How often should we change bedsheet(s)? I recently read a rather distasteful article in the paper that said’ some people only change their sheets once a year, and that is to throw them away, and put new ones on to the bed’.
This is quite hard to believe, but it makes you think about the topic. I have done some research and will talk about the reasons behind how often and why you should change your sheets.
The rationale to change bedsheet
Every night most of us spend around 7 or 8 hours in bed, and children spend up to 10 hours in bed. During night time we shed thousands of minute skin particles, and on an average night the human body can shed 12,000,000 dead skin flakes, and these end up in your sheets.
Mostly they are so minute that we don’t actually see them, but if the linen is not changed regularly they would build up. When we wear our clothing all day, we take it off and wash it. So at least once a week we should wash our bed linen and put clean sheets and pillowcases back on the bed.
If you spend more time in Bed
If you have a fever or other illness you will spend more time in bed, and when this happens you will need to change the sheets more often. If you have influenza, it is important to change the bed linen daily, to avoid spreading germs to your family.
When there is a sickness in the family it is a good idea to use a laundry sanitizer in your wash to help kill the germs. If you are suffering from a skin condition you should also change your sheets more regularly.
Children and the need to change bedsheet
Young children between 3 and 10 years of age need a lot of sleep, this age group often take various things to bed with them. This can range from food, drinks, toys, and pets. Unless you are vigilant you can’t always monitor what will end up in the bed from toast crusts to the family guinea pig.
The bacteria load in a child’s bed will build up rapidly, and there will be times when their beds need changing twice a week, but once a week as they get older is enough. If possible, strip off the sheets and let the bed air for a while before putting fresh ones on.
Once a month the blanket/ doona cover comforter and mattress cover should also be washed. Also, try to keep the family pets out of the child’s bedroom. The dog should sleep in his own kennel, that way everyone gets better sleep.
Keeping Your Family Healthy
Because bedding is a haven for dust mites, they will live and breed in your bed. Dust mites are a known cause of allergies that can plague both children and adults.
The dust mite droppings are what we are allergic to, and if you have a child with severe allergies, you may want to buy some allergy-proof bedding. Whatever you decide, very regular laundering of sheets and pillowcases is extremely important for children and adults with allergies.
Fortunately, you can’t see the dust mites but they are present in all bedding. Some of the new bed linen Bamboo Sheets are supposed to be allergy-free, but I haven’t tried them yet.
Using a Drier
If you use a clothes drier it is important to keep it clean or it can spread bacteria. If you use the drier make it hot to kill microorganisms. If you are able to hang your bed linen out in the sun to dry this is the best option, I realize not everyone can do this.
The sun actually kills quite a lot of viruses and also fades certain stains, and on a good day, you will notice that your sheets smell so much cleaner when you bring them back inside.
How Often Should You Change Bed Sheets? – Conclusion
Yes, change bedsheet(s) regularly to stay healthy. We are all so busy now that changing the sheets every week sounds trivial, but as you can see it is essential in keeping you and your family healthy.