How Often Your Bed Sheets Go For Laundering?

Introduction

The majority of us sleep in our beds for 49 to 60 hours per week on average. That's a lot of time for our bodies to receive the rest they need, but it's also a lot of time for dirt, sweat, oil, and other crud to accumulate on our sheets and bedding.

Hygiene is essential in many aspects of life. It may be more crucial than you believe when it comes to our bedding. Dirty sheets can cause allergies, skin outbreaks, asthma, and other problems if they aren't cleaned on a regular basis. It's crucial to keep things clean for your health and sleep quality, but how often should you wash your sheets?

When you should Wash your Sheets?

The average person should wash their sheets once a week. You might be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so if you don't sleep on your mattress every day.

Sheets should be washed more frequently than once a week for certain people. If you have pets, and especially if you let them sleep in your bed, you should wash them every 3-4 days. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, it's worth trying to launder your bedding more often to see if your symptoms improve.

In the hot summer months, it's also a good idea to wash your linens more frequently because you'll be sweating more. Similarly, if you suffer from seasonal allergies in the spring or summer, washing sheets more frequently can help alleviate symptoms.

How to Care for Your Bed Sheets

We all know that sheets should be washed at least once a week, but how should they be washed?

1. Carefully read the product label to determine if there are any special instructions.
2. Wash with the warmest water recommended on the label (cotton can generally handle hot water, while polyester and some other materials should be washed on warm).
3. Use a moderate detergent in the washing machine.
4. If you have sensitive skin, cleaning the sheets a second time to eliminate any remaining detergent is a good idea.
5. Air dry or tumble dry on low.

Many individuals find it easier to have a number of sets of sheets because washing and drying them takes a few hours. That way, you can strip the bed, make it up with fresh sheets, and wash the soiled sheets when it's time.

Why Do You Need to Wash Your Sheets?

It may seem wasteful to wash sheets and make your bed once a week, but it is well worth your time. Bed sheets can develop substantial amounts of: 

• Body oils
• Dirt
• Sweat
• Dead skin cells
• Dust mites, including their carcasses and fecal matter

While most of us can accept sleeping in our own filth and sweat to some extent, it's this last point that many of us are most concerned about. Dust mites are minute critters that can be found in nearly every home. They don't bite, but they can cause rashes and irritation on the skin, as well as exacerbate allergy symptoms in some people. Dust mites proliferate rapidly and rely exclusively on dead skin cells to survive. Dust mites can number in the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, in your mattress and bedding at any given time. Even if you're not allergic to dust mites, you probably don't want thousands of them in your bed. Regularly washing linens can help.

Conclusion

Additionally, you should clean your mattress once every 6 months or so. Cleaning can help extend the useful lifespan of your mattress and bedding, while improving sleep quality and your health. With that said, it’s still important to replace your mattress every 6-8 years or so, to ensure you’re getting the best bed sheets australia.