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If you do not change bed linen. How often should bed sheets be changed at home? Video: how to organize bed linen storage

SanPiNs for children's and medical institutions recommend changing bed linen as it gets dirty, but at least once a week. The same periodicity can be followed at home - in a week the linen loses its freshness, but does not yet have time to get greasy, and as a result it is easily washed off.


In winter, when a person sweats less, and pajamas and warm nightgowns are used for sleep, bed linen can be changed every two weeks. By the way, in many European countries it is customary to change linen every 10-14 days, but there the beds are firstly ventilated, and secondly, the air temperature in the bedroom is often lower than usual for Russians.


Pillowcases that come into contact not only with the skin, but also with the hair (especially if the hair is oily) usually get dirty faster - especially since in this case, the remnants of night creams, decorative cosmetics, etc. can accumulate on the fabric. At the same time, the tissue is in contact with the skin of the face all night. Therefore, it is better to change pillowcases more often - once every 2-3 days.



The bed of feverish patients is best washed after one day of use. If this is not possible, it is necessary to at least put a clean pillowcase on the pillow every day.

Preparing laundry for washing


  • by type of fabric(the washing mode for different sets may be different);


  • according to the degree of dyeing of the fabric(it is better to wash white and light colors separately from color ones, even if these are items from the same set);


  • according to the degree of pollution(only sheets that are slightly sweat-soaked do not need to be washed on an intensive cycle, this will lead to premature wear of the fabric).

Duvet covers, pillowcases or mattress covers are usually turned inside out before washing - this will get rid of the dirt that accumulates in the corners.


If there are stains (for example, blood) on sheets made of colored delicate fabrics, they must be treated with a stain remover before washing. Soiled cotton or linen sheets do not require such treatment - it will be enough to adjust the washing regimen.


How to calculate the weight of bed linen for washing

The washing machine has load limits - they are calculated by the weight of dry laundry. At the same time, if we are talking about washing sheets and duvet covers, it must be borne in mind that these are rather voluminous products. And in order for them to stretch well, it is better not to load the machine completely: the weight of dry laundry should be about one and a half times less than the maximum load.


Approximate bed linen weight:


  • one and a half duvet cover - 500-700 grams,

  • pillowcase - 200 grams,

  • sheet - 350-500 grams.

How and at what temperature to wash bed linen

Before automatic washing machines became widespread, laundry was usually washed in very hot water, and often boiled to bleach and further sanitize. Now there is no need for such a "harsh" washing - modern technology in combination with modern detergents allows you to wash clothes at lower temperatures, which ensures better fabric preservation.


The optimal temperature for washing light-colored linen bed linen and linen made from thick cotton fabrics can be considered 60 degrees - this temperature is sufficient for disinfection, and the washing efficiency is quite high. If desired, you can wash such fabrics at higher temperatures - the linen is disinfected better this way, but the linen will wear out faster. For washing such products, you can use a powder for white laundry or an all-purpose powder. To wash heavily soiled laundry (including stained sheets), you can use powdered bleaches or detergent boosters, as well as liquid bleaches for washing machines.


Colored bed linen and linen made of delicate fabrics are washed at 30-50 degrees. For colored linen, products for colored fabrics are used (marked with Color on the package). You can use liquid shampoos for washing - they are designed for use at low temperatures, and wash things quite well. Heavily soiled laundry is pre-soaked or pre-washed. Linen that is washed at low temperatures should be ironed before use - even if you are not a fan of ironing bed linen.


For washing children's bedding, use detergents for washing children's things. Typically, children's underwear is made from natural fabrics, which allows it to be washed at fairly high temperatures.


Exact recommendations for washing bed linen are contained on product labels or kit packaging - they indicate the recommended washing temperature, drying mode, the possibility or impossibility of using bleach, and so on. If we are talking about an expensive set of delicate fabrics or colored underwear with voluminous patterns, it is better to read the recommendations and follow them.


How to wash bedding in a washing machine: modes for different types of fabric

Most modern washing machines allow you to set additional functions, adjust the degree of spin, etc., which allows you to choose the optimal mode for washing bed linen, depending on the characteristics of the fabric.



  • Linen - 60-95 ° C, soaking or pre-washing is possible, strong spin;


  • Light calico, percale, ranfors– 60-95оС, soaking or pre-washing is possible, any mode;


  • satin,– 40-60оС, soaking or pre-washing is possible, any mode;


  • colored chintz– 40°C, no bleach, medium intensity spin;


  • Batiste, bamboo- 30-40 ° C, delicate mode without spinning or with a weak one;


  • Polyester or cotton with polyester added– 40°C, delicate mode or synthetic mode, soaking, double rinsing is possible;


  • Silk - 30 ° C, delicate wash cycle ("silk" mode), special mild detergents and conditioner, weak spin or no spin. Attention! Be sure to read the label: for some silk products, only dry cleaning is indicated.


Do I need to wash new bedding?

Freshly purchased bedding must be washed before use. Firstly, during the production of bed linen, dust and dirt invariably accumulate on the fabric; secondly, new bedding is sometimes impregnated with a compound that helps the fabric keep its shape.


It is best to wash new bedding separately from other things and at the maximum temperature allowed by the manufacturer. This will not only disinfect the linen, but (in case the fabric is not very well dyed) will allow excess paint to come off.


At the first wash, bed linen may shrink slightly - this is normal and, as a rule, it is provided by the manufacturer when cutting.

Would you like to discuss how often you need to change bed linen for children and adults? Especially for you, we have created a detailed review with rules and tips - you will learn how to maintain comfort and cleanliness in your favorite apartment or house. We will also share some tricks, answer all questions - you will receive all the necessary information.

How often should bed sheets be changed at home?

The question of how often bed linen should be changed worries many housewives - not everyone knows if there are strict instructions on this matter. Let's understand in more detail if you want to keep cleanliness, take care of the health and well-being of the household.

The algorithm for changing bed linen for people of different ages is different - let's divide consumers into groups and discuss each!

adults

First, let's talk about how often adults need to change bedding:

  • The usual accepted value is to re-lay the set once a month at least;
  • Sanitary regulations state that bed linen should be changed twice a month to keep it fresh and clean.

Of course, there are certain factors that affect how often bed linen is changed - we will talk about this in more detail below. In the meantime, let's move on to the next age group.

Teenagers

Before you figure out how many times you need to change bedding for teenagers, that is, people who have reached puberty, adolescence, it is worth noting important information.

Teenagers suffer from increased sweating - this is due to the development and restructuring of the body. In addition, grown-up children often “sin” with meals right in bed, spend a lot of time on pillows and sheets. These factors affect the desired value for how often to change bedding at home for teenagers:

  • It is enough to change 2-3 times a month;
  • If you notice that this is not enough, you need to change the kits twice a week.

Frequent replacement of the kit allows you to get rid of rashes on delicate youthful skin. Are we following further?

Modern bed linen made from natural fabrics is able to “breathe”, providing microcirculation. Due to the hygroscopic properties and structure, such fabrics do not allow moisture to linger, in addition, modern materials have an antibacterial effect. However, even the most expensive bed linen can become dangerous, losing all its wonderful qualities if it is not changed in a timely manner.

In the course of numerous observations, experts have proven that human health directly depends on the condition of bedding. If you change bedding from time to time, then some pathological conditions will not keep you waiting. Moreover, the unpleasant smell emanating from long-used linen is the smallest of the possible troubles.

"Botanical" garden under the covers: fungus, mites, bacteria

In a dream, a person continues to sweat, sebum is released along with sweat, skin particles, saliva, waste products of the body, as well as street dirt or pet hair, if they are in the house, get into the bed from the surface of the body. All these fragments of secretions and particles of the skin are a fertile environment for the reproduction of various bacteria, fungi and microorganisms, including dust mites. All of them pose a threat to the human body.

For example, in an interview with Business Insider, Philip Tierno, a microbiologist at New York University, claims that the bed is a real “botanical garden”, where you can find as many as 16 species of fungal microorganisms! About 150 species of mites have been found in house dust to date.

And what is the danger?


Of particular danger to humans are dust mites, or rather, their metabolic products. The substances contained in their excrement are very toxic and can cause, especially in a person who often suffers from respiratory diseases. In addition, these substances contribute to the destruction of skin cells, the physiological process of death becomes more intense, which worsens the condition of the skin. Rashes appear, the development of dermatitis, neurodermatitis and even superficial ulcers is possible.

Moreover, according to statistics, about 80% of patients diagnosed with bronchial asthma suffer from allergies to the waste products of ticks, often their presence is the cause of attacks. In addition, ticks that live in bedding can cause rhinitis and conjunctivitis, cough, Quincke's edema, and if they enter the gastrointestinal tract, deep acariases develop. Possible complications include pyodermatitis, furunculosis, erysipelas, otitis media, lymphadenitis, etc.

Pet allergies can be activated by dust mites

By the way, according to Gil Warner, an expert at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, contact with dust mites makes the skin more vulnerable to other allergens, which come from cats and dogs. Therefore, do not rush to part with your pet, try first to reduce the impact of dust mites.

Change bed linen often - the main rule!


Bed linen, on which numerous microorganisms are present, in contact with other parts of the bed, can “infect” them. With some parts of the bed or bedding, they are more difficult to remove than, for example, with a sheet. Therefore, there is only one way out - to regularly change all bedding; sanitary doctors recommend carrying out the procedure at least once every 7-10 days.

However, there are a number of factors to consider, including:

  • sharing a bed with several people,
  • profuse sweating,
  • non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene,
  • lack of pajamas
  • in addition, the regularity of changing bed linen depends on the time of year.

In hot weather, a person can sweat profusely in a dream, part of the sweat is absorbed into the linen, which leads to an unpleasant odor, yellowing of the linen, naturally, the number of microorganisms increases exponentially. Therefore, in the heat, it is better to change linen more often - approximately every two to three days. Similar recommendations should be followed by people who, for one reason or another, have excessive sweating.

So how often should bed sheets be changed? It is impossible to name the exact figure up to a day, but the golden mean is 7-10 days. But what if, due to busy working days, you forgot the exact date for changing bed linen? Mark on the calendar with a cross? You can be guided by your feelings. If you are too clean, then at an average ambient temperature, you will begin to pay attention to the stale look of the sheets as early as the fifth day. If you are one of those who, in principle, are not able to notice the mess around, then you can’t do without a calendar. However, you can make it a rule to carry out the procedure, for example, every Friday or every 10 days.

It turns out that linen should be changed every 7, well, a maximum of 10 days! At the same time, a more rare change of underwear is wrapped in such a haze of frightening tales that, willy-nilly, you want to change the set immediately.

So, what is the reason for such a frequent change of linen?

A person sleeps about 8 hours a day. About the same time he wears clothes at work or school. Wearing the same sweater for 2 weeks in a row is beyond social decency, which means that linen needs to be changed just as often. Dead cells accumulate on the bed, which can attract bedbugs, the presence of which you will be absolutely not happy with. The fat that is released through sebaceous glands, it becomes more and more difficult to remove over time: even “Whiteness” does not help to remove old yellow spots on pillows. In a dream, a person sweats, releasing up to a liter of fluid per night in total. Who wants to sleep on a sweat-soaked sheet or pillowcase? Sweat, fat, and dead cells cause bad breath, which can prevent you from enjoying healthy, quality sleep. Still, it is easier to sleep in a fresh bed. Dirt that accumulates on sheets and duvet covers promotes the growth of bacteria and fungi, which are not so easy to remove with washing. Dust and dirt on bedding can exacerbate certain chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. By the way
The hotter the water during washing, the more germs and bacteria will die. So, in most machines, the “cotton” mode at 90 ° C is provided specifically for washing clothes, and not so long ago, sheets and pillowcases were generally boiled in large pots.
It sounds like it's time to drop everything and urgently wash the laundry that you put on for an unacceptably long 11 days ago. Then why - and here you will surely recognize yourself - the minimum number of people are not too lazy to change sets weekly, and the majority delay washing up to two weeks, and sometimes a month?

How often do you really need to change your underwear?

Have you ever heard of a person coming down with an incurable illness from not washing clothes for too long? Hardly. Some individuals - to be honest, mostly bachelors - manage to use the same kit for months and still feel great! So how often do you need to change bed linen at home? Unfortunately, it will not be possible to voice a specific figure, because it depends on many factors.
Some people tend to sweat and sebum more than others. In this case, the bed will get dirty much faster, and you will have to refresh it (in order to prevent the appearance of yellow spots and an unpleasant smell) much more often. But even if you sweat a lot and have oily skin, you can sleep in pajamas or without them. In the first case, the nightie will take on some of the dirt, so the laundry will not get dirty as quickly as in the second case. If you are insensitive to dust and its presence under cabinets and on shelves does not poison your life much, then dust on the laundry is unlikely will trigger an asthma attack. While it’s true that fungus is something to be wary of, most bacteria on your sheets won’t be able to harm you. By the way If you’re contemplating whether to iron your laundry after washing or not, be guided by your level of germ fear and your willingness to put up with creases and wrinkled sheets and duvet covers.
There is a 99.9% chance that microscopic mites are already living in your mattress, and this is normal. If an allergic reaction to the products of their vital activity has not yet manifested itself in the form of a runny nose or itching, then apparently you are insensitive to them. The sweat that the body secretes accumulates not so much in the sheets as in the pillows and mattress, but about their regular cleaning forget much more often than about changing sheets. But it is recommended to clean pillows, blankets and a mattress at least once every six months! But the most important factor that will help you decide how often you need to change bedding at home is how you feel. How clean are you on a scale from germophobic to oblivious to trash? In the first case, you will not last even five days on stale sheets, and in the second, someone is sure to be horrified by your ability to manage the household. There is nothing good in both extremes, but it is difficult to measure the golden mean here with an accuracy of up to a day. It could be a week, two, four, or maybe even eight.

While most of the bacteria that live on your bed linens are harmless, it's a good idea to use bleach or other disinfectants when doing your laundry.
By no means do we encourage you to become sluts: it is still difficult to find an excuse for laundry that has not been washed for six months. But even within the normal range, each person has his own concepts of cleanliness and dirt, and in most cases this affects the state of health, which is so fond of appealing in various studies, to an intangible degree.
It is unlikely that anyone will dare to admit that they wash their clothes once a month or two: the fear of public censure is too great. But in fact, such a frequency of changing kits does not make you an incorrigible slob, and certainly does not jeopardize your health. As long as you are comfortable sleeping on this sheet and you do not feel that stale linen is somehow affecting your well-being, the only person whose opinion you should care about is your significant other, whose concept of cleanliness and comfort can be different from yours.

Changing bed linen can be safely attributed to one of the hygiene procedures that are important for human health. Keeping your sheets and pillowcases clean is just as important as washing your clothes regularly. If you do not change bed linen for a long time, pathogenic microorganisms begin to actively multiply in it, causing allergic reactions and exacerbation of diseases. That is why adults and children should sleep exclusively on clean pillowcases and sheets. Its regular replacement is the key to comfortable sleep and human health.

How many times should bed sheets be changed?

Experts in the field of epidemiology recommend washing the sleeping set for adults every 10 days. Every night, dead skin cells, sweat, organic secretions move from the human body to the bed. All this is a breeding ground for bed mites, bacteria, fungi. If a person often sweats in his sleep, this is a good reason to change clothes to clean ones even more often, because high humidity is an ideal environment for fungal growth.

I must say that the change of pillowcases should occur twice as often as the rest of the elements of the sleeping set. This is especially important if there are rashes on the skin or a person has any disease of an infectious nature.

Baby bedding should be changed at least every 7 days, even if the set appears clean. The pillowcase should be replaced with a clean one twice a week. Babies and newborns will need several sets of bedding.

If the baby sleeps without diapers, sheets can be changed every day, if not more often. In order not to deal with bed linen all day long, it is worth buying disposable absorbent diapers.

How often to wash bed linen?

After how many days should I wash my pillowcase, duvet cover and sheet? Bedding should be washed at the same frequency as its change. "Adult" sets should be washed every 10 days, children's - once a week. If stains appear on the bedding, you will have to replace the set ahead of time.

Children's clothes must be washed separately from adults. The baby's bed set should be either hand or machine cleaned in the delicate wash mode. Existing dirt must first be rubbed with laundry soap. It is recommended to use products for children with a neutral pH without fragrance. It is better to refuse conditioners and bleaches in order to avoid allergic reactions.

Adult clothes can be washed in hotter water. If the laundry is made from cotton, it is recommended to select the "Cotton" mode, which is equipped with many automatic machines. This program will provide a longer wash at 60 or 95°C. Hot water effectively eliminates pathogens living in bedding. However, in what mode it is better to wash the kit, manufacturers indicate on the label.

What days to change bed linen?

On what day of the week to change the sleeping set is everyone's business. Many people have a “cleaning day” on Saturday, when they change their linen. If we are talking about a person working at home, or a mother on maternity leave, then bedding can be washed on Monday, Wednesday, and any other day. It's best to set a date for changing your sheets so you can keep track of the time since you last updated your set and know exactly when to change.

Change of bed linen should take place on a regular basis, because human health depends on it. It is important to monitor the cleanliness of both children's and adult sleeping sets. It is necessary not only to update pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers, but also not to forget to air pillows and blankets at least once a month.