On average, we spend 26 years of our lives sleeping, and a further 7 years trying to get to sleep. If we’re spending an average of 33 years of our lives in bed, it’s worth taking the time to make said bed perfect. 

• How often should you wash your bedding?
• How do you clean your duvet?
• How do you clean your pillows?
• How do you clean your mattress? 
• How often should you replace your pillows?
• How many sets of bed linen should you own?
• How do you store unused bed linen?

How often should you wash your bedding?

As you sleep you sweat and shed skin cells. To keep your bedding adequately clean, wash your duvet cover, bed sheet, and pillow cases every 2 weeks. If you notice an increase in the amount you are sweating over night, such as in the summer months, you may want to wash your bedding every week. 

To make sure that your bedding is adequately sanitised, always check your beddings care label and use the hottest wash setting available. 

How do you clean your duvet? 

Your duvet should be washed every 6 months. How you wash your duvet depends on the material it is made from. 

If you own a synthetic duvet, use the gentle spin setting on your washing machine and add ⅓ of the detergent that you would use in a normal wash. Once your duvet has completed its cycle, leave it to completely air dry before using it again. 

Before washing a feather duvet, always check the care label to see if it is dry clean only. If your feather duvet is machine washable, use a gentle cycle and a gentle laundry detergent. Air dry your feather duvet completely before re-using it.

How do you clean your pillows?

Before washing your pillows check the care label to determine whether they are machine washable and safe to dry in a tumble dryer. 

If you can machine wash your pillows, try and wash two at a time to save on multiple loads. Always use a gentle cycle to prevent any unnecessary damage to your pillows, and only use ⅓ of the amount of laundry detergent that you would usually use. If your pillows can be tumble dried, use a low heat setting, or leave them to air dry before returning them to your bed. 

 How do you clean your mattress? 

Regularly washing your bed linen does not deter you from cleaning your mattress. You need to clean your mattress every 6 months to remove dust mites and skin cells. 

Begin cleaning your mattress by stripping you bed linen and hoovering the surface to remove any dirt and dust. Don’t forget to hoover both sides of your mattress and around the corners- dust and dirt can linger in these areas. 

After hoovering your mattress, freshen it up by sprinkling baking soda over it. Sprinkle a generous amount over the whole of your mattress, using a soft brush or cloth to evenly spread it out. Leave it to set for 10-30 minutes before hoovering it up. This will help remove any lingering odours and body fluids from your mattress and leave it looking, and smelling, fresh.  

After removing the baking soda, leave your mattress to air out for a few hours before re-dressing your bed.

How often should you replace your pillows?

For optimum comfort you should replace synthetic pillows every 1-2 years, memory foam pillows every 2-3 years, and feather pillows every 5-10 years. 

If your pillows are causing you discomfort, have developed lumps, or are beginning to smell, it is time to replace them.

How many sets of bed linen should you have? 

As a rule of thumb, it’s good to have 3 sets of bed linen available per bed. This means that you have a set ready whilst you are washing your used set, and a spare set on hand if needed.

 How do you store unused bed linen?

The best way to store your bed linen is in a dry and cool environment. Make sure that your bed linen is clean and folded before storing it away. 

To ensure that your bed linen is sufficiently disinfected, book a Laundryheap dry cleaning service. To book your Laundryheap service, simply head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.