How often do you wash your sheets ?
If you said, “once a month,” you’re about to be in for a rude awakening …
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That’s because “once a month” is just plain wrong. As a place where we spend 49 to 60+ hours per week, our sheets deserve a lot more attention than what we’re currently giving them.
Here’s exactly how much.
Thanks to TikTok, a lot of attention was given to our sheets in 2020.
We were taught just how dirty our linens and towels really are by a viral hack called “laundry stripping.”
This involves soaking these items in ¼ cup Borax, ¼ cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, and 1 scoop of Tide Powder Laundry Detergent.
This combination of cleaning products is supposed to remove hard water minerals in fabrics and remove any soils that build up on fabrics.
After leaving the items submerged in the water for several hours, users came back to find their bathtub water turned a murky brown color.
People were both disgusted and satisfied by the results.
There’s just something liberating about seeing something become fresh and clean again!
There were thousands of viral videos on the subject, with people stripping everything from their towels to their linens to their workout clothes.
But as satisfied as people were, laundry stripping isn’t recommended.
“I would not recommend that people do laundry stripping regularly,” Tide senior scientist Jennifer Ahoni told CNN .
“The hot water temperature can be damaging to fabrics and prematurely age them. It can also cause dye loss on some fabrics.”
So, how should you wash your sheets, then? And how often should you be doing it?
The answer to the first question is good ole laundry detergent in the washing machine.
And the answer to the second question is a lot more often than you’d think.
According to Sleep Foundation, you should be washing your sheets once per week.
There is a bit of flexibility here, depending on how often you sleep on your mattress. If it’s not every day, you can get away with washing it every one to two weeks.
But if you have pets sleeping on your bed, you should actually be washing your sheets every three to four days.
Those with allergies and asthma may even benefit from a more frequent clean than this to see if their symptoms improve. The seasons also influence how often you should wash your bedding.
It’s recommended to wash sheets more often in the warm summer months, as you will likely get sweat on your bedding.
You should do the same during the spring months to see if this helps alleviate the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
The reason for this strict schedule is due to what lingers on your sheets.
In addition to Dorito crumbs from last night’s bag of chips, bed sheets can accumulate significant amounts of dirt, dead skin cells, body oils, sweat, and dust mites.
This includes dust mites’ carcasses and fecal matter shudders
Anyone else feeling really itchy right now?
Now that you understand the importance of washing your sheets regularly and know how to wash them (learn more here ), you might be wondering about other bedding.
According to the Sleep Foundation, you should be washing your pillowcases once a week.
You should even wash your pillows every four to six months if they’re washable.
Duvet covers need a good wash every two weeks to a month; comforters once every two to three months; and blankets every two to three months.
Inspired to get clean? Go do a load of laundry and sleep well tonight!
H/T: Sleep Foundation
