How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets? Tips and Guidance for Fresh, Clean Bed Linens

You should wash your sheets about once a week. Like laundering your clothes and towels, this ensures your bed linens stay fresh and you're always sleeping in a clean, nice-smelling bed. Plus, lots of people do laundry weekly anyway, so this is a good opportunity to get everything done at once.

Why Once a Week?

Why not wash your sheets every two weeks? The weekly recommendation of how often to wash sheets isn't an exact science. Still, cleaning your bedding regularly and frequently prevents buildup of dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, body oils, bacteria, and other unhygienic, odor-causing substances.

Of course, you might not be able to see this buildup — at least, not until it begins discoloring your bedding. But trust us, it's there, and it's not something you want to sleep in.

Some experts may recommend washing your sheets every seven to 10 days — though any longer usually isn't advised. Weekly washing ends up being a more practical rule of thumb because most people do laundry once a week anyway.

Why Some People Launder Their Sheets More Often Than Weekly

Believe it or not, some people wash their sheets (or at least change them out for a fresh set) more often than once a week. Why? A few reasons.

Allergies

Those with asthma or seasonal allergies may want to clean their bedding more often to remove pollen, dust, and other irritants that could aggravate their symptoms. Additionally, if you or your partner have been sick, it's a good idea to wash your sheets when you're feeling better (or potentially sooner) to keep germs and bacteria out of the bed.

Lifestyle

Someone's lifestyle or profession may give them reason to wash their sheets more often. For instance, construction workers and other folks with outdoor jobs may want to prevent dirt from getting into their beds. Similarly, athletes might want to change their bedding a couple of times a week to keep sweat stains and body odors at bay.

Skincare

And some opt to change their pillowcases multiple times a week for skincare purposes. The idea is to minimize potentially pore-clogging body oils and acne-causing bacteria.

Some people swear by silk pillowcases for smooth, clear, crease-free skin. Read our blog to learn about the differences between Sateen vs. Satin vs. Silk.

You probably don't need to be told to wear clean clothes every day — or why that’s important. The same should go for sleeping in clean bedding. But just so we're on the same page, let's go over the importance of regularly washing your sheets. 

Hygiene

In addition to prolonging the lifespan of your bedding, washing your sheets helps eliminate buildup of dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, oil, makeup, skincare residues, haircare products, dust, pollen, and bacteria. Beyond the ick factor, this hygienic practice is simply good for your health.

Odor

After a couple of weeks, unwashed sheets may begin to smell funky, while the buildup of various residues might irritate your skin or aggravate your allergies. According to the American Lung Association, dust mites can live off dead human skin cells. While both the mites and the cells are invisible to the naked eye, this is something you definitely don't want in your bed. Washing your sheets weekly can help prevent it.

It's Not Hard

Frequent washing may seem like an inconvenient chore — and well, it kind of is. But once you get into a habit of it, you might feel weird not washing your sheets once a week. After a while, it'll become part of how you prepare for the week ahead. And pretty much everyone can agree how nice it feels to sleep in freshly washed bedding.

Not up for weekly washing? Consider getting an extra set of sheets. That way, you can strip your bed and change the sheets in one fell swoop and have the other set ready for the following week.

Of course, you'll need somewhere to keep your alternating bed linens. Read our article to learn How to Organize Your Linen Closet.

Now that you know how often to wash sheets, you might be wondering how often to clean other bedding essentials. Find a breakdown of the recommended washing frequency for each piece below.

Pillowcases: Weekly (or more often for skincare purposes)

Duvet Cover: Weekly (or potentially every two weeks if you use a top sheet)

Duvet Insert: Every two or three months

Bed Pillows: Every three or four months

Can You Wash Pillows? Read our blog for answers and insight.