How to Wash Bed Linen — 5 Simple Steps You Need to Try for Clean Sheets

Sanctuary is among the words we use most often to describe a bedroom. After all, it's meant to be the primary room in your house that evokes a sense of calm. On average, we spend around seven hours in bed each night, which is precisely why it needs to be properly washed on a regular basis.

Different types of bedding require varied washing routines but there are a couple of basic steps that apply to them all. And while it's definitely a task to get all your bed linen off and into the wash, it's a small price to pay for a healthy sleeping environment.

To help us truly understand how to wash bedding and how often we should be tending to this chore, we called on a couple of experts. They've provided plenty of expert advice to help you give your bedding a thorough cleaning and return your room to the state of sanctuary you deserve.

How to Wash Bed Linen

If you've invested in the best bedding sets but you're not giving them a proper wash, you're probably reducing both the quality of your sheets and your sleep in the process. Here's a guide we've put together with the help of some experts.

Step 1 - Read the care label: In conversation with certified sleep science coach Jill Zwarensteyn, she tells us that it’s important to consider the material of your bedding items when washing them. "Their care instructions can differ, so it's best to always read your specific product’s care label," she notes. "If your sheets and comforter or duvet cover are the same color and can be washed on the same settings, they can all go in one load, provided your washing machine can handle it."

Step 2 - Sort by color and type: "When washing your bedding, it's important to separate them by color," says cleaning expert Alessandro Gazzo. Sorting through your bed linen and dividing them into loads by color will prevent the darker shades from bleeding onto lighter fabrics. And as Jill mentioned, different fabrics require different washing needs. So splitting them by fabric is a smart move, to make sure your sheets don't shrink or lose their softness.

Step 3 - Add detergent: As far as detergent needs go, Alessandro recommends following the instructions on the detergent's packaging, but amending it to ¾ of the recommended amount. "Sometimes less is more and this way your machine will produce less soap scum," he points out. Jill encourages using a mild detergent for sheets, for which we find this Tide Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent Liquid to be a great option — plus, it's also available in the form of Tide PODS, also on Amazon.

Step 4 - Choose your cycle: Nichole Mondshein from Sleepopolis tells us that high-quality fabrics like linen, silk, and percale may have specific washing instructions. "typically, for comforters and duvets, I recommend using cold water settings," she says. And when washing your pillowcases, it's best to opt for a delicate cycle, especially if they're made from silk and satin.

Step 5 - Dry your bed linen: "When drying, you can use a low heat and gentle cycle setting for most fabrics," says Nichole. "But it's best to air dry linen or silk bedding instead of using a dryer.”

Trust us, this five-step method is the best way to wash your bedding for a clean and comfortable sleep ambiance.

Do I Need to Wash My Bed Linen Regularly?

According to Jill, it's important to wash your sheets at least every other week, or once a week if you prefer. "Your comforter and duvet cover can be washed once every few months, but it's best to do so at least once every two to three months at the least," she says. "These guidelines may vary depending on individual factors such as allergies, and sleeping with pets or children, which may require more frequent washing of your bedding.”

Adding healthy practices like airing your bedding and washing it on a regular basis will improve your quality of sleep and also provide you with a clean sleeping environment. Give this new schedule a go and you'll notice a difference in no time.

What to Consider When Washing Cotton vs Linen

Jill explains that linen vs cotton sheets are very different materials. "Cotton can normally be washed more haphazardly and will still retain its shape, comfort, and color," she says. "Linen, however, is a more particular fabric that needs to be carefully cleaned with mild detergent, cold water, and air drying for the best preservation of the material.”

Alessandro also finds that it's imperative to treat both materials differently to avoid losing their quality. "Cotton fabrics are the most common and they resist heat fairly well, so you can use warm water (30 – 40°) and tumble dry on medium heat," he explains. "On the other hand, linen is more sensitive to heat, so use lukewarm or cold water (30° or less), low to no heat in your drier, or air dry your laundry if possible."

Embracing essential principles tied to living a good lifestyle is key. Whether that's learning how to declutter a bedroom or understanding how to wash your bed linen. All of these basic concepts when done thoroughly contribute immensely to feeling better, whether you're asleep or awake.

And once you knock the task off your to-do list and you have freshly cleaned sheets with that spa-like laundry scent wafting through your bedroom, you'll be happy you tossed them in the wash. So if you can't remember the last time your sheets visited your washing machine, then perhaps now's the time to reacquaint the two.

FAQs

Should You Wash New Bedding?

Nichole tells us that it's definitely important to wash new bedding before using it. "This will help remove any extra chemicals, germs, allergens, and more from your sheets before you put them on your bed," she points out. "You don't know where your sheets were before you purchased them, so it's always best to wash them first.”