You have the bedroom of your dreams, and you’ve chosen some great looking and feeling bedlinen.

There’s nothing quite like getting into bed when your linens are either brand new or freshly laundered and ironed.

There are even statistics to support that! The Sleep Foundation carried out a poll that found that 75% of us are more excited about going to bed when our linens smell freshly laundered.

Yet, a cursory internet glance tells us that no one is quite sure of how often you should change your sheets, with some people leaving it as long as three weeks or longer between changes.

So, should you just take the same approach to sheet washing as you do with your clothes?

Maybe you wait until the laundry basket is full, or is there a hard and fast rule that answers the question: how often should you change your sheets?

How Often Should You Change Your Sheets?

The short answer is, it depends on your sleep habits, although most experts recommend a weekly change.

So, in light of there being no hard and fast rule, let’s take a look at some determining factors that may influence your laundered linens habit.

Frequent Washing Factors

If any of the following apply to you, then we recommend a weekly wash:

• You have asthma and you're affected by dust
• Your pet sleeps with you
• You sweat a lot at night
• You sleep naked
• You don’t shower at night
• You eat in bed
• You are ill or have an infection 

Why? We hear you ask. Because dirty sheets gather a lot of unappetizing things, including dead skin cells and dust mites. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology, the human body sheds 30-40,000 dead skin cells every day.

Some of those will end up in your bed. As for dust mites, well, they just love dead skin cells, and the average mattress could carry anywhere between 100,000 and 1 million dust mites who are happily basking in your bed while you sleep. 

Let’s not forget about how much water our body loses just sweating at night, add to that any moisturizers you use on your body, and you’ve got yourself quite a heady cocktail!

Let’s not forget that if you share your bed with your partner, we have to factor in their sweat and skin cells, plus those of your beloved pet, which you can’t sleep without.

We think you’ll agree that those linens need to head for the washing machine sooner than you may have thought. 

What If You Don’t Have time?

We all lead busy lives.

If you really can’t launder your linens every week then there are a few tips you can follow to keep your bed linen as clean and palatable as possible:

• Wash your face at night, even if you don’t wear makeup, moisturizer or sunscreen. It’s a simple step that will keep your pillow cleaner
• Don’t eat in bed
• Wear pajamas because the material can trap those dead skin cells, rather than you leaving them on your sheets
• Shower at night, including exfoliating away skin cells with a brush or sponge and keep your feet clean if you walk around barefoot

Last but not least, make your bed every day, including giving the covers a shake and brush your bottom sheet with your hands.

The particles will fall to the floor, and then you can just give the ground a quick vacuum.

If you’re already great at keeping your bedroom clean but the kids just aren’t playing ball, then try this. 

You Hate Doing the Laundry

We know it’s no fun carrying heavy loads of linens, waiting for them to wash and dry before ironing them and making the bed again. Life is short, and there are more exciting things to do.

Make life easier on yourself and invest in more sets of bed linen so that the task is less demanding.

The Best Way to Wash Your Sheets

Hopefully, you’re now convinced that a weekly linen change is healthy and wise. So what’s the best way to launder those linens?

The most important ingredient here is hot water. Of course, you should read the washing instructions on your sheets, but remember that hot water gets rid of germs and allergen. We’re talking about 40-60 degrees.

If you use a dryer, the heat will also help here. If you hang your sheets outside, let the sunlight shine on them. Also, ironing your sheets isn’t just about aesthetics, a hot iron will help kill any residue germs. 

Spare a Thought for Your Pillows, Blankets, and Comforters Too

Thankfully, these items only need a seasonal clean. In between, just pop your blankets and comforters in the dryer for 10 minutes of heat to kill any dust mites and bacteria.

If you don’t have a dryer, you may want to consider dry cleaning. As for pillows, give them a good launder every six months and use pillow protectors.

Read the washing or dry cleaning instructions on the cushions before throwing them in the washing machine!

Ready to Launder Your Linens?

So, in answer to “how often should you change your sheets”? Yes, weekly.

At least, ideally. If at the moment your laundry cycle is set on a fortnightly schedule, then moving to a weekly slot will hopefully not be too tough.

We know it can feel like a hassle, but it’s worth spending the time for all the reasons we’ve outlined above.

Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll hopefully breathe a little better too!

For more information, please feel free to contact us today!