think about.
- Night Sweats or Hot Sleepers: if you tend to heat up during the night, your sheets can quickly become dirty.
In such cases, washing your sheets at least once a week is recommended to maintain freshness and hygiene.
- Eating in Bed: if you eat or drink in bed, crumbs and spills can invite bacteria and pests.
Washing your sheets more frequently can help maintain a clean sleeping environment.
- Sleeping with Pets: pets bring in fur and, potentially, dirt from outside into your sleep space.
If your pets sleep in your bed, it’s advisable to wash your sheets at least once a week to keep your bed free from allergens and dirt.
- Allergies or Asthma: if you suffer from allergies or asthma, frequent washing is essential to minimise exposure to dust mites, pollen, and other allergens.
Washing your sheets once a week can help reduce symptoms and improve sleep quality.
- Skin Conditions: people with skin conditions like eczema or acne may benefit from more frequent washing to remove irritants that could worsen symptoms.
In these cases, washing sheets at least once a week is often recommended.
Changing Seasons and Environmental Factors
Environmental factors can also affect how often you might wash your sheets.
- Summer Months: in warmer weather, you may sweat more, which can make your sheets dirty faster.
Washing them at least once a week can help keep your bed cool and comfortable.
- Winter Months: during colder months, you might not sweat as much, which means you can potentially stretch the washing frequency to every two weeks.
- High Humidity Areas: if you live in a humid climate, moisture can accumulate in your bedding, creating an environment conducive to mould and mildew growth.
In these instances, washing your sheets weekly is suggested to help prevent mould and mildew build-up.
To help keep your sheets fresh between washes, consider these quick tips.
1 – Shower before bed: showering before bed can help reduce the amount of sweat, oils, and dirt that transfers to your sheets, keeping them cleaner longer.
2 – Use a linen spray: one of the quickest ways to freshen sheets while on your bed is to give them a light spritz of a fragrant linen spray.
Spritz when you get out of bed and leave your sheet pulled back while it dries (a few minutes).
For a fresh and economical linen spray, try this one.
In a 500ml spray bottle add:
- ¼ cup of witch hazel (can be purchased from Coles, Woolworths or a chemist)
- 20 – 30 drops of essential oil (lemon & lavender are favourites and can be combined for a cleansing, relaxing freshen up for your bedding)
- Then top up the spray bottle with water, gently swirling in the spray bottle to mix ingredients before each use.
3 – Air out your bed: After getting up, leave your bed unmade for a short while to allow moisture to evaporate.
This can help reduce the build-up of bacteria and dust mites. It’s also a good time to spritz with linen spray.
The Verdict Is In
Washing your sheets regularly helps maintain a clean and healthy sleep space and it feels so good!
While the general recommendation is to wash them every one to two weeks, personal habits, lifestyle, and environmental factors can influence how often you might choose to wash your sheets.
Keeping your sheets fresh, clean, and comfortable can help ensure a good night’s sleep every time you crawl into bed – who doesn’t want to experience that?!