IMHO, cocooning yourself under your coziest blanket is the ultimate form of self care—particularly this year. I’m out and about less, which allows for more time to bundle under the covers while reading, working, or perusing Tiktok on my phone. I’m also a lot lazier in the winter, which got me thinking about just how long I could go without washing my sheets. I mean, it’s not like I’m climbing into bed sweaty, as sometimes happens during the summer. Surely we can all cut ourselves a break here, right?
Experts in This Article
owner of Rytina Fine Cleaners
“In the winter, it’s perfectly acceptable to change your sheets every other week,” Jean Calleja of The Eco Laundry Company previously told Well+Good. However, that “rule” really depends on a few factors more important than seasonality—starting with when and how often you shower, says Rytina Fine Cleaners owner Katie Brown. If you shower before hopping into bed at night, you can get away with waiting every two weeks to wash your sheets. But if you don’t, it should be more often. “Jumping into bed after a long day with built-up body oils or perspiration will soil your sheets,” she says, regardless of the season.
Brown says if you tend to lounge around in bed during the day—including when working from home—that can affect how often you should wash your sheets, too. “Working in bed is a reason to clean your sheets more often,” she says. “Jumping in and out with clothes on, dropping your ink pen, or even eating snacks makes for soiled sheets.” If this is you, you’ll want to opt for a weekly washing schedule instead of waiting every other week.
If you share your bed, Brown says your sleep partner’s habits should be taken into account as well. Are they a pre-bedtime shower person too? If so, you can stick with an every-other-week laundry plan. But if they hang out in bed during the day or aren’t into showering as much, those sheets are going to have to be washed more often—even if you aren’t the one dirtying them. “Two in a bed is likely to create more perspiration from the warmth of two bodies,” Brown adds. Her rule of thumb: If the sheets get damp—whatever the reason—it’s best to wash them the next day.
So much for that winter laziness right? Maybe I’ll move my WFH setup to the couch…
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