How Often Should I Wash My Bed?

August 16, 2021

Have you ever felt uncomfortable when discussing with family or friends how often you should wash your bedding?

It happened to me recently. So, I wanted to deepen my research on this thorny subject (especially since well… I work in selling bedding!)

How Often Should You Wash Your Bedding?

The question depends on many criteria, and we don’t have the science behind it.Each person is different, and everyone goes their way. Our goal here is not to judge anyone, but to explore the question and possible answers. According to the scientists of the Centers for Hygiene and Infection, the theoretical recommendation would be to wash your bedding every week! #olalala

However, it depends mainly on your habits: you can imagine that a single person evacuates humidity differently than a couple, and even more different than someone sleeping with their pet. It is also different if we wash at night or in the morning. But also if we eat in bed or spend several hours in bed watching television, for example.

How Do My Sheets Get Dirty?

Whether it is at day or at night, the body secretes sebum, dead cells, and sweat all the time. When you make your bed, the humidity gets trapped inside, and all the secretions from last night are bacteria next meal. They are the ones that will feed on this and will emit bad smells in your room. Breathable and natural sheets wick moisture away from the body, limiting bacterial growth and keeping your bed drier.

This bacterial growth has nothing to do with hygiene: it is not because you shower at night that you soil your bedding less. Our human body is made that way, an incredible war machine designed to evacuate toxins and keep us at a stable temperature of 37 degrees.

Do I Risk Anything If I Don’t Wash My Bed Every Week?

Apart from a slightly unpleasant smell, there is no real health risk. However, there is a risk of allergies because of the dust mites that feed on our dead skin, a completely normal phenomenon.

How to Prevent Allergies?

We recommend that you wash your bedding regularly, every two weeks (this looks pretty reasonable to us), as well as airing your pillows and duvet. You could also invest in anti-mite mattress and pillow protectors to prevent microbial proliferation.

See our collection of mattress and pillow-protector

But When You Wash Your Bed, Do It Properly

Some people prefer to wash their bedding at a low temperature (30 degrees); others prefer 40 or 60 degrees. We recommend that you wash your sheets at a low temperature to avoid premature shrinkage. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to wash your bedding at higher temperatures once every two months or so to help destroy all the micro-organisms present. If you had a hot night, were sick, or felt dirty, don’t hesitate to offer your bedding a warmer cycle. It won’t damage it :)

When it comes to laundry, did you know that it’s best not to overuse laundry detergent? Indeed, we could believe that the more, the better, but it’s the opposite. With too much detergent, your bedding will retain traces of soap and will not wash well! We recommend that you use half the dosage indicated by the manufacturer. Your sheets won’t be less clean, on the contrary!

Tips From Our Team

Change your pajamas every week.
Take a shower before going to bed (this will also relax you), wash your face well, and remove makeup and hair gel.
Sleep in a room between 16 and 20 degrees.
Air your room every morning for at least 15 minutes to evacuate the humidity generated during the night while keeping the bed unmade and the covers exposed. Don’t make your bed right away when you get out of it.
Don’t hesitate to vacuum your mattress once a month!
Turn your mattress over twice a year.