How often should you change your sheets on your bed? Rules and exceptions
Many people don’t even realise that they aren’t changing their bed linen often enough. However, it is very important to wash your duvet cover, pillowcase and fitted sheet regularly, especially when the weather is warm. This is the only way to fight unwanted guests like mites, bedbugs and the like. Read on to find out how often you should change your bed linen and what to consider when washing bed linen, pillows and duvets.
April 17, 2024 • 5 min reading time
How often should bed linen be changed? Important facts and recommendations for a hygienic sleeping environment.
Experts recommend changing your bed linen every three weeks at the most, better still every two weeks. This timing depends on the specific circumstances: What time of year is it? Do you sweat a lot? Does your partner or pet sleep with you in your bed? Have you slept away from the house a lot in the last few weeks? All of these factors can influence how frequently you should change your bed linen.
Taking all exceptions into account, every person loses about one litre of fluid at night – about half of that through sweating. It is precisely this sweat and the warm, humid environment under your duvet that promote the proliferation of pests – a thought we would rather not dwell on.
To create a hygienic environment, you should therefore wash your bed linen every two to three weeks. Duvets, pillows and mattress toppers should be done twice a year. You can either wash them yourself or have them professionally cleaned.
Almost as important as changing your bed linen regularly is airing out duvets, pillows and the mattress. This is the only way to allow moisture to escape, prevent the growth of mould and stop the proliferation of pests.
It’s best to hang your duvet and pillows outside or in the bedroom with the window open. Pull off the topper and place the mattress upright against the wall so that it can air out from all sides.
In some cases, you should change your bed linen more than once or twice a month to create a hygienic sleeping environment. In the following exceptional cases, it is advisable to wash your bed linen weekly and to air out the duvet and pillows for one to two hours after each wash:
In summer, the temperature doesn’t drop much at night and we sweat a lot more. In addition to an open window and a thinner duvet, you should make sure you change your bed linen regularly during this time.
The same applies to people who sleep naked or who naturally sweat a lot. In this case, always make sure that the heating is turned off at night and that your duvet is not too thick. You should also wear breathable sleepwear made from natural materials that can absorb moisture better.
Allergy sufferers should also change their bed linen more often. This is not only about dust mites, but also about pollen that gets into the bedroom through open windows or via the clothes we wear outside the house. A special attachment for your vacuum cleaner is a worthwhile purchase to thoroughly rid your mattress of mites, pollen and the like.
Of course, you should also wash your bed linen more often both during and after periods of illness. Contagious illnesses especially, such as the common cold or flu, can easily spread to family members via unwashed bed linen or prolong your recovery.
If cats or dogs sleep in the bed with you, changing your bed linen weekly is a must! Pets bring all sorts of pests and dirt into the house and into the bed – a perfect breeding ground for the guests we definitely don’t want in our bed. In addition, pets leave their hair in the bed, which causes dust even in the cleanest animals and thus leads to the formation of dust mites.
Now you know how often you should wash your bed linen, duvets and pillows. But what should you pay attention to when washing and drying them in order to ensure that you really feel comfortable in bed? We’ve got the answers!
Bed linen, like underwear and towels, should be washed at higher temperatures than our everyday clothes. When buying bed linen, it is therefore advisable to choose those with a maximum washing temperature of 60 to 90 degrees. You usually only need to wash bed linen at 90 degrees after contagious illnesses; in all other cases, you should wash your bedding at 60 degrees.
When choosing a laundry detergent for your bed linen, the general rule is: the more gentle, the better. While fabric softeners, laundry perfumes and the like make bedding soft and fragrant, many people are sensitive to such softeners and chemicals. To make your white bed linen look brand new again, use an all-purpose detergent. Alternatively, you can use regular colour detergent.
Drying bed linen is also a challenge for many people: duvet covers and pillowcases often don’t fit on the clothesline and these large items dry much slower. However, it is especially important to ensure that bed linen dries quickly in order to prevent germs and bacteria from forming and your bedding from becoming musty.
Of course, a tumble dryer is well suited for drying bed linen. If you don’t have one or want to save electricity, it’s best to hang your bedding on a long line outside in the sun. On rainy days, you can hang it over your clothes horse. Any residual moisture should be ironed out before you fold and put away your bed linen.
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