‘How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?’ And Other Laundry Questions
Searches for how to wash everything from sheets and shirts to cats and dogs hit the thousands on Google every month.
But in addition to not knowing exactly how to clean the stuff in our house, many of us don’t know how often to do it either.
We scoured all the most pertinent laundry questions people ask such as ‘how often should you wash your clothes’, to give you a better understanding of how to keep your clothes, curtains and covers looking their best.
Top 10 Most Searched Laundry Items
The top searched terms (and their monthly global searches) that follow “how often should I…?”
Search Interest Change 2021
How our laundry advice searches have changed in the past year.
While the rise of home working and lockdowns might have contributed to an increase in washing homeware like sheets and curtains, searches for how often to wash your bra saw the biggest decrease in the past year.
How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?
With over 15,000 searches globally, sheets are the most common thing we struggle to keep clean.
A previous study we conducted found that 7% of people waited over 6 months to clean their sheets!
Best practice is to wash your sheets once a week to keep them at their freshest.
This is because, as we sleep, we shed skin cells and sweat, creating the perfect environment for bacteria and other unsavoury microbes.
Dust allergies affect millions in the UK so keeping your bedcovers fresh is the best way to keep itchy eyes and noses to a minimum.
How Often Should You Wash Your Face Mask?
A relatively new introduction to our lives, face masks have quickly become a staple as shoppers are denied access without one for the protection of those around them.
The Centre for Disease Control in the US states that you should wash your face mask at least daily.
You can do this by simply adding it to your regular laundry but make sure you have enough spare so you never have to leave the house without it.
How Often Should You Wash Your Jeans?
Washing jeans is a highly contentious subject. This is because different jean manufacturers and types of jeans have different needs.
Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh believes their jeans never need washing aside from ‘spot washes’, but the general consensus is that jeans are washed every 10 wears.
However, newer jeans with a combination of denim and elastic will need to be washed more regularly as the synthetic fibres aren’t as resistant to bacteria.
Consider washing combination cotton/synthetic jeans after every five wears and avoid the tumble dryer to ensure they keep their shape.
How Often Should You Wash Your Towels?
Even though we most often use towels when we’re at our cleanest, towels get dirty over time as the wet surface is the ideal surface for bacteria to develop.
To keep your towels at their cleanest, they should be washed every 2-3 uses.
However, towels can most often be used for up to a week as long as they are dried completely in between uses.
How Often Should You Wash Your Duvet?
Your duvet will typically need dry cleaned or washed professionally due to its size and you should aim to do this every three months.
This keeps dust mite levels to a minimum and also helps sanitise your duvet after you’ve been sweating and shedding skin in it as you sleep.
How Often Should You Wash Your Clothes?
Different types of clothing item have different requirements but for everyday items like t-shirts and underwear, you should wash these after every use.
Wearing t-shirts and tops for too long can cause sweat stains, bacteria build-up and food remnants even if you don’t really do much throughout the day.
How Often Should You Wash Your Bra?
As a general rule, you should wash your bra after every three wears.
This is because sweat build-up under the arms and the cups is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and can develop an excess of yeast.
This can lead to skin irritation and bacterial infection if you’re not careful.
However, excessive washing should be avoided too. Since bras are often made of sensitive materials like elastic, over-washing or over-heating can cause them to lose shape and sag.
To avoid this, wash your bras at around 30 degrees and don’t put them in the tumble dryer.
How Often Should You Wash Your Pillows?
Many standard pillows can be machine washed and should be done so every four months.
Wash pillows at 30 degrees on a low spin cycle and let air dry before sleeping on them.
Memory foam pillows or feather down pillows will need special attention, so always follow the label instructions when cleaning these items.
How Often Should You Wash Your Mattress Protector?
Standard mattress protectors should be washed every two months but may need to be cleaned more regularly if spillages occur.
Similarly to pillows, if your mattress topper contains memory foam or down you will need to pay special attention to the care instructions to avoid ruining the quality.
How Often Should You Wash Your Curtains?
Curtains collect dust and absorb odours over time so a regular freshening up can keep your home looking its best.
You should try to vacuum your curtains once a week and have them washed every few years.
Some curtains may be machine or hand washable at home but for delicate fabrics like velvet, silk, velour or other more complex curtains, you’ll probably need them dry cleaned.
Methodology
Global and UK search volume totals taken from Ahrefs SEO tool.
Search volume changes taken from SEOMonitor Trends.
Collection, Cleaning & Delivery With Love2Laundry
Keeping your home and your clothes clean is more important than ever now.
If you want to spruce up your duvets or deep clean your upholstery, place an order with Love2Laundry for the most stress-free dry cleaning you’ve ever experienced.
