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How Often to Wash Bedding

If you’re getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, that’s 56 hours you spend asleep in your bed a week. While it is important to get the rest our bodies need to thrive, 56 hours is also ample time for our sheets and bedding to build up dirt, sweat and oil from our bodies. In fact, you shed 500 million skin cells a day – many of them in your bed. Without regular cleaning, dirty sheets can contribute to allergies, breakouts, asthma, and more. For your health and sleep quality, it is important to keep things clean. So, how often should you wash your sheets for proper hygiene? Keep reading to find out!

Sheets and Pillowcases

The general rule of thumb for sheets and pillowcases is that they should be laundered once per week. However, several factors may make it necessary to clean these items more often. For example, if you have pets, a wash every 3-4 days is recommended. If you experience allergies or asthma, it may also be worth cleaning your bedding more frequently to see if your symptoms improve.

Regardless of how often you wash your sheets, be sure to check for and treat any stains as they appear. Also, avoid washing sheets in hot water because it can shrink your sheets, which you might not notice until you try to put them back on the bed. In fact, thanks to advances in both washing machine technology and detergent formulations, hot water is no longer needed in most laundering scenarios!

Pillows

Even if you protect your pillows with removable covers that you wash weekly, the pillow should be washed at least seasonally. How to properly launder your pillows will depend on what they are made of, so make sure you know how to wash your type of pillow before getting started!

Comforters and Duvet Covers

Covers for comforters and duvets help protect the interior from most everyday dirt and soiling. Unless the comforter has something spilled on it, you’ll only need to wash it a few times a year. However, if there is no separate cover, you will need to wash the entire comforter every week and whenever spills or stains occur, but make sure to read the product tag first!
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Mattress Covers

Mattress protectors are thin casings that go over your mattress like a fitted sheet. They are usually waterproof and protect your mattress from stains, dust mites, and more. Using a mattress cover is a lifesaver in extending the life of your mattress, but they do collect bacteria and sweat over time, so you need to clean it, so it works effectively and is hygienic.

Mattress covers themselves should be removed and washed every one to two months. If any spills or stains occur, remove the cover, treat it, and wash it according to the directions as soon as possible.

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