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How Often Should You Wash Your Bed Sheets? A Guide to Washing Bedding

Keep your sheets clean & fresh with this guide to washing bedding. It includes handy advice on how often to wash sheets & the recommended products to use.

Updated

Reading Time: 5 minutes

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Saturday mornings are best spent in bed, and there’s no better feeling than waking up and remembering it’s the weekend. From bagels and croissants to fried eggs and full-on fry-ups, we’ll all have enjoyed breakfast in bed at some point in our lives, but it’s not just food stains that can prompt us to ask: “How often should you wash bed sheets?”

Keep your pillows fresh by airing them daily. By plumping them up in the morning or before bed, you can help pillows retain their shape and air out any lingering dust and dirt.

How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?

Knowing how often to wash sheets is a common question. Dirt and dust can quickly build up and, while deciding how often to wash bed sheets might be a matter of personal preference, unfortunately we’re not alone in our beds – we settle down at night with microscopic dust mites, among other things.

Dust mites aren’t the only hidden surprises lurking in our sheets, and unfortunately we’ve only ourselves to blame for their presence. Every night we shed a million skin cells, accompanied by oil and sweat. If you don’t wash your bedding regularly, this adds to your bed’s appeal for mites – but is less than pleasant for human occupants.

So, How Often Should You Wash Bed Sheets?

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to wash your sheets and pillowcase once a week or every two weeks. Not washing your bedding regularly can contribute to increased suffering from health problems such as allergies and asthma. If you, your partner, or your child is unwell, make sure to wash your bedding daily or, at a bare minimum, change the pillowcase every day that they are in bed ill.

How to Wash Your Bedding

  1. Separate your bedding from the rest of your laundry, and turn your washing machine to a low setting. Washing in hot water will shrink the material fibres, which can weaken the material. Using a good quality laundry detergent like Omo is ideal. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle.

  2. Before washing any fabric, always check the care label and follow the recommended guidelines.

  3. Wash with a quality laundry detergent like Omo Sensitive, adding in a suitable fabric conditioner (like Comfort Pure) for a little extra comfort and fragrance.

  4. Once the cycle has finished, hang your bedding up to air-dry – if your sheets are white, a little sunshine will help to keep them bright. If you have a tumble dryer, use a cool setting.

Remember! Always treat stains individually, prior to a general wash. Specific stain removers are available, but be careful to always read the manufacturer’s instructions and run a test-patch first.

  • Use a low setting on your washing machine to ensure your sheets do not shrink.

  • Choose a laundry detergent, like Omo Sensitive, that is specially formulated to be kind to your skin.

  • To make your bedding extra soft, add a fabric conditioner such as Comfort Pure to your wash. This will also make sure sheets smell even fresher!

  • Always read the label on your laundry products and follow the instructions carefully.

Originally published