Sleep is one of the most important factors for our health, and we spend on average, around 30% of our lives in bed. Did you know that according to The Sleep Council, the average adult sheds around 454g of dead skin over a year? Much of this dead skin ends up nestled in your bed. As a result, taking care of your bedding and mattress is essential as it will help you sleep better, help it last longer and help it look better.
Taking care of your bed linen
Bed sheets become soiled from body oils and fluids as well as surface dirt on the body. Bodies produce urine, faeces, semen, and other fluids that the bacteria in those fluids use to grow. Bacteria can cause problems with any cuts or openings on the body and can cause skin irritation.
How often you clean your sheets depends on several factors:
• Does the sleeper wear pyjamas? Pyjamas protect the bed linens from most of the body soil.
• Does the sleeper perspire heavily? Heavy sweaters need to change sheets more often.
• Does the sleeper bathe before bedtime? A clean body makes sheets stay clean longer.
• Is the sleeper ill? Anyone with a virus, cold, flu, or any illness should have sheets changed daily or every other day.
• What does the sleeper do in bed? Not prying, but if the user eats, studies, and allow pets in the bed, there will be more soil.
• Does the sleeper have skin problems or problems breathing? Washing pillowcases frequently can prevent inflammation and the spread of bacteria as well as removing dust mites.
So, for someone who bathes daily, wears pyjamas, and uses the bed just for sleeping, sheets should be changed weekly or bi-weekly — never longer than two weeks.
At Peters’ Cleaners, we always recommend that you follow the care label of your sheets as some (silk, satin, linen etc.) and where possible wash on a cool wash. Fabric softener makes bedding feel soft but can reduce the absorbency of natural fibres and cause fabrics to become uncomfortable to those who sweat heavily. Instead of commercial softeners, add distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle to remove any residues that leave sheets feeling stiff.
Unless you wash and dry your sheets and put them right back on the bed, you will need to fold them. Fitted sheets can be a challenge, but there are easy ways to get them folded and stacked neatly in the linen closet. Fit all the rounded corners smoothly inside each other to create a rectangle and then fold into a neat square.
If you want a professional finish, bring your sheets to us and we’ll clean and press them for you.
