How Often Should You Wash Your Bedding?

While you likely wash most of your clothes after each wear, your bedding is an often forgotten item that sees just as much dirt, sweat and dead skin cells as anything else that you put on your body. Many people have conflicting views about how often you should wash your bedding, but if you’re like most adults, you likely just toss it in the washer at occasional intervals when you have a bit of free time on your hands.

According to experts, however, you should probably be washing your bedding much more often than you might think. In order to prevent dust mites, allergens and other build-up at bay, most researchers recommend washing or changing your bed linens once per week. While this may seem like a lot, developing an efficient routine will make it just as easy to wash your sheets as it is to wash your laundry. If you have to travel to a Laundromat or another inconvenient washing setup, it may even be easier to keep two different sets of sheets on hand so that you can switch them out until you’re able to do laundry. Just like there is a proper time to wash your sheets, there’s also a proper way to wash them.

Experts suggest washing bedding by itself, as its larger size could overwhelm a standard washer. Choose a gentle wash cycle to prevent them from tearing or becoming worn out, but increase the water temperature during flu season to kill germs and bacteria. When it comes to drying your sheets after washing, it’s always best to check the care label before tossing them in the dryer. For the most part, you’ll want to avoid the high heat setting, as this could cause your sheets to shrink or become misshapen (especially fitted sheets). Instead, wash them on an air dry setting — or conserve energy by bringing them outside and using nature’s air dry setting.