What happens when you go a week or three without washing your bed sheets and bedding in general? What impact does not washing your bedding regularly have on your health? I decided to take a closer look to see how frequently bed sheets, pillows, duvets, blankets and mattresses should be washed and what happens when you don’t wash them regularly.
Bed sheets should be washed weekly at 130° F or the hottest water possible and hot tumble dried to guarantee cleanliness. Sweat and bacteria accumulate on bedding and studies have shown that hundreds of thousands of dust mites and multiple species of fungus spores can exist on a pillow alone. Lack of washing bed sheets can exacerbate allergies and skin conditions and even lead to infections.
How often should you wash your bed sheets?
The best way to care for your bed sheets is to wash them on a weekly basis in water that is at least 130° F and then tumble dry them on the hot setting until they are completely dried. Short of that use the hottest water available and then do the hot tumble dry.
The hot water and hot drying effectively kills off and removes germs and bacteria along with any living organisms like mites, ticks and bed bugs and their fecal matter and debris if you can’t see it with the naked eye. Unless your sheets are dirty you can use the normal setting as it’ll also help to prevent the sheets from getting too wrinkled.
The more you sweat at night, the dirtier your sheets will get and as we’ll see below, all bedding including the pillows can accumulate significant bacteria even through regular usage in a one week period.
Regarding detergent, just use whatever detergent you prefer and follow the instructions on the label. You don’t have to overcompensate by putting extra detergent in as you’re just wasting it.
Bed sheets typically last 6 to 8 years depending on the quality and how well you take care of them before they need to be replaced.
How should you wash your pillows?
Read the label first but most pillows can generally be put into the washing machine and washed on a regular cycle with a small amount of detergent added. Given their bulkiness, using too much detergent is easy to do when washing only pillows and it can soap up more than you would like and need.
It’s also important to ensure that the pillows aren’t stuffed into the washing machine so that they can’t absorb water and soap but also so they get properly rinsed and all soap residue is removed.
Due to the size and shape of pillows, they can take up significant space in the washer so ensure you use the correct water level so they are completely submerged and are able to be properly washed and rinsed.
For pillows that can’t be washed, sprinkle baking soda on one side of the pillow, allow it to sit, and then vacuum it up. Repeat on the other side. Baking soda helps to remove odors and dry mold spores and the vacuuming will not only remove the baking soda but dead skin and other debris.
Pillows typically last up to 3 years depending on the quality but let your head and body tell you when they need to be replaced.
How often should you clean a duvet or blanket?
Depending on what your duvet of blanket is made of, you should check the wash instructions to see how the manufacturer suggests washing it. In terms of frequency, experts suggest washing a duvet no less frequently than once every 6 months but preferably every 2 – 3 months. As with your bed sheets, wash your duvet in the hottest water that the washing label allows and tumble dry or dry it in the sun. If your duvet has a cover, wash and dry the cover and duvet separately, again following manufacturer instructions.
Blanket washing frequency is a bit different because some blankets are for show only so it really depends how you use it. If the blanket is strictly for look and isn’t really used for warmth, washing it every few weeks is fine. If you actively use the blanket when sleeping, washing it every 1 – 2 weeks as per instructions is a good idea.
A duvet that hasn’t been washed for one year can have up to 20,000 dust mites according to The Fine Bedding Company. If you suffer from allergies, your washing frequency should be more frequent especially if you find that you wake up feeling allergies more so than when you went to bed the night before. Your bedding could be the problem and more specifically, the washing frequency.
How should you clean your mattress?
Obviously washing a bed mattress isn’t the same as popping bedding into a washing machine.
Before getting your mattress wet or applying any cleaner, check the instructions as some mattresses aren’t meant to be exposed to moisture. When you wash your bed sheets and fitted sheets, vacuum your mattress to remove dust, dead skin, mites and other any loose debris that has settled even if the mattress looks clean.
If the mattress allows, you can also spot clean if needed using a stain remover.
For odors, sprinkle baking soda on the mattress and leave it for as long as you can and then vacuum it up.
For more difficult stains, you can sprinkle baking soda that is lightly wet and rub it into the stain and allow it to sit until dried. Then vacuum it up.
For pee and other bio stains, use an enyzyme-based cleaner. In my experience, even baking soda that has some water added and left overnight did not do enough to clean these stains on their own.
Any time you wet the mattress, dab or blot the stain with a cloth rather than rubbing it. And to help keep your mattress clean and free of mites, you might invest in a mattress cover which fits directly over the mattress. The fitted sheet then goes over top of that.
How long should you keep a bed mattress?
While replacing bed sheets and pillows can be done relatively inexpensively, mattresses are clearly more of an investment. While mattress manufacturers often offer ridiculously long warranties of 20 years or longer, the typical bed mattress will need to be replaced much sooner, hence the long warranty which they’ll rarely have to honor.
Rather than focusing on when to replace your mattress in years, let your body tell you. If the mattress sags, is dirty and stained beyond cleaning and if you regularly wake up with a sore or stiff back in the morning, the mattress is probably due for replacement.
Especially if the mattress is more than 7 years old at that point.
Should I use fabric softener or fabric sheets?
Fabric softener should be avoided for bed sheets and for towels for that matter. They tend to apply a coating to your sheets and towels which can make them harder to properly clean and also make them less absorbent.
Fabric sheets should be avoided. They can clog and cause trouble for your dryer and aren’t necessary.
These days, a decent detergent will clean and freshen your sheets and towels and sanitize them, which is what you need.
How much bacteria does bedding accumulate?
Numerous studies have shown bed sheets can accumulate significant amounts of bodily fluids like sweat and oil, dust mites, bacteria and fungi as well as stains among other things.
- Pillowcases
were found to have 17,000 times as much bacteria as a toilet seat after just one week of use. - Bed sheets had 24,000 times more bacteria than a door knob.
- A 7 year old bed mattress can have multiple forms of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
- UK-based Sleep Council estimates that up to 10% of the weight of a pillow that has never been washed is made up of human skin, mold, dust mites and dust mite droppings.
- Sleep experts generally believe that we lose between 1 lbs – 2 lbs (500 g – 1 kg) of dead skin skin cells at night each year.
- We lose about 10 ounces (295 ml) of fluids each night while in bed which can accumulate in our bedding from sweat, oils, etc.
Summary
The frequency of washing bedding varies depending on how actively you use each piece but also your own personal situation. Those who suffer from allergies might be surprised to learn how your washing frequency can negatively impact your allergies to dust, mites, bacteria and bodily fluids like sweat that accumulate on bedding in even just one week of regular use.
Research has shown that synthetic bedding tends to be associated with allergies and asthma whereas feather bedding is less so. If you suffer from allergies and find that they are exacerbated at night, it could be your choice of bedding and washing frequency.