You’ve purchased your luxury sheets, and you’re ready to cuddle in for a great night’s sleep, but wait! You want to create the most comfortable sleeping space imaginable, and that means regular cleaning for a quality rest. 

We spend close to 3,000 hours in our beds each year. So much time in one space, but we tend to bump cleaning that incredibly important part of our home to the bottom of our list. This is your wake-up call: we can’t emphasize the importance of washing bedding regularly enough. Not only is it key to comfort (fresh sheets, anyone?), but it’s also vital to our health and well-being. We don’t want to give you nightmares, but there’s a small army of unwanteds lurking around your linens that you might not even be aware of. Routine linen laundering will hopefully hop to the top of your to-do list once you know what’s between you and a good night’s rest.

What’s Hiding in Your Sheets?

Dust Mites – Dust mites are microscopic bugs that feed on organic detritus, better known as your dead skin cells. Bedding is a natural spot to find dust mites when you consider that we shed close to one million skin cells each day. Wash linens regularly to cut down on dust mites before they contribute to asthma or even lowered immune systems.

Sweat – Even if you’re someone who likes to keep your bedroom bordering on arctic, your body is naturally going to produce some sweat throughout the night.

Body Fluids and Oils – It’s a fact: anything from saliva and urine to other bodily fluids can end up on your sheets. Wash bedding regularly.

Food Particles – Eating in bed is fun. We’re all guilty of enjoying it from time to time, but unfortunately, that means crumbs. Even worse? Crumbs mean bugs. 

Animal Hair – Fluffy and Fido are adorable, but their fur? Not so much. Pet hair can accumulate in your sheets, which in turn can lead to allergy flare-ups and persistent coughing.

How Often Should You Wash?

It’s important to move washing bedding to the top of the list, but how often should your sheets hit the spin cycle? In an ideal world, you should wash your linens once a week, but sometimes life gets busy. Every other week isn’t the worst thing in the world, but remember that once a month just won’t cut it. This, of course, includes pillowcases, but did you know that you know that you should also wash your actual pillows two or three times a year? Yep, you could be laying your head down on a cushion that’s guilty of housing mold and bacteria.

How to Wash Your Bedding:

As with anything in life, there’s a process to follow for getting your bedding to the optimal level of clean comfort. Your best bet is to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Sheets: Wash your sheets separately from your clothes or other linens.

Duvets: High-quality down comforters should be taken to a trusted commercial laundry with experience handling down comforters and bed pillows. Once dry, hang it and allow it to air for a day before putting it back on your bed. This ensures all of the filling is dry and won’t mold on the bed. Duvets should be pulled off of the mattress and given a daily shake. 

Mattresses: It’s easy to forget the importance of maintaining your mattress cleanliness, too. You should try to rotate your mattress regularly to reduce the risk of wear and tear. Vacuuming your mattress once a month can also help remove dust mites and other particles. For extra credit, it’s a good idea to strip your bed completely and let your mattress breathe if you happen to be gone for an extended period of time. Finally, add a mattress protector to block some of the common pollutants, and make sure it gets regular washing as well.