We generally spend eight hours a day in bed. During the night we excrete around half a liter of sweat. When we sleep, we also lose hair and skin cells by tossing and turning. These facts, combined with the prevailing warm, moist temperatures in the bed area, provide a possible breeding ground for bacteria and dust mites. It is therefore advisable to wash bed linen as thoroughly as possible. How you do this will be explained in the following article.
Washing bed linen – how often does it make sense?
Washing bed linen is on the to-do list in every household. How often it is washed depends on various factors. High temperatures prevail during the summer months. You probably sweat more. It is therefore recommended to change the bed textiles weekly.In the winter monthsIt is completely sufficient to wash the bed linen every two weeks. Of course there are exceptions to this rule. For example, if you are sick, we recommend washing the bedding once during this time and the second time immediately after recovery. This will help you avoid contact with pathogens that may still be clinging to the sheets.
Dienew bed linenyou should wash before putting it on for the first time. In this way, chemical substances that have seeped through during the production process are removed and washed away. Despite the packaging, germs or certain dirt particles may also have stuck. A vigorous wash removes them! The fresh bed linen can then be rinsed with a fabric softener depending on your preferred scent. After drying, you will have a cozy, soft sleeping experience and will also be able to fall asleep better thanks to the aromas that are released.
However, if bed linen has already been used, the first step should be to let it air out. Then simply store all the duvet cover components that need to be washed in the laundry drum. Please note that you should not wash colorful bed linen if you wash white bed linen, as there is a risk of discoloration! However, if you still want to wash white laundry with colored laundry, it is definitely advisable to put color catcher cloths in the laundry drum. You can find these in almost every drugstore and you may save yourself from unpleasant surprises after the washing process.
Just in time for the upcoming spring cleaning, you can of course also give the pillows and mattresses a thorough cleaning. It is enough to do this once a year.
At what temperature do you wash?
When doing laundry, it is important that you do this toocorrect washing machine programset. The selection ranges from eco programs to anti-crease and extra pre-rinse to many more. When choosing the washing program, the temperature is important and duvet covers are also importantcomposed of different materials. You should therefore carefully read the care instructions, which are usually found on the label on the left side of the bed linen. Basically, bed textiles are washed between 30 and 60 degrees. In the vast majority of cases, bed linen can be safely washed in hot water, i.e. at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius.
What else you should consider when doing laundry
Choose the right detergent to preserve your bedding
Many people have the habit of using one detergent for all things. However, this is problematic. For white bed linen, for example, a heavy-duty detergent should be used. It contains bleaching agents that keep the laundry nice and white so that there is no gray haze. Colorful or patterned bed linen, on the other hand, would fade if heavy-duty detergent was used. In such cases, it is recommended that you use colored detergent. For black or dark bed textiles, it is best to use detergents that are directly suitable for such colors.
But the material also plays a big role here. You should only use mild detergents for flax, linen, satin and silk. This has a lower pH value, so that natural fibers are protected. Otherwise, there is a risk that when using heavy-duty detergents, the fibers will become roughened and the material will no longer be as cuddly and soft. It is worth mentioning at this point that you should avoid using fabric softeners. There is a risk of sticking for the somewhat more sensitive fibers. But this is also not recommended for organic cotton, as fabric softeners generally weaken the absorbency of the material.
Make sure the bed textiles have a suitable fabric combination
We also recommend that you put your bed linen in the washing machine as a set. The colors are then coordinated and everything is made from the same materials. If you wash coarse materials with fine fabrics, there is a possibility that the fine fabric will be damaged by the coarse fabric.
Should bed linen be washed together with towels?
In this context, the question often arises as to whetherWash bed linen with towelsmakes sense. Here too, it is important to follow the care instructions provided by the manufacturer on the label. Both the specified temperature and the materials or colors must harmonize with each other. In general, you should wash both at at least 40 degrees. If you have patterned bed linen or dark silk duvet covers, it is important to wash them at 30 degrees. In such cases, we recommend that you clean the towels separately, otherwise the hygienic effect will not be achieved.
Even new towels are always washed separately on the first to third wash cycle. Otherwise, lint may form on the bed linen. Such lint is then difficult to remove. We therefore recommend that you pay attention to high quality when purchasing towels. Even then, a separate wash cycle is recommended. It is also very important not to use fabric softeners, as they make the towels stiff and scratch the skin. If you are unsure and am not sure whether you should wash the bed linen with the towels, always choose the separate wash cycle.
Choose the exact amount for the wash cycle
When washing the bed linen in the set, you also have to adjust the exact amount to a drum so that the washing machine is not overloaded. As a rule of thumb, one upright hand should still fit into the drum. If you do too little laundry, you waste water and energy unnecessarily. If the washing machine is overloaded, the individual items of laundry cannot be rinsed properly. As a result, you will not have clean laundry available.
What you should also keep in mind is to always turn the bed linen inside out. This way, colors and patterns are preserved. Another important point is that zippers or buttons are always closed. Otherwise, the entire bed linen can get caught in a sheet and mutate into an annoying, heavy ball of fabric. This can then have a negative impact on the entire normal washing cycle. The small teeth of the zipper can also damage the fabric of the other bed textiles, so, as already mentioned, it should always be closed before washing.
By following these tips, your bedding will last longer and you will have a more comfortable sleeping experience.
