How often should you wash your sheets, duvet and pillows?

Wash sheets and pillowcases every week, or every two weeks at the most. Wash duvets and pillows every six to twelve months, and every three to six months if anyone in the house has allergies or asthma. Mattress protectors sit in between: every month or two. If dust mites are a concern, NHS allergy advice is to wash bedding at 60°C.

A schedule you can actually keep

Weekly: sheets and pillowcases. They take the most direct contact with skin, sweat and hair products, so they get dirty fastest.

Every two weeks: duvet covers if you sleep in pyjamas and shower before bed. Weekly is still better.

Every one to two months: mattress and pillow protectors. They are what stops sweat reaching the pillow and mattress, so they need washing more often than either.

Every six to twelve months: duvets and pillows themselves. Many people do this at the spring and autumn duvet swap, which makes it easy to remember.

Temperature and dust mites

House dust mites live in bedding, and their droppings are a common allergy trigger. NHS allergy information advises washing bedding, including pillows, duvets and blankets, on a 60°C cycle, and notes that a cooler wash only partly kills mites (Cambridge University Hospitals NHS guidance). Where a pillow cannot be washed hot, the same guidance suggests freezing it for 12 hours once a month.

Cotton sheets and most synthetic duvets are fine at 60°C. Feather and down are usually labelled 40°C, so follow the label and make sure they are dried right through.

Signs it is overdue

Yellow patches on pillows, a duvet that smells stale even with a fresh cover on, pillows that stay flat after plumping, or waking up congested. Any of these means the filling, not just the cover, needs cleaning.

Related guides

• Can you put a duvet in the washing machine?
• How to wash a feather or down duvet without ruining it
• Duvet dry cleaning or washing: which is better?
• Duvet togs explained: which tog for each season