Bed sheets need to be washed correctly to maintain good hygiene and for optimum comfort, despite being a tiresome household chore.
When you sleep your body releases natural oils and sweat which get transferred onto your bed sheets and cause stains.
So, just as you wash your clothes regularly, it’s as important to maintain the cleanliness of your bedding.
In terms of how often you should be washing your sheets, Jade Crooks, head of product at DUSK claims that it is generally recommended that you wash them twice a month.
However, if you have been sick or are experiencing an increase in allergy symptoms you may want to wash them sooner.
In the summer months, when you may be prone to increased sweating at night, you may want to stick to the once-a-week rule.
“When it comes to washing your bedding, set the temperature of your washing machine to between 30 to 40 degrees Celsius”, instructs Jade.
She said: “This is the best temperature to correctly and effectively remove dirt, body oils and to kill bacteria, while still protecting the fibres of your bedding.
“Not only will this temperature effectively clean your sheets, but it will also help to maintain the quality of your bedding for longer.”
The cleaning experts at Fantastic Services also recommend opting for this temperature. They said: “The experts said: “Generally speaking, the best temperature to wash bedding is between 30 to 40 degrees.”
However, if households decide to go longer than two weeks before washing their bed sheets they may need to up the temperature.
The laundry experts at Melt claimed that 60 degrees is needed if households are not washing bed sheets often.
They argued that after so long, on a lower temperature wash, some bacteria will remain on your laundry. This means “it will smell more quickly”.
Linens experts at Belledorm argued the same point as they claimed that 40 degrees tends to be the “optimum temperature” to wash bed sheets.
But they added: “If, however, you’ve left your sheets a little longer than you should have, consider a higher wash.”