Are You Washing Your Sheets & Bedding Often Enough?

Everyone’s got that one chore they hate, and for many people, that chore is washing bedding. It’s annoying to have to strip the bed, wash the sheets, and then remake the whole thing. Doubly so if you have an unusual layout like a loft bed or a bed pushed all the way into a corner. But just like sweeping, dusting, mopping and vacuuming, you still need to do it. And, as frustrating as it can be, it is very rewarding to fall asleep between fresh sheets after a long day.

But how often do you have to take on the challenge of wrestling with sheets, pillowcases, and blankets? Can you realistically push it off and still be fine? Or do you have to adhere to a strict schedule in order to stay healthy and keep a clean home? Is the schedule a hard and fast rule for everyone, or are there special cases that change the timeframe?

How Often Should I Wash My Sheets?

According to Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, washing your sheets every one to two weeks is sufficient for most people. While pillowcases and sheets should be washed anytime you’re washing your bedding, extra blankets and duvet covers can generally go longer between washes (up to a month).

If you already have some kind of a reset day routine, it will be easier to add in a new chore than if you’re starting from scratch. You can add washing your sheets into your laundry day routine if you have a dedicated day for it. Or make it a non-negotiable step when you clean your bedroom. If you don’t have a dedicated reset day, pick a day that’s convenient for you to wash your bedding and stick to it as much as possible. Otherwise, you’re liable to miss the optimal window and leave your sheets unchanged for too long.

Special Cases

There are exceptions to this (although none of them let you push off the laundry for longer).

If you are prone to night sweats, sleep nude, or have a condition that keeps you in bed for long periods of time, you should wash your sheets more frequently. You should also be sure to wash them more frequently if you’re sick, especially once you’ve recovered. No one wants to sleep in a germ-laded bed; clean sheets will feel more comfortable while you’re sick, and that first night of being healthy will feel even better if you’ve got fresh sheets to fall asleep in.

Source

How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?, Ohio State University, 2019.