How often should you change bed sheets?

Bed Sheets on A Washing Line | scooms

Experts say that you should change your bed sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers once a week or at the most every two weeks. However, a recent YouGov poll found that almost a third of people change their bed linen once a week or more often. 36% once every fortnight and the rest three to eight weeks or more! Washing your sheets regularly is important to not only protect your bedding and mattress, but to also protect your health.

  1. How often should you wash your bed sheets?
  2. How often should you wash your sheets when you're sick?
  3. What happens if you don't change your bed sheets?
  4. Can not changing your sheets make you sick?
  5. How often should you change your sheets?

 

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HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR SHEETS?

Wash your bed sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week to keep your bed linen fresh. Regularly washing your bed linen will help protect your more expensive bedding items like your mattress, duvet and pillows from bodily secretions such as oils, fluids and hair. It also feels great to slip into a fresh set of bedding once a week! We also recommend using our wool tumble dryer balls when drying your washed sheets for that super soft feeling.

How often to change bed sheets in winter - We would still recommend washing your sheets once a week in the winter even though you will probably sweat less than during the warmer summer months.

 

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR BED SHEETS IF YOU'RE SICK?

If you or a member of your family is ill, then experts recommend that bedding is changed every day if possible or at least that your pillowcase is cleaned daily as germs and viruses can live for several hours and even survive a wash. Check the care instructions to see how hot you can wash your pillows.

Top tip on how to kill germs and viruses on your bed sheets from Microbiologist Laura Bowater:

‘Dry sheets and pillowcases in direct sunlight if you can, as UV light is effective in killing micro-organisms. Run a hot iron over pillowcases on the cotton setting (200c) to kill any leftover bacteria'.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T CHANGE YOUR BED SHEETS?

Bed sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases rack up a variety of bodily fluids, dirt from outside and dead skin cells as we sleep. If you don’t clean your bed linen regularly, then those bodily fluids can seep into your pillows, duvets and mattresses which are always much harder to clean than your sheets, duvet covers or pillowcases. Particularly during the summer months when hot, sticky nights can lead to us sweating more.

 

CAN NOT CHANGING YOUR SHEETS MAKE YOU SICK?

If you don’t wash your bed linen regularly your dirty sheets could worsen existing health problems. Dust mites feed off dead skin cells which can worsen asthma and set off dust mite allergies.

It can also ruin your night's sleep. You may find yourself tossing and turning through the night, affecting the quality of your sleep. 

 

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU REPLACE YOUR BED SHEETS?

If your bed sheets are good quality then they should last around five to seven years. When you see or feel signs of wear and tear, replace them. Egyptian cotton sheets and linen bedding sheets will be more durable than other fabrics and get softer with every wash. So choose 100% Egyptian cotton or 100% linen for sheets that will last and improve over time.

See How to clean & care for your Egyptian cotton bed linen and How to clean & care for your linen bedding.

 

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TOP HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR BED SHEETS UK FAQS:

How often do you need to wash your bed sheets?

You should wash your bed sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week to keep your bed linen fresh. Keeping your bed linen clean will protect your mattress, duvet and pillows from body oils, fluids, hair, etc.  

What happens when you don't wash your sheets?

When you don't wash your sheets, oils and fluids from your body can build up and become embedded in the fibres of your Egyptian cotton bedding which are then more difficult to get rid of. Also, dust mite droppings can cause allergic rhinitis or breathing problems for people with asthma.

How often should you change your sheets?

Good quality bed sheets should be replaced every five to seven years if you can see or feel signs of wear or tear. Good quality Egyptian cotton and linen sheets will last longer than other materials. Buy the best quality bed sheets you can and look after them carefully to ensure your sheets last as long as possible.

Author: Emily AttwoodPublished: 26 June 2018Last modified: 5 February 2024






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Bedding size guide

DUVET SIZE GUIDE

These are standard UK bedding measurements so if you know your mattress size, you can easily work out which duvet size you need. (Width x length.)

UK sizes Duvet size Mattress size
Single 135 x 200cm (53 x 79") 90 x 190cm (36 x 75")
Double 200 x 200cm (79 x 79") 135 x 190cm (53 x 75")
King 225 x 220cm (89 x 87") 150 x 200cm (60 x 78")
Super king 260 x 220cm (102 x 87") 180 x 200cm (72 x 78")

US/CANADA BEDDING SIZES: Approximate matches to UK sizes are US King/UK Super king, US Queen/UK King,  US Full/UK Double and US Twin/UK Single.

EUROPEAN BEDDING SIZES: Each size - Single, Double, King and Grand king - is a little larger than the UK equivalent.

Measure your mattress to see which size bedding you need: our UK v European v US mattress comparison guide.

 

DUVET TOG RATING GUIDE

Young children can overheat so if they are old enough to use a full size bed, we recommend using a single size 4.5 tog duvet.

 Tog rating Season / heat Feel
2.5 tog High summer / hot sleepers Light thermal insulation
4.5 tog Summer Lower thermal insulation
9 tog Spring & Autumn Cosy medium heat
All season 13.5 tog 4.5 tog + 9 tog Very warm
All season 11.5 tog 2.5 tog + 9 tog Warm
All season 7 tog 2.5 tog + 4.5 tog Lower warmth

 

DUVET FILL WEIGHT GUIDE

Our goose down duvets have high 700 fill power. Fill weight is measured in GSM (grams per square metre). For example view our 9 tog king size goose down duvet for more duvet details.

Fill weight (not total duvet weight)
Single All seasons - 788gsm
9 tog - 486gsm 
4.5 tog - 302gsm 
2.5 tog - 220gsm
Double All seasons - 1168gsm
9 tog - 720gsm
4.5 tog - 448gsm
2.5 tog - 320gsm
King All seasons - 1478gsm
9 tog - 911gsm
4.5 tog - 567gsm
2.5 tog - 400gsm
Super king All seasons - 1671gsm
9 tog - 1030gsm
4.5 tog - 641gsm
2.5 tog - 480gsm

 

PILLOW SIZE GUIDE

Our pillows come in two sizes and two firmness options. (Width x length.)

Standard  50 x 75cm
King 50 x 90cm

 

BED LINEN SIZE GUIDE

Our fitted sheets are deep fit, up to 40cm / 15.7" mattress depth. And our duvet covers fasten with large, easy to use buttons. (Width x length.)

Duvet cover Fitted sheet Flat sheet Pillowcase (pair)
Single 140 x 200cm 90 x 190cm 180 x 275cm
Double 200 x 200cm 135 x 190cm 230 x 275cm 50 x 75cm (Standard)
King 230 x 220cm 150 x 200cm 275 x 275cm 50 x 90cm (King)
Super king 260 x 220cm 180 x 200cm 305 x 275cm

 

MATTRESS PROTECTOR SIZE GUIDE

Our mattress protectors are deep fit, up to 40cm mattress depth. Choose the same size protector as your mattress size. (Width x length.)

Mattress protector size Mattress size
Single 90 x 190cm 90 x 190cm
Double 135 x 190cm 135 x 190cm
King 150 x 200cm 150 x 200cm
Super king 180 x 200cm 180 x 200cm 

 

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