No matter the season of the year, there are important reasons why you should put thought and effort into reducing sickness & illness. This includes reducing the amount of potentially harmful germs and bacteria that are unknowingly spread throughout the house. And one of the simplest and most straightforward ways to do this is by keeping your linens sanitized and spic-and-span.
Though how often you wash your sheets is clearly a personal decision, there are scientific arguments for washing your bedding weekly to benefit your health. From online resources ehow.com and examiner.com, the weekly washing of sheets in 130+ degree water will eliminate dead skin cells and dust mites. If you or someone in your family is prone to sweating, or if you’ve got a pet sharing your in bed, consider washing every couple days to rinse out dirt and pet dander. The mattress pad should also be cleaned regularly. Washing the pad should be done 2x per week or at very least on a monthly basis.
Pillows are another consideration. To prevent your head from resting on germs that you’d be breathing all night long, washing pillows at least every six month minimum is a good idea. Washing the pillows should be done by following the manufacturer’s recommendation. Generally you should be able to clean them in your home washing machine. With down ones in particular, it’s a good idea to throw in a couple clean tennis balls while drying which helps keep feathers fluffy. Investing in zippered pillow protectors is also key: they act as a barrier between your pillow and its case the latter of which should be washed at least weekly to keep the former nice and sanitary.
Washing blankets and comforters regularly should be on your cleanliness checklist. Your comforter should we washed monthly and your duvet weekly. A front-loading commercial washing machine may be required depending on the size of the comforter. Make sure it’s dried properly to avoid mold and fungus from growing. Lastly for the bedding category, blankets can also be washed and should be dry cleaned or washed monthly.
Towels, as we previously discussed, also need care with washcloths and hand towels. Particularly because they’re actually used to wipe off the dirt and oils off your skin. The possibility of spreading pinkeye and other disease bacteria, such as staph infection is higher with moist towels. It’s also a good idea because bathrooms are warm, humid breeding grounds for bacteria to begin with. Washing bath towels weekly, and smaller, more frequently used towels even more often that that, is an excellent way to tackle the germ problem.