How often should you replace your bedding?

You may think of yourself as sweetly sleeping, soundly and softly, throughout the nights. Whilst your body and brain is restoring itself and getting some much-needed rest, there’s actually a lot of activity going on. 

Whilst you sleep, you produce sweat and dirt. Dead skin cells and oils can build up on your bedsheets, along with all the other lovely gunk of the day. Doesn’t sound quite as lovely or glamorous now, does it?

Since we spend 40–60 hours sleeping in our beds each week, it’s a good idea to replace your bedding regularly. We can’t always see the dirt in our bedsheets, though, so it’s not so obvious when they should be cleaned. Allow us to explain exactly why you should change your bedding, and how often it should be done.

Benefits of Fresh Bedding

At Ely Mattress, we appreciate the power of a good night’s sleep. We also know that the mattress is the crucial foundation for a bed, but the sheets and stuff that go on top is important too. Fresh bedding has a number of great benefits. Here’s why your bedding deserves some TLC:

• Fewer bacteria – Washing bedding on a high temperature kills bacteria that can come from sweat, skin, pets, and even the air. Having a bed free of these microscope mischiefs will aid in maintaining good overall health.
• Kinder to allergies – Dust mites and fungal spores can breed and live in dirty old bedsheets. Fresh bedding means a significant reduction in these, causing less allergy flare-ups, like asthma. 
• Better comfort – We challenge you to name something more comforting than crisp, clean bedding. Fresh sheets promote a calmer and cosier sleep environment, benefiting your night’s rest in a big way.

Health Risks of Not Washing Your Bedding

Despite being your sanctuary, your bed can harbour some pretty nasty health risks. Without regular cleaning, the build up of fluids and spills, dirt and grime, can lead to some serious hazards.

Your skin can be affected by dirty bedding. Oils and muck can lead to bad skin breakouts, like spots or rashes. Irritation from bacteria can result in unwanted itchiness, which is the perfect way to ruin a peaceful sleep.

Not replacing your bedding often enough can also lead to fungal and bacterial infections, like ringworm or athlete’s foot. An Amerisleep study revealed that sheets that hadn’t been washed for a week held 24,631 more bacteria than a bathroom doorknob. Yuck. 

If you suffer with breathing problems, like asthma or other respiratory allergies, unwashed bedding can exacerbate symptoms. Excessive sneezing and even difficulty breathing can be triggered by dirty sheets.

How to Wash Bedding

A lot of people see replacing their bedding as a daunting household task. There’s a misconception that how you wash your bedding is long-winded and complicated, which can put people off doing it as regularly as they should. 

In reality, it’s not so different from washing your clothes. The best way to wash bedding is on a long, hot cycle. This ensures bacteria is killed, and any grubby stuff is rinsed away. A cool Scandinavian tip is to dry out and air your bedding outside, weather permitting. This helps sheets to feel more crisp and fresh, contributing to a cosier bed overall. 

Keep Sheets Clean Between Washes

Using a washing machine uses up a fair amount of energy, which isn’t exactly cheap right now. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your sheets cleaner between each wash, so you’re not caught on a constant spin cycle!

Showering before bed helps reduce the amount of muck you bring into your bed. Taking off any makeup before you get into bed, as well as avoiding using too many moisturisers or lotions before you go to sleep, will help keep sheets clean. Banishing pets from your bed (we know it’s not easy – they’re too cuddly) will reduce dirt on the sheets. Ditto eating in bed. Nobody likes crumbs in the sheets!

How Often Should You Replace Your Bedding

Here it is, the answer to the all-important question: how often should you, in fact, replace your bedding. 

There’s no set in stone answer, as it comes down to opinion and preference. There have been plenty of surveys and research, but the consensus points to once a week, or once every two weeks. Opinion here is pretty divided. It’s up to you to determine whether you’re going to be a weekly or fortnightly bedding replacer. Sweatier sleeps call for more frequent washing, but if you’re good about bed hygiene then every two weeks should be fine too. 

Make Your Bed a Sanctuary with Ely Mattress

Now you know how often you should replace your bedding, and have vowed to have crisp sheets at all times, it’s time to upgrade your mattress.

Truly turn your bed into a sanctuary of serene sleep, and treat yourself to a luxurious Ely Mattress. Our natural mattress is perfect for easing allergies, reducing back pain, whilst being kind to the environment. Learn more about our toxin-free, natural mattress on our website now.