Do you wish to know how often the bedsheet should be changed? If you sleep in pyjamas and shower in the evening before bed, we recommend washing your bed linen (fitted and flat sheets) every two weeks.
Otherwise, we recommend changing them once a week.
Changing your sheets is very important, even if you shower every night and generally have impeccable hygiene.
Bacteria proliferate naturally in sheets. Changing and washing them at the right temperature keeps your bedding healthy night after night.
But how do you know how often to change your sheets?
I explain
Also read: How to clean your mattress from bed bugs?
Let’s go.
How often should you change your bed sheets?
Why and when should you change your sheets?
Is washing your sheets a chore? You’re not the only one who thinks so. Sometimes several weeks go by between washes of your bed linen, yet, on average, we spend a third of our time sleeping.
Wash your sheets to kill bacteria.
The bedroom can, therefore, quickly turn into a nest of microbes, encouraging the onset of allergies and illnesses.
In 2017, American microbiologist and researcher Philip Tierno confided in Business Insider about his work.
According to his research, a bed stores nearly 100 liters of sweat yearly. What’s more, Tierno counted no fewer than 16 varieties of microbes during sheet analyses carried out in the bedrooms of volunteers.
His study confirms the need to wash sheets once a week, ideally.
America’s Environment Health and Safety Online supplements this information by estimating the number of dust mites in mattresses between 100,000 and 10 million.
When to change adult sheets?
If you sleep in pyjamas and shower in the evening before bed, we recommend washing your bed linen (fitted and flat sheets) every two weeks. Otherwise, we recommend changing them once a week.
The same applies to pillowcases and bolsters. If you sleep without a sheet and your skin is in direct contact with the comforter cover, we recommend washing it once a week.
When should children’s sheets be changed?
Night-time sweat and dead skin, in particular, contribute to the proliferation of various bacteria, microbes, mites and germs in household linen.
That’s why changing sheets only every 3 or 4 weeks can lead to allergies, respiratory problems, and skin irritations. Children are more vulnerable to these types of ailments than adults.
To prevent the development of allergies from an early age, we strongly recommend changing children’s bed linen once a week. It will also help prevent asthma, eczema, and rhinitis, which can also develop.
When should I change my baby’s sheets?
The ideal frequency for changing crib sheets is much higher: every other day, if possible. Babies are even more fragile than children.
To avoid microbes and dust mites getting into your baby’s mattress, remember to put a mattress protector between the mattress and the fitted sheet and wash your baby’s bed linen every other day.
Why not change the sheets on Fridays?
Sleeping in clean sheets to start the weekend is a joy. However, according to Christian traditions and superstitions, changing your sheets on Fridays is not advisable.
Washing sheets on that day meant preparing the shroud of the washerwoman or the person whose laundry she was cleaning. In the past, laundry was subject to numerous prohibitions of this kind.
At what temperature should I wash my sheets?
The right temperature must be used to wash sheets, comforter covers, and pillowcases. To eliminate dust mites from your bedding, the recommended minimum temperature depends on the condition of your bedding:
A first cold wash at 30°C is recommended for a new sheet (it sets the colors and relaxes the fibers);
moderately soiled bed linen should be washed at 40°C (an environmentally-friendly solution that preserves bed linen over time);
heavily dirty bed linen should be washed at 60°C (the same applies if a sick person has slept in it, as washing at 60°C eliminates bacteria).
Please note
Not all bed linen can be washed at 60°C. To facilitate the maintenance of your bedding, be vigilant when making your purchases.
Cotton sheets are best suited to all types of washing. What’s more, they limit perspiration. And if you’re looking for softness for optimum comfort, opt for cotton percale bed linen.
How to wash sheets less often?
If you want to wash your sheets less frequently, ensure you sleep in an excellent, dry environment. Dust mites prefer damp, warm places.
Moreover, to limit their presence, wrap your comforter, mattress, and pillow in an anti-dust mite cover.
Place it under your fitted sheet, cotton comforter cover, or pillowcase. It doesn’t get in the way but provides long-lasting protection for your bedding.
Dust mite covers can be machine-washed at the same temperature as your sheets. It saves you from washing your comforter and pillows frequently and makes mattress care easier.
Don’t forget to wash your pillows, comforters, and bed linen
Bed linen
For a healthy bedroom, it’s essential to change your sheets regularly. Washing sheets generally include bed linen, i.e., comforter covers, pillowcases, bolsters, eiderdowns, blankets or plaids, etc.
Comforters and pillows
Pillows should be machine-washed every three months. The frequency can be adjusted if you suffer from allergies or sweat a lot at night. We also recommend washing your comforter every six months.
What about your bedroom?
There are other things you can do daily to ensure healthy bedding. For example, rather than making your bed as soon as you wake up, open it wide and air out the room.
When the weather’s nice, don’t hesitate to put your pillows and comforter on a windowsill or a clothesline in your garden. When changing your bedding, opt for an anti-mite mattress.
Conclusion
Now you know how often bed sheets should be changed, remember that not washing your bed sheets can quickly turn your bedroom into a nest of microbes, encouraging the onset of allergies and illnesses.
See our quality bed sheets here.
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