How often should you change your bed sheets?

As a general rule, you should change and wash your bed sheets about once a week. Wash more often, every three to four days, if you have allergies, let pets sleep on the bed, sweat heavily, or are unwell. Where the fabric allows, wash at 60C to kill dust mites and bacteria. Sheets collect far more than they appear to, so a weekly change matters more for hygiene and sleep than most people realise.

Why it matters more than you think

Every night, your bedding collects sweat, skin cells, body oils and bacteria, plus dust mites that feed on shed skin, and their droppings, which are a common allergen. This builds up quickly and invisibly. Fresh sheets are not just nicer to sleep in; they reduce allergens, skin irritation and the general grubbiness that affects sleep quality.

The general rule: weekly

For most people, once a week is the right balance, frequent enough to stay hygienic and fresh, without being excessive. If a week sometimes slips to ten days it is not a disaster, but weekly is the target to aim for, and it is easy to build into a weekly cleaning routine.

When to wash more often

• Allergies or asthma: every three to four days keeps dust mites and allergens down, see allergy-friendly cleaning.
• Pets on the bed: hair, dander and outdoor dirt build up fast.
• Heavy sweating or hot weather: more sweat means more frequent washing.
• Illness: wash bedding more often, and at a higher temperature, while unwell.

The right way to wash bedding

Wash sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers at 60C where the fabric allows, this temperature kills dust mites and most bacteria; cooler washes do not. Check care labels, dry thoroughly (damp bedding breeds mould and mites), and avoid overloading the machine so everything actually gets clean.

Don't forget pillows and duvets

Covers are not the whole story. Pillows and duvets also absorb sweat and skin cells and should be washed every few months (check the care label, many are machine washable), and replaced periodically. Protectors on pillows and mattresses cut how much gets through and can be washed regularly.

Keep bedding fresher for longer

• Air the bed each morning, pull back the covers before making it, to let moisture evaporate.
• Shower before bed to take less sweat and dirt into the sheets.
• Keep pets off the bed if you want to wash less often.
• Have a second set so you can change promptly without waiting on laundry.

Let us keep your home fresh

Fresh bedding is part of a fresh, healthy home, and so are clean floors, dust-free surfaces and well-aired rooms. Our regular domestic cleaning service keeps homes across Derby and Derbyshire clean and fresh, and we can change bed linen as part of a regular clean, just ask.