How often should I wash the throw on the guest bed?

[LivingOnAnIsland]

The guest bed has a throw on it. It looks nice and it's an extra blanket/layer when it's cold. Obviously guests have clean sheets/duvet covers etc, but should I wash the throw as well between guests? I don't think it's been against anyone's skin but I can't guarantee it. Other people's thoughts very welcome.

It needs washing every three hours or dust may settle on it.

I’d expect it to be washed for each new guest .

When it smells!

Who is sleeping in it, members of the family or friends? If it's friends then wash it if it's family from the same side I'd leave it. Don't ask me why - but it makes sense to me.

I think we wash the blankets on our spare beds about once every five years.

when it smells. unless you have a pet that likes to lie on it.

it's not for direct skin contact. and you are not a hospitality business (I assume)

I would probably wash it before each new guest. Just so everything smells clean and fresh for them.

Never? Unless someone throws up on it?

Wow! A variety of responses here...

Thanks - I think I'll find a happy medium!

Hardly ever. As a guest I wouldn’t put it against my skin.

Once every few months to freshen it up.

I have a quilt that sits on the spare bed - it's only the size of half the bed, so it covers the foot end, but doesn't cover the full bed. It's there for looks, but I guess it adds a bit of extra warmth over your feet too!

It has never been washed! And it has never occurred to me to wash it. It has matching sausage-shaped cushions that go on the pillows - for looks only. Also never washed.

Both items are purely decorative. I see no need to wash them. I haven't washed the cushion covers on my sofa, which are used every day, so things in a spare room which is used for a handful of nights a year!

I'd wash it each time. Seems easy enough to toss it in with the others.

I'd wash it every spring and after any guests who aren't 'fresh', who smoke or just in a nice day when I felt like it!

I don't have throws on the bed, but i think they're similar to the ones i have in the sofas that also get used outside in the cool evenings of were socialising in the garden, and they rarely get a wash. I did have one guest years ago mistake (not her fault) my sofa dog blanket for a generic sofa blanket. That was embarrassing, but at least dog blankets do get washed regularly!

I think we wash the blankets on our spare beds about once every five years.

And this is one of the reasons we're not keen too keen on visiting some people. Yuck.

Do you have guests?

I would personally wash it between guests, except perhaps if it was just a day or two for one of my adults kids and then another of them as I know they would tell me if it needed a wash and have quite clean habits. Or if it had been warm and it didn't look or smell as though it had been touched and I didn't have time, I might leave it. I wouldn't use the same throws for people to put over their outdoor clothes outside inc potentially the floor, the pets, their shoes, and then provide it as bedding, unless washing it in between.

Guests can have all sorts of spills (including those involving personal fluids), skin conditions, and weird habits and I think it's courteous to provide clean bedding for guests.

Although I know that washing things a little less often would be completely normal and reasonable too, I do find the extreme lack of hygiene of a lot of people's soft furnishings, as illustrated by my personal experiences and some of the posts on this thread, quite off-putting.

Ummm..... Hardly ever! Same as duvets and pillows. Maybe don't come to my house to visit 😂

They are all natural fibres, wool and feathers, so don't do well if washed!

Well - pillows and duvets (and their covers obviously) need to be washed somewhat regularly because they get smelly and gross.

A throw that is laid on top of the duvet and only used to provide an extra layer of warmth to occasional guests? That doesn't need to be washed really unless it gets spoiled or smelly from general house smells.

I think it also depends on what sort of fabric it's made of. If it's soft like pure wool or cashmere or alpaca - I would probably never wash it. Whereas a cotton or synthetic throw can be washed easily.

But you wash the covers right?
I think the actual inserts are different.

I do my pillows and duvet once a year when switching the duvet for summer bedding.

It needs to be washed after every guest so it’s clean for the next guest it’s quite disgusting not to! You don’t know what guests are getting up to in there

I would wash it before the next guest. Freshen everything up.

I often wonder about holiday accommodation and hotels with throws and cushions on beds and I never use them because I don’t think they washed between guests. In your situation it would depend how often you have guests.

Me too. No one's died yet, and we have loads of visitors, so it's clearly not putting them off.

Clean pillowcases, sheets and duvet cover every time? 100%. Ruining my beautiful down pillows and duvets in the washing machine? No thanks. I chuck out pillows when they get grotty (recycled via Dunelm) but I never wash them.