When was the last time you washed your sheets? Or your pillows? We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, which means our bedding gets dirty and we need to wash it pretty frequently.
. This guide can help you know when these items need to hit the laundry:
- Wash sheets once a week - The Sleep Foundation recommends washing sheets and pillowcases at least once a week, but more if you have pets that sleep in your bed. That’s because after just a few days, sheets can accumulate “significant amounts of dirt, dead skin cells, body oils, sweat, and dust mites, including their carcasses and fecal matter.” Gross, right? And if you use a duvet cover without a top sheet, it should be washed weekly, too.
- Wash comforters once a month or a few times a year - If you don’t have a duvet cover on your comforter, wash it once a month because it gets all those body oils, dust and sweat on it. Mulberrys Garment Care says washing it a few times a year is enough, if you use a duvet cover.
- Treat duvet covers like a sheet - If you use a top sheet, wash the cover once a month or so, but if you don’t, wash it weekly since it’s in direct contact with your body.
- Wash pillows twice a year - Not the cases, but the pillows themselves need to be washed at least twice a year, more of you sweat in your sleep. Read the label, but many pillows can go in the washing machine.
- Decorative pillows need laundering, too - Ideally every other month, but if they have removable covers, you can wash those more often.