How Often Are You Supposed to Wash Your Sheets?
Are you going weeks or, worse, even months without washing the sheets that are on your bed?
If so, you’re making a huge mistake. Most experts say that you should wash your sheets way more often than that.
In fact, the answer to the question, “How often are you supposed to wash your sheets?”, is almost always once per week. You might be able to get away with doing it every two or three weeks under certain circumstances. But you shouldn’t push it any further than that.
You should also make sure that you’re washing your sheets correctly every single time you throw them into the washing machine. Otherwise, you might end up putting sheets back on your bed that aren’t as clean as they can be.
Let’s talk a little bit more about washing sheets and the importance of doing it below.
How Often Are You Supposed to Wash Your Sheets?
According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, more than 90% of Americans wash their sheets every other week.
That might lead you to believe that the answer to the question, “How often are you supposed to wash your sheets?”, would be “Every other week.” But if possible, you should try to wash them more often than that.
You spend upwards of eight hours or more in your bed every night. That adds up to over 60 hours in bed every week—and more than that if you’ve gotten into the habit of hanging out in bed during the day.
Translation: Your sheets are getting dirtier than you might think every week, and you should respond by washing them weekly.
The only exception to this rule is for people who don’t sleep in their beds every night for one reason or another. If you spend time sleeping at work or somewhere other than your own bed, you might be able to stretch your sheet-washing schedule to every two or maybe even every three weeks.
Why Do You Need to Wash Your Sheets So Often?
When you lay down in your bed at night, you might think that it’s just you sleeping in the bed or, at most, you and your partner. But in reality, you have lots (and lots!) of company surrounding you.
The average bed has anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million dust mites in it. And if you’re not careful, those dust mites can multiply in a hurry and make your bed a whole lot more crowded than you would like it to be.
Washing your sheets is an easy way to get rid of the majority of the dust mites in your bed. It’s also an easy way to get rid of dirt, dust, oil, makeup, and anything else that might be dragging down the look and feel of your sheets.
On top of all that, washing your sheets will give you an opportunity to keep a close eye out for—gasp—bed bug shells. Bed bugs have, unfortunately, turned into a big problem for many people, so you should always watch out for any potential signs of them.
What Is the Best Way to Wash Your Sheets?
It’s not enough to wash your sheets every week. You also need to make sure that they’re washed the right way every time you stick them into your washing machine.
To start, you should check out the tags on your sheets to see if there are any special washing instructions. It’s especially important to do this if your sheets are made out of some kind of special fabric that needs to be laundered differently than other sheets.
But generally speaking, you should follow these steps when you’re washing a sheet set:
1. Throw your fitted sheet, your top sheet, and your pillowcases into your washing machine separate from any other clothing, towels, etc.
2. Wash your sheets in hot water with a high-quality laundry detergent
3. Hang your sheets outside to air dry if possible since the sun can serve as a disinfectant for them
4. Iron your sheets before putting them back on your bed to kill any dust mites that may have survived the washing and drying process
5. Store your sheets in a dark, cool part of your home or put them right back onto your bed when you’re finished washing them
By working your way through this process once each week, you’ll keep your sheets in great condition and sleep better at night when your head hits the pillow.
When Should Your Sheets Be Replaced?
As long as you wash your sheets once every week, they should last a lot longer than they would otherwise. But no matter how diligent you are about washing sheets, they’re not going to last forever.
You should replace your sheets about once every two to three years or sooner if you notice them wearing out ahead of schedule. It’s also a good idea to invest in several sheet sets so that you can rotate them over time and keep them all fresh.
And when you go to replace your sheets, don’t be afraid to spend a little bit extra on high-quality sheets. They’ll prove to be more comfortable at night and will last longer than cheap sheets will.
Start Washing Your Sheets on a Weekly Basis From Now On
If you’re asking the question, “How often are you supposed to wash your sheets?”, it’s probably because you’re not washing your sheets every week. Change that today by putting “Wash sheets” on your to-do list every Saturday or Sunday morning.
When you make an effort to wash your sheets, you’ll notice a difference when you climb into bed at night. Your sheets will be softer, and they’ll help you get a better night’s sleep.
They also won’t be filled with dust mites, and you won’t have to worry as much about bed bugs. You’ll be surprised by how much washing your sheets can improve your life overall.
Find out how to buy the right bedding for your bedroom by browsing around on the rest of our blog.
