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

Strip all three beds at once, unless ds has had a nose bleed then his is done more often, wash at 60 in 2 loads. Probably once a month if I'm honest slattern

how often do you wash your bed sheets?
I aim for every week, but in reality it's every 2 weeks. I sometimes change the pillowcases inbetween
And how often do you wash your DC’s bed sheets?
again, every couple of weeks, and wash their cuddly toy at the same time as it usually smells!
Do you have a specific process?
I wash each bed set (duvet cover, pillow cases, fitted sheet) together, and dry and fold the items together so it's easy to use the bundle to change the bed next time. I have two bedsets per bed, and different coloured sheets for each of the children/us/spare bed
How often do you change your mattress protector (blush again)?
Probably once every 3 months, or more often when soiled/after a child is ill etc. Same for pillow protectors
Do you use softener?
Yes, softener and 90deg wash. I hang bedding up to dry rather than tumble it

2-3 times a week - my little dog sleeps in bed with me, and we both like clean sheets.

DDs do their own laundry.

No fabric softener, and I use a 95 wash.

Once a week all 4 beds completely washed and changed, though no set day, order or pattern to this.
Love having clean sheets.
Whites washed at 60 , coloureds at 40 usually non bio. Line dried or tumble dried.

I wash mine once a week, but put a different set on so I don't have to wait for it to dry.
Once it's dry I fold it into one pillowcase so I have the sets together. Then lovingly place the full set on the pile of clean laundry that never gets put away and hope it doesn't cause an avalanche!

DDs bedding gets washed less frequently as she never sleeps in her own bloody bed anyway!

I aim to wash weekly but depending on time/plans/life it sometimes can be two to three weeks. I strip everything off and bung it in at 90deg. I love drying it on the line but failing that tumble dry it and put it straight back on the bed.
DSS bed I do monthly but he probably spends less than one night a week in it now.
DD who's 3. Pillow case and bottom sheet weekly. Main cot bed duvet every couple of weeks.
All on 90deg though.

I wash/change them weekly.

Usually in whatever powder I have and biotex on a 60 wash.

I have a tumble dryer but tend to dry bedding on the line or hung over the internal doors if the weather isn't so great never iron them.

Meant to say I wash mattress protesters and pillow protesters the first Saturday in the month and turn the mattress every month hoovered every Saturday

Change bedding for everyone on Sundays every week. Wash at 30c. Iron bedding before going the beds... Even the DCs.

2 beds. Mine (shared with a toddler) gets done fortnightly. 40c, napisan added to usual bio liquid and fabric conditioner if it's particularly dirty. Dried outside on the line whenever possible, over the doors and finished off in the drier if not.

DH's (sleeps seperately due to sleep issues) gets done whenever he strips it and brings it through. Usually just when I'm congratulating myself on having emptied the washing baskets and/or rain is forecast for a week. He is always cold and uses a ridiculous amount of bedding which takes 2-3 loads. Far more likely to resort to finishing his in the drier to get it out of the way in our tiny house.

Hmm.. after reading some of the posts on this thread I think we should be washing the bedding more often!?!

We probably do it the DC's once every 2-3 weeks and ours about once a month

Unless of course there is some sort of 'incident' (nose bleed, wetting the bed, sickness...) then of course it is all washed and changed straight away.

We don't use softener as I'm allergic to is - we use non-bio liquid tabs and Vanish spray / powder if necessary.

I love the feeling of getting in to a clean, fresh bed though!

All bedding (except protectors) washed once a week, 60c for sheets / pillows and 40c for duvet covers. Protectors get washed once a month. However, illness means everything will get washed more often, as and when needed. Dried outside is my preference, as it smells so much better and I like the sun (when it shines) to work on the white sheets. Otherwise on a rack, in the utility, which is where our boiler is. Ironed to smooth over, but much easier to do when washing is not tumbled and a quick steam on the bed if needed, just to get the middle creases out!

Just whenever, it might be twice in a week, once in a week, might even stretch to ten days in between depends on weather, and stuff.

I change ours every two weeks. Just gets washed at 30 degrees. Preferably line dried. Never ironed

I change the sheets weekly on a Sunday, love the smell of them coming in from the line :)

Fortnightly bedlinen changes here. I strip, wash at 60c, line dry where possible, fold all into one of the pillowcase. I never make the beds back up-that's a DH job! And I NEVER iron!

how often do you wash your bed sheets?
Usually every Sunday, but I'm not precious about it, if we have an event attend they'll be done during the week or wait until the next sunday.

And how often do you wash your DC’s bed sheets?
As above.
Do you have a specific process?
Each bedset washed and tumble dried together, and put straight back on the bed. I have other spare bedsets per bed, if theres an emergency like sick, but I wash and put them back on as they are my favourite ones to match decor.

How often do you change your mattress protector?
No where near as often, only if I notice its grubby.
Do you use softener?
Yes, always use washing powder and separate softener in 90 deg wash.

I change the bed weekly, every Tuesday and the pillow and mattress protectors roughly every fortnight but I'm not as strict about those. I wash bedding on a 60 degree cycle.

I also have a one of those quilts/duvets that button together but it's much too hot when they are buttoned together. So in the summer we use the thinner of the two and the winter I get the thicker one out. The thin one I can wash in my machine but the thicker one gets taken to the launderette

Varies according to the time of year because a) I have to tumble dry it in winter and b) you wear less clothing and sweat more in summer.

As a minimum, all year round I change all bedding ( sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases) for all 6 people in the house on the first weekend of every month. Bottom sheets and pillowcases are changed and washed more frequently. I also vacuum the bed from time to time inbetween sheet changes. In summer I tend to change our bedding on the 3rd weekend of month as well, and sheet/ pillowcases weekly.

Mostly wash at 40, sometimes 60.
Line dried outside for most of the year. tumble dryer only gets used November to February. 2 DCs have hay fever so theirs are dried indoors on a Pulleymaid system when pollen levels are high.

Duvet covers, pillowcases and sheets washed every Friday so I can get into fresh bedding as the weekend begins! Washed at 40c with Fairy non bio and softner and tumble dried so I can get it back on the same day (no ironing or folding required then!)
Mattress, duvet and pillow protectors washed the first Friday of every month with same method. (and mattress vacuumed, duvet and pillows aired outside if weather ok)
If someone was ill, Id add a scoop of miofresh in.
I invested in really good protector sheets/cases (hippychick) so dont feel the need to wash the pillows etc.

Every other week here (unless needed before then), we have 3x double beds plus a king size. Gone are the days when I could do all the beds in 2 loads.
Wash at 40-60° with vanish, dettol laundry disinfectant stuff and Ariel. Mattress protectors get washed once a month.
I try to line dry as much as possible but will use tumble dryer if the weather's bad. I never iron!

Every week - all beds in our house. I prefer to wash my bedding at 60 but sometimes do it at 40 depending on the material. I love to hang my washing outside to dry and only use my tumble dryer if I really have to.

I wash our sheets once a week normally on a Tuesday. I tend to only do a hot wash every fortnight (60) and other wise a normal 40 degree wash. DS tends to be a little bit flexible depending if he has wet the bed! if not it tends to be at the weekends, he is only in a small bed at the mo so they dry pretty quick.
I normally don't bother ironing them but I always use conditioner.

I wash sheets and duvet covers fortnightly at 60 degrees but try to do our pillowcases weekly as DH has such a sweaty head
I don't wash the mattress protectors very often unless one of the kids has had an 'accident'!

I don't use softener any more as found it was clogging up my machine drawer and making everything slimy.

Dry outside where possible but otherwise use tumble dryer as I don't have indoor laundry space which is a bit of a pain.

Minimum weekly and on a hot wash!