We all know we need to wash our bedding, but the question is when and how often? In this week’s post we’re walking you through how often you need to wash each piece of your bedding, from your pillowcases down to your mattress pad and everything in between.
Bed Sheets
The general recommendation is to wash your bedding weekly, though you can stretch it to every two weeks if you’re short on time. There are some situations where sticking to a weekly schedule is more encouraged, such as if you have allergies, you or your partner sweat a lot at night, you’ve been sick, or your pets or kids sleep in the bed with you. If none of these apply to you, and especially if you shower before bed at night, every two weeks should be fine!
When washing your sheets, it’s best to wash them in the hottest water the material can handle to kill of as many pathogens and dust mites as possible. All of our bedsheets can be washed in warm water and tumble dried on low. For all washing, we recommend using natural, plant-based soaps or detergents, and dryer balls in place of dryer sheets to help keep your sheets (and the water supply) chemical free!
Some people like to have two sets of bedsheets so they can remake their bed as soon as they take the other set off to wash. This not only makes life a little easier on laundry days, but it also helps to extend the life of your sheets and gives you a little variety in your décor! For example, you could alternative between a solid set and a printed set for a super easy way to switch up your bedroom style!
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Comforters
Comforters and duvet inserts should ideally be washed every three to six months. How you wash them will depend on the material of the comforter, but all of our comforters can be washed in the hand wash cycle in a front-loading machine and hung to dry.
Mattress pad
Mattress pads can be washed about as often as your comforter, every three to six months, or more often if you are prone to allergies, sweat a lot at night, or have been sick. Our organic cotton mattress pad can be washed in cold water and tumble dryed on low.
Pillows
And the most low maintenance of all: your pillows! Well actually, washing and drying them can take a bit more time than your bedding, but it’s only recommended that you wash them once or twice a year so, overall, not bad! Keeping a pillow protector over your pillow will help to extend the washing time too.
The washing instructions on pillows can vary depending on the material used, so make sure you check the label for details (foam pillows, for example, should never go in the wash!). All of our pillows, including our down, down alternative, and New Zealand wool, can be washed the same as our mattress pad- cool wash and tumble dry low. It’s a good idea to add some dryer balls or tennis balls into your dryer to help fluff up the pillows when they dry.
Throw Blankets
If you’re like us and have a fully accessorized bed, you have at least a few throw pillows and blankets. Depending on whether they’re just there for décor or actual use will determine how often they need to be washed. Most throw pillows are purely decorative, so they don’t need to be washed that often, but if you use your throw blankets as an extra layer when you sleep, you’ll want to wash it either every time or every second time that you wash your regular bedding.
Our organic cotton throw blankets are as cozy as they are cute, so you can drape them over your bed for style and cozy up with them at night for extra warmth.
You can find our full selection of organic and sustainably made bedding here!