Bed sheets keep us warm and comfortable during sleep. They also protect the mattress from spills, dust, dirt, body oils, and other stains. With all the benefits of the bed sheets that we love, they also deserve to be treated with care.
Washing your bed sheets at least once a week will help them stay fresh and hygienic. You can also wash your bed sheets more frequently than this, especially if you have pets or allergies, or during seasons when you generally sweat more. It’s also vital to wash your bed linens after illnesses like colds and flu. In the event of spills, blood stains, or urine accidents, your bed sheets must be cleaned immediately.
Why is it Important to Wash Your Bed Sheets?
Dust, dead skin cells, and sweat might not be very visible from your sheets, but these tiny buildups can trigger allergy symptoms. Many users may also develop rashes or acne breakouts due to their dirty bed linens. Dust mites also thrive in areas with lots of dead skin cells. These can greatly affect the quality of your mattress and bedding.
How to Properly Wash Your Bed Sheets
When washing your bed sheets, you want to avoid shrinking, colour bleeding, and other damage. Here’s how you can wash your bed sheets with the utmost care:
- Read the care instructions. Before anything else, carefully read the care tag attached to your bed sheets to understand what cleaning processes and cleaning solutions are safe for the fabric.
- Spot-clean your bed sheets if you see deep stains that should be treated carefully.
- If the material is machine washable, wash the fabric on a gentle cycle with cold water and mild soap. This is to prevent the fabric from shrinking.
- If the user is sick, you can wash the bed sheet with warm water.
- Hand-dry or tumble-dry your bed sheets.
- As much as possible, do not wash your bed sheets with towels or other coloured fabrics to preserve their quality.
Some bed sheet fabrics, like cotton, linen, and silk, require more care. It’s good to have extra bed sheets to use while washing your dirty bed linens. This can reduce wear and tear and will help you preserve the quality of the fabric for a longer period. Also, make sure to clean your mattress using a vacuum cleaner to fully enjoy the cleanliness and comfort of your newly washed bed sheets.
How Often Should You Replace Your Bed Sheets?
The quality and durability of bed sheets depend on the quality of their materials and the way you use them. Bed sheets get softer and cosier when washed, but may become brittle over time. In this case, some bed sheets should be replaced every 2-3 years. High-quality bed sheets may also last up to 5 years.
Summary
Bed sheets serve as our mattress’s line of defense against all the unlikely stuff like dust mites, dead skin cells, sweat, and more stains, but unwashed bed sheets deviate from their purpose of protecting the mattress and keeping you comfortable. In summary, to prevent the discomfort of a dirty bed sheet, make sure to wash yours on a regular basis. Using extra bed sheets will also make washing and changing a breeze. Also, don’t forget to take care of your mattress. The constant effort is definitely worth it.