How often do you wash your sheets and towels?
According to a Women’s Health poll, you could be doing it wrong…
Bath towels
Recommended washing: Every three or four uses
Even though they’re designed for heavy use, they should be washed about twice a week – especially if you have a physically demanding job.
Bed sheets
Recommended washing: Every one or two weeks
If your sheets are obviously stained, someone is sick or you tend to sleep nude – clean them a little more often.
Although the choice of when to wash them is completely personal.
Dish towels
Recommended washing: Every week
Tea towels collect food and other bacteria and odour, so if you use these regularly once a week is reecommended.
But if you have more decorative towels, or aren’t an avid chef, once a month should be fine.
Hand towels
Recommended washing: Every two or three days
Yep, we’re not kidding. They’re used WAY more often than other towels, and by multiple different people.
It’s the easiest way to slow the spread of germs in your home.
Bath mats
Recommended washing: Every one or two weeks
This is a tough one… You can get away with fortnightly if it tends to dry quickly, but if you have a mat that never seems to get dry, or is used by the whole family – go weekly.
To prolong the time between washes, consider either hanging it over the edge of the bathtub to dry or buying a reversible mat.
Curtains
Recommended washing: Twice a year
Curtains tend to collect household dust more than anything – but don’t leave them out of your spring cleaning routine!
Every six months should do the trick, but if you get bad allergies, every three months would help to get rid of that household dust.
But don’t be tempted to wash them too often, as they might begin to deteriorate quicker, making the colour and quality fade.
Pillows
Recommended washing: Twice a year
To keep your pillows in the best condition, try to wash them twice a year – whether they’re feather or synthetic.
Make sure you follow the cleaning instructions carefully, and make sure it’s COMPLETELY dry before placing it back on your bed.
And never, ever sleep on your pillow without a pillowcase.
Comforters
Recommended washing: Twice a year
Even though we use our comforters daily, they don’t usually come into close contact with our skin.
This means we can leave these a little bit longer, assuming they don’t have any major odour or wear…