Quick answer: most people should wash their bed sheets and pillowcases once a week. Wash them every three to four days if you have been ill, sweat a lot at night or share your bed with a pet. Use a 60°C wash with detergent where the care label allows, and dry everything fully before it goes back on the bed.
That is the advice from Dr Primrose Freestone, a clinical microbiologist at the University of Leicester, writing in The Conversation. Yet many of us stretch it out much longer. This guide explains how often you should wash your bed sheets, what builds up in them, and a simple schedule for the rest of your bedding.
How often should you wash your bed sheets?
Once a week is the standard advice for sheets and pillowcases. Both Dr Freestone and the Sleep Foundation recommend weekly washing for most adults.
Wash more often, around every three to four days, if:
- you have been unwell
- you sweat heavily at night
- a pet sleeps on or in your bed
The Sleep Foundation also says sweat builds up faster in hot weather, so you may want to wash more often in summer. In winter, the same applies if you sleep with the heating up high or under a very heavy duvet.
How often do people in the UK actually wash their sheets?
Fewer than a third of us wash them weekly. A YouGov survey of Britons found that 28% change their sheets once a week and 2% do it more often. The biggest group, 36%, wash them every two weeks.
Age made a big difference. Only 17% of 18 to 24 year olds washed weekly, compared with 35 to 36% of people aged 45 and over. Around a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds waited at least a month.
So if you are a fortnightly washer, you are in the majority. It is just not what the experts suggest.
What builds up in your bed sheets?
Your bed collects more than you might think, night after night. According to Dr Freestone, each night we can:
- sweat up to half a pint of fluid
- shed hundreds of thousands of skin cells
Those skin cells are food for dust mites. Dust mites are tiny creatures that live in warm, damp bedding and mattresses. Their droppings are a common allergen.
Bacteria from your skin also break down sweat, which is what gives unwashed bedding that stale smell. Over time sheets can also collect dust, pollen, pet hair and fungi.
None of this means a dirty bed will make you ill overnight. But regular washing keeps the build up low, and a clean, fresh bed is simply nicer to sleep in. It is one of the easy wins in good sleep hygiene.
What temperature should you wash bed sheets at?
Wash sheets at 60°C or higher with detergent, if the care label allows. Dr Freestone says this helps kill bacteria and dust mites. For a deeper clean, she suggests tumble drying or ironing afterwards.
An NHS leaflet on dust mites from Cambridge University Hospitals also advises a 60°C cycle for bedding. It notes that a cooler wash only partly kills mites, but is better than nothing. Always check the label first, as some fabrics will not cope with high heat.
A note on drying in winter
In a UK winter, many of us dry washing indoors. Make sure sheets, and especially pillows and duvets, are completely dry before you use them. Dr Freestone warns that pillows that stay damp can grow fungi.
How often should you wash the rest of your bedding?
Here is a simple schedule based on Dr Freestone's advice and the Sleep Foundation's guide.
| Item | How often to wash |
|---|---|
| Sheets | Every week (every 3 to 4 days if ill, sweaty or with pets) |
| Pillowcases | Every week (same exceptions as sheets) |
| Duvet covers and blankets | Every two weeks |
| Pillows (if washable) | Every 4 to 6 months |
| Duvets | Every 3 to 4 months |
| Mattress | Vacuum weekly and air it every few days |
Pillowcases deserve extra attention because your face rests on them all night. We cover this in more detail in our guide to clean pillowcases for clear skin.
Is it bad to wash your sheets every two weeks?
It is not dangerous for most healthy people, but it is less than experts advise. The longer you leave it, the more sweat, skin cells and dust mites build up.
If two weeks is what works for your life, a few habits can help:
- change pillowcases weekly, even if the sheets wait
- shower before bed so less sweat and oil reach the sheets
- pull the duvet back in the morning to let the bed air
- keep pets off the bed
Tips to make weekly washing easier
- Pick a set day. Linking it to a routine, like Sunday morning, makes it automatic.
- Own two sets. Put the clean set straight on, so you are never waiting for the wash to dry.
- Air the bed first. Leave the bed bare for an hour while the sheets wash, if you can.
- Keep the bedroom cool. A cooler room means less night sweat. Our guide on whether you should sleep with the heating on covers the best bedroom temperature for winter.
Clean sheets and better sleep
A fresh bed is one part of a calm, comfortable sleep space. If you often wake with a dry mouth or a damp patch on your pillow, it can be a sign you breathe through your mouth at night. Our post on waking up with a dry mouth explains more.
Some people use gentle mouth tape for sleep to help them keep their mouth closed and breathe through their nose. It is not for everyone. If you have breathing problems, sleep apnoea or a blocked nose, speak to your GP before trying it.
For more simple changes, see our guide on how to improve sleep quality.
FAQ
How often should you wash your bed sheets?
Once a week for most people. Wash them every three to four days if you have been ill, sweat a lot at night or share your bed with a pet.
What temperature kills dust mites in bedding?
A 60°C wash with detergent is the usual advice for killing dust mites and bacteria. A cooler wash only partly kills mites, so check the care label and use the hottest wash it allows.
How often should you change your pillowcase?
At least once a week, the same as your sheets. Change it more often if you are ill or sweat a lot at night.
How often should you wash a duvet?
Duvets should be washed every three to four months. Duvet covers need washing more often, around every two weeks. Make sure the duvet is fully dry before using it again.
Is it OK to wash sheets every two weeks?
It is common in the UK, but it is less than experts recommend. Weekly washing keeps sweat, skin cells and dust mites from building up.
The simple rule is weekly sheets, weekly pillowcases and a 60°C wash where you can. Pick a day, keep a spare set and your bed will stay fresh with very little effort.
Written by DELIM, a UK sleep wellness brand. This post is for information only and is not medical advice. If you have allergies, asthma or another health condition, please speak to your GP.
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