Photography: Armelle Habib / Styling: Heather Nette King
People will often cite the feeling of freshly washed bed sheets as a true sensorial gem. But how often are you giving yourself the pleasure?
Changing the sheets is a common but reluctant chore. Let’s be honest, wrestling a fitted sheet over a heavy mattress is no one’s idea of fun. Add to that any number of obstacles — incompatible laundry weather, not having enough sheets, to name only two — and it’s easy to let time stretch on between washes. However, is there a magic number you should be observing for how often you wash your bed sheets? Is bi-weekly enough? Once a month? Once a week?
My Reno Rules judge Julia Green recently confessed to washing her sheets once a week. “My big thing is we do fresh sheets once a week, and everyone in the house gets fresh sheets. It’s Fresh Sheet Wednesdays,” she told Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock on The Edit podcast.
Surveys suggest few people are actually washing their sheets that regularly, with a YouGov survey in the UK finding almost half of single men weren’t washing their sheets for up to four months at a time. A further 12% said they wash them when they remember — and who knows how long that is! Meanwhile, single women in the same study reported washing their bedding every two weeks, and couples every three.
According to researchers from the University of Adelaide, this is not a good start. Associate professor of Clinical and Health Sciences, Rietie Venter, concluded that washing your sheets every week or two is ideal.
So, how did experts land 1-2 weeks? And why is it that you should stick to this timeline?
How often should you realistically wash your sheets?
The expert consensus is you should wash your sheets every 1-2 weeks. However, there are factors that influence the recommended regularity.
You may want to wash your bed sheets more regularly if you:
- Have pets or kids (and if they sleep in your bed)
- Have allergies or asthma
- Sweat a lot
- Share your bed with someone else, versus sleeping solo
- Sleep without clothes
- Are sick or have been sick, including flus, viruses, skin infections or bacterial skin issues
- Shower in the morning, meaning you get into bed at the end of the day without having showered
- Live in a hot climate, or if it’s summer
If you don’t share your bed and sleep with your clothes on, you may be able to extend the time between sheet washes.
Why you should wash your bed sheets regularly
The number one reason why you should be washing your sheets more, rather than less, is that you shed 500 million skin cells a day. Manal Mohammed, lecturer in medical microbiology at the University of Westminster, writing for The Conversation says, “These skin cells may attract and be eaten by microscopic dust mites. These mites and their droppings can trigger allergies and even asthma.”
If a bunch of dead skin cells and allergy-triggering dust mites aren’t enough to convince you to strip your bed pronto, turns out there are other invisible nasties that could be living their best life in your thousand-thread-count sheets including:
- Staphylococcus aureus: Can cause skin infections, pneumonia and has been shown to worsen acne.
- Candida albicans: A type of fungus that can cause yeast infections and thrush.
- E-coli: A type of bacteria that can cause stomach upset.
Viruses can also survive on your sheets for prolonged periods of time.
Bone chilling, right?
If that isn’t enough to convince you (although, we hope it is!), Terri Shannon of Bloom Interiors also reminds that weekly washing of your bed linens “aids the longevity of your sheets by preventing the build-up of oils, skin cells and dust mites.”
What if your sheets are antimicrobial?
Some bedding companies manufacture ‘antimicrobial’ sheets, which claim to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungus, mould and dust mites. For this reason, they are often recommended to people with allergies. While some manufacturers suggest these sheets can be washed less frequently, it’s still highly dependent on your lifestyle and use.
The bottom line is, you will still want to wash the sheets regularly or you risk losing the benefits gained. You may be able to stretch up to two weeks between washes, but consider the aforementioned factors in your laundry schedule.
How to keep your bed clean between washes
Along with washing your bed sheets at least once a week, Manal says you should allow your bedding to air out daily. That’s right – don’t rush to make your bed so quickly every morning. “Pulling the duvet back to the bed sheets can breathe before making the bed means your sheets and mattress become a less attractive nesting spot for bacteria and mites,” she says.
Another option is to wear pyjamas, not eat in bed, and use a top sheet — which can save you from washing the doona cover as often.
You should also wash your mattress and pillowcase protectors once a month, and wash your quilt once a year. After stripping the bed, vacuum the mattress and bed base thoroughly. Speaking of…
Change your pillowcases even more frequently
While you can change your sheets weekly, it’s recommended you should change your pillowcases every 2-3 days. The only way to skirt this rule is by changing the side you sleep on or switching the pillow you sleep on (assuming you’re not just putting it in the old case!). The bacteria gathering on your pillowcase is likely to accrue even more rapidly than that of your sheets, and frequent washing can help prevent infections, skin issues, and some illnesses.
How to wash your bed sheets
How you wash your bed sheets will ultimately depend on the material they’re made from. Some fabrics may require sensitive detergents, milder temperatures and gentler spin cycles. For example, silk, wool or bamboo sheets can suffer with shrinkage or fading when washed in warm water. The lesson here is to always read your label and follow the instructions.
However, as a general rule of thumb, it’s best to launder sheets in warm water using a mild detergent. Temperatures of about 40 to 60 degrees will kill most germs. This is aided further if you can dry them in fresh air with plenty of sunlight.
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