Changing bedding - how often is too often?

[SorryButThatsAFact]

So, a friend of mine recently popped over for lunch and as she stayed a little longer than expected, I asked her if she wouldn't mind giving me a hand to change the beds.

Somehow we got on to the topic of how often bedding should be changed and I said I did mine twice a week. She was completely aghast and said she only changed hers once a fortnight and that twice a week was 'far too often'

I've always done mine twice a week, just like my mum did, so have never given it much thought.

So now I'm wondering what's a 'normal' number of bedding changes.

Any thoughts?

I hate ironing, so I understand that, but I also cannot sleep on crinkly sheets.

But I'm not asking about that.

I'm not asking people's thoughts on the war in Ukraine, or the environment. I'm not asking whether people believe in ghosts, or whether Palestine or Israel is in the right. I'm not asking if people spit or swallow. Because I don't care. People thinking it's odd isn't going to make me do things differently, so giving an opinion is pointless.

I asked how often other people wash their sheets. That requires an answer - not an opinion.

I think it is funny how shocked everyone is that a friend helped you make your bed. Everyone knows it is sooooo much easier to change a double bed with two people. I would ask a friend that.

As for the drying - I just drape the sheets around on a clothes horse or whatever, or on the radiators if they're on. They will dry naturally in a few hours. Then I usually iron them, but I know lots of people don't, so if you've hung/folded them sensibly, then they go on the bed fine anyhow. The main thing is being freshly washed.

There's always a spare set to put on the beds in the meantime.

You'd certainly think so, wouldn't you?

Every 10 days or so

Agreed it’s really odd! What I can’t understand is why couldn’t the sheets have waited until the friend left the house? Why was it so important to change the sheets while the friend was there? So many questions….!

Can you explain what's grim and gross about changing the bedding fortnightly or every 3 weeks? What exactly do you think will happen to those of us who leave the bedding on for 2 or 3 weeks before changing it? I am probably extra gross as I only change my pyjamas once a week. I do shower every morning, wear clean knickers daily, clean bra and shirt/blouse/t-shirt every 2 days (every day if I've got hot and sweaty)

There's nothing grim or gross at all, any sensible person would acknowledge that. But maybe some of these people let their dogs and cats in bed with them so judge others cleanliness on their own muckiness.

I have a friend obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness, and her dog sleeps in her bed. Euugh.

Um, because my husband was due home? Because he works shifts and would have wanted to go to bed pretty much straight away? Because I didn't want him climbing between sheets that weren't fresh?

Does that answer your question?

I'd totally ask a friend to help. Not all of them, but I can think of a fair few who wouldn't think it odd at all. I have friends drop by for a cuppa and natter, often with the understanding that I only have 1/2hr or whatever. So I'd say "look I need to get on...gotta change the bed linen before I do xyz, so we can carry on chatting if we do it together". And up we'd go. These are friends who have a key and keep an eye on the house if we're away, or I've known for over 20 years.

Anyway, in answer to your question, I aim to change it once a week. I have 2 sets so I wash the set I've taken off over the next few washes i.e. to make up a load with the rest of the stuff.

I go through periods of night sweats (perimenopause) so then it gets changed 4 times a night more often. It's just me in my king so I can get away with changing the bottom sheet, and then swapping the pillows and turning the duvet over, otherwise it get ridiculous.

Once every 6 weeks or so

Someone I work with changes their sheets twice a week, i was 😲😲 and felt a bit crap about my housework duties. This thread has made me a feel a little better .

When you post here, OP, you get what you get and your attempts to control peoples' responses are ridiculous. Ignore stuff you don't want, take what you want.

I would quite understand if you need a friend to help you out if you're making a massive amount of work for yourself by washing bedlinen and changing beds twice a week. Does your family not shower or bathe? Are there continence issues? Why don't the other members of the family change their own beds?

For reference I change my pillowcases each week and the bottom sheet if I've been sweaty, but I often go 10-14 days between complete linen changes.

I'll take your advice and ignore your rude, pointless questions.

Fortnightly is an occasional grim blip

"Grim" most ridiculously overused word on here, especially when referring to linens.

Mine are changed probably every couple of weeks or so, which is not as often as my mum changed them, she religiously did them weekly. In fact, now I think about it, it's probably more likely to be after I've finished my period so monthly.

When I remember.

Generally more in summer (sweatier) than in winter

I will admit that my pillow case should be washed more often but that's because I only have one silk pillowcase and can't bear sleeping on anything else.

Or...friend comes over quite late and we of course talk way more than planned and I then remember I took the darn bedding off. My friend would probably offer to give me a hand.
I don't know, maybe I have friends who really do take me as I am, chores and all.
I've had friends help me fold laundry while we chat, or put groceries away. Maybe it's because when some of my friends suggest a cuppa and I tell them they're welcome to pop in but I'll be pottering around while we chat, they know the score. NOT that I expect anything of them of course.

I was at once a week then moved to every 10 days or so due to busy workload and multiple other loads of washing but now at fortnightly including mattress protector.

I shower every morning and wear clean-ish tshirt or nightie in bed but no pants (gasps of horror). I'm not sweaty or drooling in bed and gave no pets.

DH works nightshift so sleeps in spare room and most nights DC 4 ends up in my bed. Any ...ahem... "activity" takes place in the spare room which has an easier to change double bed rather than the super king I sleep in.

I always get a friend to help me with the bedding and then we have giggly semi naked pillow fights while we wait for hubby to come back from work to clean fresh sheets.

None of this is weird! Stop fucking asking about it!

Cant understand the vitriol for a friend helping a friend change some bedlinen.
I find it bizarre that people are so uptight about this, it's not like she wants her to come over every week to do it!

Every Friday here. I wear a fresh nightshirt each night, DP sleeps naked, and the cat is especially appreciative of the brushed cotton linens going on last week so spending a lot of time on there.

If I won the lottery I would have someone come in and put on fresh sheets every single day.

Exactly. It's not like I DEMANDED she help. It's nothing I wouldn't do for her if she asked.

Once a week

I change our households bedding once a week religiously. I love clean, fresh bedding.

Weekly in the summer when i can hang it out to dry and 2-3 weekly in winter when i have to use the tumble dryer. I also think we wear less in bed and sweat more in the summer therefore they are dirtier quicker.