Your bed and mattress is more filthy than you realize. Within 2 weeks your clean sheets will have nearly 6,000,000 bacteria per square inch². By 3 weeks that number grows to 9.2 million². Learn how often to wash your entire bed setup.
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How often should you wash your sheets?
You should wash your sheets at least once per week. Within 1 week clean sheets have built up 5,000,000 bacteria per square inch². If appropriate for your sheets, use bleach and/or the sanitary cycle on your washing machine.
Make sure you wash your pillow cases at the same time. Pillow cases grow bacteria at nearly the same rate as your sheets. Within 2 weeks your pillow case will have 5.7 million bacteria per square inch².
How often should wash your pillows?
You should wash your pillows every other month. Many pillows are machine washable, but always double check the care / wash instructions on the tag. If appropriate, use the sanitary cycle on your washing machine.
In addition, using a full encasement pillow protector can help to keep your pillow cleaner and also dramatically extend its useful life. If you use a pillow protector make sure that protector is washed on the same schedule as your mattress protector (though it’s also fine to wash more frequently).
More information on how to wash pillows.
How often should you wash your mattress protector?
You should wash your mattress protector every other month. The mattress protector is a final line of defense against damage and dirt directly to your mattress.
Using a protector ensures your expensive mattress stays clean and performs better for more years.
Virtually all protectors are machine washable. However, many need to be air dried or dried on low heat. Using high heat on a mattress protector can cause the protective materials to break down, causing the protector to fail.
Lastly, never iron a mattress protector.
How often should you wash your comforter or duvet?
You should wash your comforter or duvet cover at least 4 times per year. If you don’t sleep with a top sheet that means the comforter is in greater contact with your skin. In which case, it makes sense to wash the comforter more often.
Use the sanitary cycle on your washing machine and follow the instructions for appropriate drying based on the material type.
How often should you clean your mattress?
You should clean your mattress at least twice per year. Despite the layers of sheets and mattress protectors, dust, dirt, oils, skin cells, and other debris can make it to the mattress itself. Using a little baking soda and a vacuum cleaner is typically all that’s required to clean a mattress.
You can find our detailed instructions for how to clean a mattress here.
FAQ
Not all pieces of the bedding set need to be washed weekly, but sheets and pillowcases should be washed more often than other pieces. Depending on your lifestyle, once a week may be right for you.
Sheets and pillowcases should be washed 3-4 times a month. Pillows and mattress protectors should be washed every other month.
On average sleepers tend to wash their bedding ever 20-40 days. Relationship status, lifestyle, and other factors contribute to often bedding is washed.
Citations
- Calderone, J. (2015, November 27). Your mattress is actually the dirtiest object in your bedroom. Business Insider. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/dirtiest-object-bedroom-mattress-bacteria-fungus-2015-10
- dannywong1190@gmail.com. (2021, January 4). Bacteria in your bed. Amerisleep. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://amerisleep.com/blog/bacteria-in-your-bed/
- Felton, J. (2021, September 13). Doctor explains the unpleasant reason why you might not want to sleep naked. IFLScience. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/doctor-explains-the-unpleasant-reason-you-maybe-shouldnt-sleep-naked/
- Hayes, K. (2017, October 16). Is making your bed bad for your health? AARP. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2017/making-your-bed-dust-mites-fd.html
- How often to wash your comforter – cleaning tips. Fabricare Center. (2020, September 10). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://fcdrycleaners.com/blog/how-often-to-wash-your-comforter-cleaning-tips/
- Is your pillow as clean as you think? 5 things you should know: Sleep study, sleep clinic: Valley sleep center: Arizona. Sleep Study, Sleep Clinic | Valley Sleep Center | Arizona. (2011, August 17). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://valleysleepcenter.com/is-your-pillow-as-clean-as-you-think-5-things-you-should-know/
- McDonough, L. S. (2021, November 2). How often do you need to wash your mattress pad? Good Housekeeping. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a33897/how-often-to-wash-mattress-pad/
- Person. (2017, October 16). 5 gross things that happen when you don’t wash your sheets enough. Redbook. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/a47219/what-happens-when-you-dont-wash-sheets/
- TodayShow. (2017, October 5). Why you should clean your mattress – and the right way to do it. TODAY.com. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.today.com/home/why-you-should-clean-your-mattress-right-way-do-it-t117130
