How often should you wash sheets and towels?

The short version, item by item

Most household linen has a sensible rhythm once you know it. The numbers below are the ones we work to for our own homes and for customers' regular pickups.

• Sheets and pillowcases: weekly, fortnightly at most
• Bath towels: every 3–4 uses, hung to dry between
• Hand towels: every 2–3 days in a busy bathroom
• Tea towels: every 1–2 days, more often after raw meat
• Doona covers: fortnightly, with the sheets on rotation
• Doonas and pillows themselves: 2–3 times a year
• Bath mats: weekly

Why sheets need washing more often than they look like they do

Sheets rarely look dirty, which is exactly why they get skipped. But a bed collects skin cells, body oils, sweat and dust mites every night, and pillowcases sit against your face for around eight hours at a stretch. Weekly washing keeps allergens down, helps skin stay clearer, and stops the slow yellowing that body oil causes on cotton.

If anyone in the house has asthma, eczema or dust-mite allergies, stick to weekly without exception and wash in warm water; it makes a noticeable difference.

The realistic version for busy households

Owning two or three sets per bed is the single best trick: strip, remake with the spare, and let the dirty set wait for wash day rather than racing the dryer at 9 pm.

The other shortcut is not doing it yourself. Bulky loads of linen are exactly what home machines and Melbourne weather handle worst, and exactly what a pickup service handles best. We collect, wash, dry and fold, and can even make the beds for you on delivery.