washing bedding - how often?

valk_scot

I wash the bottom sheets and mattress protectors weekly. I do the duvet cover and pillowslips from our king sized bed or the duvet covers and pillowslips from the kids' beds on alternate weeks. This way it works out at two bedding loads per week whereas if I did all the duvet covers at once I'd need three loads.

I have summer and winter duvets and when I change them over I hang the out of season ones over the rafters in our attic, with a sheet over them to keep off the dust. Before I put these back on the bed I put them on the line outside and give them a good whack, to shake out any grot. I only ever wash duvets if they get something nasty on them have to say. When the kids were little and still had the odd wet bed I seemed to be washing duvets every few days.

MellyB_2

I wash our bedding (which consists of bottom sheet, duvet cover and four pillowcases) everyweek!

Have two bedding sets so just tend to rotate them on a weekly basis - I do have a dog that likes to sleep on the bed during the day though.....

Plus the smell of nice clean washed bedding is lovely!!

Oldernotwiser

nettles77 wrote: »

I strip all our beds every friday and wash them all on a 60. As for clothes we wear everything once. Its also one use for face cloths and towels too. I wash about 8/9 face cloths everyday. i must really stop it.

Much easier (and cheaper) not to use flannels for the face. What's wrong with using your hands?

Oldernotwiser

blueberrypie wrote: »

I change the sheets on my bed every week. It's a king-size bed (actually bigger than that, because it's a North American king-size) but I've a huge washing-machine so I can easily fit in my own top and bottom sheets plus pillowcases, and more. The duvet-cover is washed when I feel it needs it - might be because it's dirty, might be because I take a notion to wash it.

A top sheet and a duvet cover? Why?

blueberrypie

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

A top sheet and a duvet cover? Why?

Well, if I didn't have the top sheet, I'd have to wash the duvet cover more often, and it's a lot more hassle to take off and put back on. Plus it's twice as much fabric as a flat sheet - and bearing in mind the size of the bed, that's quite a lot of fabric. Definitely easier to wash and dry the top sheet than it is the duvet cover.

But I admit I've never really thought about it before - it's just how I've always done it. Years ago in Canada we had a "comforter" - which is just a duvet-plus-cover, all in one, no removable cover - and I suppose I've always used a top sheet from that time. It does still make sense for me now that I've a duvet though, for the reason above.

Edit to add another reason I like doing it this way: it's easy to adjust for temperature. I don't like sleeping with no cover over me, but if I'm too warm, I can push the duvet down/off and have just the sheet.

Oldernotwiser

blueberrypie wrote: »

Well, if I didn't have the top sheet, I'd have to wash the duvet cover more often, and it's a lot more hassle to take off and put back on. Plus it's twice as much fabric as a flat sheet - and bearing in mind the size of the bed, that's quite a lot of fabric. Definitely easier to wash and dry the top sheet than it is the duvet cover.

But I admit I've never really thought about it before - it's just how I've always done it. Years ago in Canada we had a "comforter" - which is just a duvet-plus-cover, all in one, no removable cover - and I suppose I've always used a top sheet from that time. It does still make sense for me now that I've a duvet though, for the reason above.

One of the nice things about MSE is finding the different ways people do things.

OrkneyStar

Generally weekly or thereabouts (along with flylady lists ), but can be more or less often if required. DS (2) same routine although he sleeps on a sheet and in a sleeping bag/grobag- the grobag is washed less often than the sheet but again as needed really.
I also have a bad back, as one of the other posters said, it pays to be careful as sheets can be a hard thing to fold etc when back not working!

blueberrypie

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

One of the nice things about MSE is finding the different ways people do things.

That's true - perhaps especially so for the OS board. I've used lots of little tips and information I've seen mentioned here. There are other things where it wouldn't work for me or I don't like the idea, of course. But even then it does make you think - like your question made me think, "hm, why *do* I have both?" On reflection, having both works better for me than any other method - but at least I've thought about it, y'know? :-)

Boodle

I alternate between ours and DD's bedding every week, so fortnightly. In hot weather, sometimes more frequently or when necessary. Baby's gets done every couple of days or so because of milky dribbles etc

blueberrypie

Just thought of something else to add - related to this discussion. Maybe everybody else already does it, but just in case:

When I wash and dry sheets, I put the whole set inside one of the pillowcases for that set. Then when it's time to put fresh sheets on the bed, the whole set is in the pillowcase, folded and easy to grab.