"How often should I wash bedding and how often should I purchase new pillows?"
Great question. And one that is often overlooked. Yuck! Bedding gets far dirtier than we may realize and if not washed frequently can cause a host of problems from acne to allergies to spreading the flu. But no fear! Frequent washing can keep all those things at bay.
In my opinion, sheets should be washed weekly. Pick a day of the week that you have time set aside for washing sheets and strip the bed down to nothing. If you have several beds then you can do sheets all day or just do one bed per day. Whatever works for you. Now on to washing. Never throw all of it in one load. You want room in the washer for those sheets to be rolled around with ease. The dirt and oils will be released much easier if you break up the load into at least two loads, possibly three depending on how much you have. I usually put the fitted sheet and flat sheet in together. I don't ever wash pillowcases or small items with the fitted sheet...they somehow seem to end up inside the fitted sheet and don't get washed or dried very well. Then I wash the pillowcases and my small throw blanket or some towels together. My bed spread is a thin, quilted, cotton so it fits nicely inside my washer. But if you have a large bedspread, don't attempt this. Take it to a Laundromat with a high capacity washer that will allow it to move in all that soap and water. There's nothing worse than pulling something out of your washer that was too big and now you have a huge soapy, wrinkled mess. Obviously sheets should be washed immediately if someone was sick or if there was a spill of some sort. Common sense goes a long way.
Bedspreads should be washed quarterly, more if you use it as a primary blanket at night.
Many people fold back their bedspreads at night and don't use them to keep warm. So obviously this would not require frequent washing. It does collect dust each day, though, and I would shake it out monthly or vacuum it off. I would wash your bedspread quarterly if you don't use it to keep warm at night.
I do use my bedspread every night to keep warm, so this requires more washing - every 1-2 months. I have a thin, quilted, cotton bedspread so it fits nicely inside my washer. ALWAYS wash your bedspread alone. If you have a large bedspread, don't attempt washing it at home. Take it to a Laundromat with a high-capacity washer that will allow it to move around in all that soap and water. There's nothing worse than pulling something out of your washer that was too big and now you have a huge soapy, wrinkled mess.
Wash sheets and pillowcases in Hot/Cold and Bedspreads in Warm/Cold
Washing sheets and pillowcases in hot/cold ensures that you've released all the oils and dirt. The only reason I wouldn't wash bedspreads in hot is because even just a little shrinking could mean that it doesn't fit your bed anymore. And this is so frustrating if it barely fit in the first place. Bedspreads are much more expensive to replace than sheets.
Buy new pillows every 1-2 years.
The link I suggest below over at http://cleanmyspace.com/clean-your-pillows/ suggests folding your pillows in half. If it bounces back, your pillow if fine. If it stays folded, you need a new one. I think this is a great idea.
Pillows are tricky business. They're so awkward to wash and never seem to be the same afterwards. I recently found a tutorial here on how to wash pillows. She suggests washing three times a year. I would suggest extreme detail when it comes to drying your pillows. You would never want mold or mildew to grow inside because they were not adequately dried. Be thorough! She has a YouTube tutorial also.
Other tips and tricks for cleaning the bed
1. Sprinkle baking soda over your mattress while your sheets wash. Let it sit for a while to soak up any unseen oils or odors. Get out your vacuum and suck up all the baking soda. Now your mattress is fresher and so is your vacuum.
2. Spray a homemade fabric freshener on your mattress and bedding. I like eucalyptus oil. Simply fill a spray bottle with water and add about 23-30 drops of any essential oil of your choice. Shake up the bottle and spray away. It leaves a nice scent without any harsh chemicals. Eucalyptus clears the sinuses which is why this scent it so beneficial on sheets...who doesn't' want to breathe easy while they sleep? It's also naturally antibacterial which is great for a place where allergens, mold, and dead skin cells lurk. You could also add some lavender oil which is calming to aid in sleeping. If you like Febreeze, this can also be sprayed on the mattress. Whatever you want!
So, those are some of my favorite tips on cleaning the bed! Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions. Every Monday is "Ask Sarah" and you can submit your questions under the given email.
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Happy Cleaning!
The Queen
I am seriously washing my sheets right now. Thank you! Such a small thing but I don't know why I thought I had to wash my pillow sheets with my bed sheets, of course they always get lost and wrapped up in the big sheets. Great details.
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