The Great Mumsnet Laundry Debate, Part I. £300 Love2Shop voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

To celebrate Fairy Non Bio’s sponsorship of the Mumsnet Talk App, we’re launching the Great Mumsnet Laundry Debate – as with all great series, it's a three-parter. Part I is about how often you wash your bed sheets (as we know, always a hot topic on Mumsnet).

We all know that washing bed sheets can be total faff: there’s stripping the bed, then there’s putting the wash on (are you a warm 40C or a hot 90C type?) Then there’s hanging it out and the struggle for drying space (unless you use the dryer ?) After that there’s folding - and, for the super-keen, perhaps even ironing. Finally, there’s getting the darn things back on the bed.

So - how often do you wash your bed sheets? And how often do you wash your DC’s bed sheets? Do you have a specific process? Perhaps you change pillow cases weekly, but sheets and duvet covers every two weeks? How often do you change your mattress protector ( again)? Do you use softener?

Whatever your bed sheet-washing process, do share it with Fairy Non Bio in the thread below, and maybe even give us a live update from the Mumsnet Talk App as you're waiting for the load to finish .

Everyone who posts will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

T&Cs apply

[Strawclutching]

I was every week although I've only started that recently after becoming addicted to the housekeeping threads. Wash on 30'c. The children's bedding I wash every 2 weeks because they spend a hell of a lot more time in our bed than in theirs!

[KP86]

Only two beds to worry about here. Sheets get changed at least fortnightly, sometimes more often.

DS's (cot bed) are generally done at the same time but they can be through the machine and tumbled dried within a couple of hours so it's very easy to do as often as needed.

Sheets are washed on 40-60d wash, sometimes with added disinfectant to the rinse cycle if I think they are particularly scungy. Always with washing powder and Vanish powder though. 90% of the time they are tumble dried, but they have to be split into two loads so it takes ages (washer/dryer combo machine).

I actually bought an extra set of bedding so it's not a rush to get it all done in one day and back on the bed. Cheaper than taking the whole lot to a local laundrette each fortnight.

[Butteredparsnips]

Beds washed, 1 - 2 weekly, but I don't have a set routine. It usually has to fit in with other Laundry. I wash at 60 and add an anti lime scale tablet. I dry outside if at all possible, as I love the smell of bedding dried in the fresh air.

I don't iron bedding, but do fold it once it's dry to smooth out creases.

Should I ever win the lottery, I will have clean bedding daily.

[BringingYoniBack]

Weekly!

I don't have a tumble dryer so if the weather is bad (as it so often is) I strip all the beds on a Sunday morning and take the sheets with me to see DM. We have a family lunch and I wash and dry my sheets! I always turn up with my own washing powder and tumble dryer sheets of course.

Then once we're home the sheets to back on ready for bed.

[Tftpoo]

I hate washing bedding. Ours gets done once a fortnight, 40 degrees. Kids, once a week (or whenever someone is sick or decides to take their nappy off in bed, grrr), 40 degrees. No drier here so dried outside or over radiators. Never use softener or iron sheets, there's not enough time in a household with three under three for such luxuries!

[MiracletoCome]

Approximately once weekly in Summer, two weekly in Winter, wash at 60c with a dash of Dettol laundry disinfectant. I use Ariel biological powder for sheets as it gets them clean - DH can be a bit greasy

I dry outside if possible, if not I use the tumble drier, I don't iron the sheets though.

Only us two, DS has left home, so only one bed to change on a regular basis

[gamerwidow]

We do ours fortnightly for all beds usually. Sometimes sooner if needed but never less.
All bedding washed at 40c. No problems with drying, it either gets hung outside or put in tumble dryer.
Definitely don't bother with ironing if all goes in the blanket box until next needed.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Every Friday. It's part of my weekend ritual, to have a soak on Friday night and get into clean sheets.

[starlight36]

As a singleton all sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers every week. Everything ironed too!

Now all pillows are washed on a weekly basis, sheets and duvet covers every fortnight and mattress covers once a month. Both ours and the children's - unless there is a need to wash theirs sooner.

Everything is done on a 60 wash - dried outside when weather allows otherwise in the tumble dryer.

[timeforabrewnow]

Every two to four weeks here. More often in summer months. If we change one, we generally do all of them over a couple of days.

[Catsgowoof]

when they get dirty. with little kids i find that the frequency of nappy leak/spilt drink/sick/snot etc getting on the bedding tallies well with a regular washing cycle

[paddypants13]

Fortnightly unless someone is ill. Sometimes more in summer if the nights are very warm.

I prefer to dry outside if I can because I'm a Yorkshire lass so I'm a bit tight! I do tumble dry in winter though.

I only wash at 40 but give them a wash at 60 if there's illness in the house.

[LifeIsGoodish]

Seeing as I have a bedwetter, there are sheets being washed several times a week chéz Goodish!

The others probably fortnightly, maybe more frequently for Stinky Teen, less frequently for Non-Stinky Teen.

[P1nkP0ppy]

All bed linen is washed weekly; white bed linen at 50 with a scoop of Vanish, everything else at 40. I love the smell of line-dried linen and I iron everything. I do use the tumble dryer if it's bad weather.

The mattress cover is washed every fortnight, as are the pillow protectors.
The duvets get aired out on the line at least once a month.

I use Fairy baby fabric conditioner because I love the smell 😊

[LifeIsGoodish]

And all bedding from any one bed is stripped at once. Who can keep track of whether a pillowcase or quilt case was washed when the sheets were washed?

[lionheart]

Weekly but I wish I had given more thought to buying bunk beds. It is a dangerous process. Hardly ever iron anything and Vanish is only used as a last resort.

[lionheart]

Weekly but I wish I had given more thought to buying bunk beds. It is a dangerous process. Hardly ever iron anything and Vanish is only used as a last resort.

[prettybird]

Change bottom sheet and "top" pillowcases once a week. Change "bottom" pillowcase and duvet cover once a fortnight. It's a superking size, so a hassle to change.

Don't have a mattress protector.

Change ds' bed linen less frequently not going to admit how often/infrequently Really do need to get him into the habit of stripping his own bed - he is 15 after all!

Have white cotton bed linen but only iron the pillow cases (and not even them if I've got a backlog). One duvet cover is pin tucked and the other is a waffle effect, so they look ok without ironing.

Love the summer when I can dry it outside - both for the fresh smell and the sun bleaching effect. In winter, have to put the duvet cover onto a radiator in the dining room and turn it regularly.

Spare sheet and pillow cases get kept under the mattress. The spare duvet cover is kept upstairs in the spare bedroom.

Washed at 60 on the cottons wash. No conditioner.

Love, love, love the feel of fresh bedlinen.

[OhHolyFuck]

Wash mine weekly, wash the kids more often due to milk/leaky nappies etc
They get dried outside if the weather is nice, over the airer next to the radiator if not
Don't iron, I'm not that keen

[summeraupair]

Sheets gets changed every two weeks but tend to live in the bottom of the spare room washing basket for about six weeks until I run out of bedding and wonder why

[T0ddlerSlave]

Slattern here. Sheets about monthly, pillow cases every couple of weeks. DD 2.5 gets hers changed about the same.

[CopperPan]

We wash sheets about once a fortnight, but not in a regular routine. I use our usual powder (varies depending on what's on offer) plus some Napisan and fabric conditioner on 60 degrees, then hang out to dry on an airer. We have a washer dryer but generally only use the washer as tumble drying is so bad for the environment and energy bills. I never iron sheets (or almost anything else). The pillow and mattress protectors only get washed every now and then.

[throwingpebbles]

I do them all every other week, the weekend the kids are at their dads.

Do a proper long hot wash for bedding and towels.

Obviously if anyone is ill etc then I would wash the bedding sooner.

And when ds started school he went back to bed wetting for a bit so I felt like I was always washing his bedding!!

[forkhandles4candles]

Oh it is so bad...really every few weeks. It is a lovely feeling when done. Mind you our futon mattress is ancient, over 30 years. It is a wonder we wake up each morning.

[bambooleaves]

We wash bedding only about once a month. We are all healthy and clean and sleep perfectly well!

Normal wash with clothes and tumble dry. Usually back on the beds the same day as the kids have their favourite duvet covers and complain if we use the spare!