Laundry sheets seems pretty easy. Unfortunately, many people are washing their linens poorly, and to compound the confusion, many of the old laundry rules we grew up with have changed along the way.
To clear things up and get some firm guidelines, we spoke with laundry and bedding experts about the proper way to wash sheets, duvets, and pillowcases, including the question everyone wants answered: How often are you supposed to wash them? what should we wash?
How to wash sheets
Katie Elks, Brooklinen's director of design and product development, says, "For all sheets, we recommend washing them on a cold cycle." Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications for the American Cleaning Institute, echoes those guidelines: "Most clothing can now be washed in cold water. That should be the default." Sansoni explains that cold water is "effective, but your sheets will last longer," because cold water washing reduces wear and tear, as well as fading.
Elks says people should own at least two sets of sheets to increase longevity. It's also wise to have more than one sheet for days when you don't have time to wash them or in case someone soils the sheets and an immediate change of bedding is required.
Both Elks and Sansoni recommend separating sheets into light and dark loads, although modern technology has made this rule less absolute than it used to be. Because cold water is now the standard for washing, the need to separate textiles by color is less important than by fabric type. If you choose to wash your dark and light sheets together and dye transfer is one of your concerns, use a color catcher in the wash to catch any loose dyes before they can stain your lighter colored items.
However, Sansoni notes that if all of your sheet sets are dark in color, you may want to "consider a detergent for darker fabrics that is meant to reduce fading."
The basics:
How Often to Wash Sheets
This is the question everyone wants an answer to: how often should people wash their sheets?
"Every 1-2 weeks," says Sansoni, adding that "weekly is best, especially if you have a dust mite allergy or during the summer when you're likely to sweat the most."
Elks agrees. "We suggest washing your sheets every two weeks and alternating between two different sets to increase longevity. If you sweat a lot while you sleep, washing them more frequently will help keep your sheets feeling fresher."
A few other factors to consider when determining how often to wash your sheets
Products recommended by experts
These products were recommended by the experts consulted and are available on Amazon Mexico and the United States.
Buy Shout Color Catcher ( MX$169 USD$9.44)
Woolite all Darks ( not available $9.94)
Tide Pods Clean ( MX$399 USD$18.99)
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