Washing sheets effectively

[Criteria16]

I always wash my (all white) bedsheets with powder at 60 degrees or over. I changed them every 1-2 weeks but I change the pillow covers every other day more or less. We shower daily, including hair, and we shower before bed if we exercise.
I am not sure I am over sensitive to this but I think they smell literally just after one night sleeping in them! Could it be I don't wash them effectively? Is there a magic trick?

@Criteria16 are your sheets 100% cotton or synthetic blend fabric.. not all sheets are made equal.. invest in 100% Egyptian cotton, healthier to sleep in as an adult body looses upto 100mls sweat overnight.. cotton breathes better, likewise natural fibres pillow ( like wool or latex)

persil new quick wash green or pink are brilliant- no need for fabric softeners fresh clean smell and washing machine and line dry in summer/ dryer. Winter.

air the bed after each night - eg pull covers back and also wash mattress protector and pilllow covers as well as pillow slips & sheets.

I assume everyone airs their bed, but there’s only one way to do it whereas there are dozens of ways to wash. 30/40/60/90/powder/liquid/gel ball thing/line dry/machine dry/monthly/weekly/daily/twice daily/never/and on and on and on. People who have their preferred way will never see eye to eye with other people who have their preferred way 😂. I’m a strictly weekly/60/powder person and won’t ever change! But airing is just…airing.

Good question, and the simple answer is I’m not sure. Should sheets shrink at 90 degrees usually?

Most commercial fabric is washed and shrunk before being made into sheets and clothes aren’t they?

I think so. Anyway I’ve never had trouble with shrinkage except clothes in dryer so I never do that now.

Washing your hair every day is really bad for your hair, you're stripping all the natural oils out

I wash my bedding on 40c with a bio tab and Asda's basic softener, air dried and it definitely smells lovely for 3-4 days, change once a week

Thanks again so much for all the suggestions that keep coming.
I will give a go at most of them as they do make sense. And, yes, I do air the bed and keep my windows open as much as possible (raining permitting these days).

Re: daily hair washing, we are all different. This really works for me and I have done it all my life with no horrible consequences. In fact my hair is perfectly healthy. My DH and DS have short hair and it doesn't even occur to them to avoid washing it under the daily shower.

How do you manage to dry and air them if washed so frequently?

If they are still smelling, I would hazard a guess you're putting them on slightly damp and that creates a certain smell

Who? The person who washes them every day?

Use good thick pillow protectors. Throw them into the laundry cycle every few weeks as well.

Yes. I air mine for at least a week.

Do you have any tips for washing pillows? Whenever I wash pillows they end up horribly lumpy and only fit for the bin - even after I tumble dry them.

I now use a pillow protector that hers washed with the bedding - pillows don’t get as sweaty.

If you want moisture wicking bamboo is better than cotton. That will need airing daily though as bamboo holds moisture.

Im late to this thread and I think I have read most responses, but im still not sure if your bedding is 100% cotton?
I find my higher quality bedding needs far less washing than any mixed fabric bedding.
If I could, I would live in a world where I slept in hotel bed linen at home, im heading there slowly :).
If it's getting to you I would look at replacing what you can, pillows, covers etc, I doubt it's your own cleanliness more your sensitive nose now. Does any one else in the family sense the smells that you do?

I noticed this particular smell when I was peri-menopausal. The Japanese have a soap for it and it made all the difference. It's called Persimmon soap and you can get it from Amazon. I'm out the other side now and no longer need it.

I don’t know if it’s a generational thing as I air my bed and I’m 90s born.

Totally support everyone that has mentioned using white vinegar for deo-odersing, de-scaling and fabric softening. I'm not with the biological detergent though. I use soap, Marseille Soap. Don't expect fragrance but you will have clean fresh laundry every time.

Air the bed every day, open bedroom windows (even if it’s freezing)
Wash bedding at 90c ( i have 100% cotton sheets and it doesn’t shrink them).

My other half is very sweaty and I started to notice even after washing at 60 degrees a ‘body’ smell. So now I soak his pillow case and the under sheet in the bathtub with some soda crystals before washing and they smell v fresh and clean

It could be the duvets or pillows you're smelling rather than the covers - how often do you wash these?

And I find sometimes a duvet cover/sheet/pillowcase will go through the wash and the smell won't quite go - I tend to re-wash it on an intensive cycle or at 90 degrees or with some kind of laundry sanitiser - Dettol do one or just a cupful of white vinegar in the fabric softener compartment.