Long day at work – nothing beats jumping into a freshly washed, crisp set of bed sheets. We spend most of our lives laying down in bed – we should pay attention to how clean the bedding is. As we sleep, the body goes through a natural process of shedding skin cells, losing hairs and perspiring – everyone's body does this, some more than other especially when we get older, we lost a lot more skin cells with age.
This natural process of the body can create an environment where dust mites and bacteria can grow. These small creatures feed on dead skin and love a warm, humid environment – your bed with you in it ! An average mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside it.
As we breathe up to 20000 times a day, these indoor pollutants can be a cause to conditions like asthma for example or other respiratory or skin problems.
How you can help this issue ? Very simple – by implementing a regular and proper washing programme for your bedding and bed. This will go a long way to keeping the mites at bay and you a happy sleeper . Below is our simple ZigZagZurich guide on how to maintain hygienically clean bedding.
How often should I wash my bedding?
This really depends on you as a person and the lifestyle you live. As a general rule, bedding should be washed every two to three weeks. This keeps your bed nice and fresh – any longer than three weeks and the bed may start to smell .
In today society, a lot of people consider the environmental aspect of very frequent washing - both water usage and electricity. Do I need to wash my sheets every week or even more frequently – the answer is normally no. Over the last years in hotels worldwide where it was normal to wash bedding and sheets every day, now hotels ask do you need to have your towels washed – this is a fundamental change in peoples attitudes both at home and away.
When should I wash my bedding weekly – below would be three points that justify this:
- Smokers and individuals who sweat excessively should wash their bedding on a weekly basis to keep it fresh and clean
People who let their pets sleep in the bed should wash their sheets on a weekly basis to remove any mites insects that can come from their animals.
- If you have skin or respiration allergies, its good practice to wash bedding weekly. Also, if you have been sick – again a clean wash will do the world of good !
A little tip for all you who love that immaculately made bed - making your bed immediately upon waking can inadvertently create a warm, humid environment conducive to the growth of mites. Therefore it’s a good idea to remove the bedding and allow the bed to air for a period of time before making it – again, keeping it fresh for longer.
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What Temperature Should I Wash My Bedding ?
The optimal washing temperature for bedding is normally labelled on your bedsheets or duvet covers. As different fabrics react to different washing temperatures plus with today's modern washing detergents and machines, gone are the days of boiling your bed sheets !!
The recommended washing temperature for most fabrics is 40-60°C. This temperature is recommended for allergy sufferers and for most common fabrics, including cotton, flannel, terry cloth, and jersey.
• 40°C: For more delicate fabrics, such as satin or linen.
• 30°C: This setting is recommended for use with delicate fabrics such as silk or cashmere in order to avoid damage.
It is always advisable to consult the care labels on your bedding in order to ascertain the specific washing instructions, in order to prevent damage to delicate fabrics and remember - you may wash your linen tea towels at 90 degrees but do you really want to wash expensive linen bedding the same way.
What Washing Detergent Should I Use ?
In selecting washing detergents, it is important to consider both the fabric type and colour. There are so many different options available, both organic and non-organic, scented or non-scented - it really is a matter of choice. Powdered detergents instead of liquids are said to reduce environmental impact, as liquid detergents often contain more preservatives and surfactants that are harder to break down
- Coloured bedding: It is recommended that a conventional colour detergent is used, with the bedding turned inside out to prevent fading.
- White bedding: Any detergent can be used however there are some detergents specifically for whitewashes - these may contain oxygenation formulas or bleach - this can help maintain the brightness of white garments.
- Delicate fabrics: For satin, silk, cash mere and Lyocell or Modal fabrics, it is recommended that a mild detergent specifically designed for these fabrics is used.
In the event of stubborn stains, it is recommended that a stain remover be used prior to washing. A lot of machines have a steam function and this can also be used to optimal washing.
The following instructions relate to the washing of bedding:
Prior to washing, please ensure that bedding is turned inside out and fastened securely, including any zips closed ( do not close completely all the way always leave a few cm open so you get your fingers inside when washed .
- For cotton, we recommend using the one of the cotton wash programs on the machine or colour programme.
- For synthetic fibres use the relevant program ( this is normally shorter and spins at not such a high speed ).
- Delicate fabrics such as cashmere, silk and satin should be washed on the delicate or silk programme. Again reading the care label should give all the information.
Once the bedding has been washed, it can be air dried or in a tumble dryer, provided that the care label indicates that this is an acceptable method of drying. Be aware - old tumble dryers can be extremely hot - use a low temperature as they can destroy the fibres in textiles like linen. Most modern dryers have multiple drying programs that are so easy to use.
It is always recommended that delicate fabrics such as cashmere, linen and silk be air-dried to avoid damage unless otherwise stated.
Again more and more people let bedding dry naturally to save energy ( it also smells pretty nice in the house too ! )
Finally - To Iron or Not - there are no rules ! Enjoy your clean bedding :)
