unfuckyourhabitat:

[Redacted] replied to your post: Quick question: how often should I wash my bedsheets? I’ve never been entirely sure so I’ve been kind of just been washing them whenever I find myself doing a lot of laundry.

People didn’t realise you should wash your sheets weekly?? Sorry, but EW.

Being judgey when the express purpose of this blog is to not be judgmental and nasty about other people’s cleaning-related things? Sorry, but ew.

And the question is more complicated than that.  Do you shower before bed?  If so, you probably don’t need to wash your sheets very often at all.  Are you a naturally oily person, or someone who gets grimy during the day and only showers in the morning?  Eh, maybe you SHOULD do it once a week.

This reminds me of a Dear Abby column where a boyfriend write in, horrified that his girlfriend doesn’t wash her bra daily.  The columnist polled her friends, and they responded that they washed them anywhere from once a week to once a month—or more.  Manufacturers recommend handwashing, but will readily admit that a bra is built to last through approximately 30 washings.

And jeans.  There are people who NEVER wash their jeans, or do so annually, just to keep them perfect.

Your sheets really aren’t a big deal.  Some people do weekly, others do monthly.  It’s not a huge infection risk, unless one of your has scabies or something.  Mostly, it’s just a respiratory issue—asthma and allergies will be bothered by the dust and skin cells.

For a LOT of people who don’t have a washer/dryer of their own, changing sheets once a week is impossible.  If you can’t afford to keep washing bed linens, I recommend keeping a few different sets and letting them REALLY air out between uses.  Shake them outside and perhaps steam them in the shower and let them air dry completely.