Things to Avoid When Washing Bed Sheets

bed sheets

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There’s literally no better feeling than crawling up in fresh, clean bed sheets after a hard day’s work. As a matter of fact, a recent poll discovered that clean sheets get at the top of the list of things that make people feel great. Your bed is your sanctuary while your sheets get the most wear and tear every day. That’s why washing your bed sheets carefully is of utmost importance – it will make your sheets last longer and give you that fresh, comfy feeling you adore so much. So, if you want clean yet properly taken care of sheets, here’s what you should avoid once you get to the laundry room.

Don’t wait too long

Let’s assume you’re lucky enough to get eight hours of sleep each night. That means that you will spend one-third of each day crawling up your bed sheets, so regular cleaning is a must. All of that sweat, body oil, dust, and dead skin cells make your sheets dirty pretty fast, so experts suggest washing them once a week. The longest you can wait between two washing cycles is two weeks but try to keep it shorter, especially during the warm periods of the year.

Don’t forget about stains

Bed sheets get stained easily, especially if you eat or do makeup in bed, so don’t forget to check for stains before you throw them in the washing machine. Pillow cases get stained the most with makeup leftovers or hair dye color. If you happen to find a stain before washing, make sure you treat it with a pre-wash stain remover. That surely is easier and more efficient than rewashing them because one cycle wasn’t strong enough.

Don’t set the temperature too high

People often assume that the hotter the cycle in the washing machine, the cleaner the sheets will be. This might be true, however – most sheets are made of cotton and all cotton shrinks, at least a little bit. Higher temperatures will make your bed sheets shorter, so try to avoid washing them in water that’s too hot and drying them at high temperature. Instead, keep it moderate – that’s the only way to prevent shrinkage and prolong your bed sheets’ lifespan.

Don’t overload your washing machine

Although it sounds efficient to wash all of your family’s bedding in one go, overloading the washing machine can do more harm than good. Contemporary washing machines can wash a lot of laundry at a single washing, but it’s important not to overload it. Besides damaging your washing machine, washing your sheets in an overloaded machine can cause them to wrinkle, tear, or don’t wash properly. Leave some room for water and detergent to circulate in order to be sure it’s done properly.

Don’t mix them with towels

When washed, towels can produce a lot of lint that will stick to your sheets and make them coated with tiny lint balls. Also, towels produce a lot of friction which can shorten your sheets’ lifespan. Keeping these two apart is especially important for drying since the fabrics are not the same and sheets will dry faster. This doesn’t mean that you always have to wash bed sheets separately. It’s okay to combine them with some light cotton fabrics that are not too different from the bedding fabric, but towels are a big no.

Don’t use harsh detergents

Neither too much detergent nor too harsh detergent will be good for your bed sheets. This is particularly important if you have bed sheets of a fine quality – the wrong detergent can damage them or make them fade. Remember that your sheets don’t get as dirty as your pants or T-shirts, so using a mild detergent is completely fine. Think baby detergents and you’ll have the softest sheets that will also smell like heaven.

Now, when was the last time you washed your sheet sets? Do it today, don’t make these common mistakes, and voilà – you’ll provide yourself with a heavenly good night of sleep right away!

proper way to wash bedsheets