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

60 degrees, with fabric conditioner - I aim for weekly, most likely more like fortnightly no tumble drier and no garden so it's even more of a pain in the ass

So - how often do you wash your bed sheets?
Once a week

And how often do you wash your DC’s bed sheets?
Fortnightly

Do you have a specific process?
No

Perhaps you change pillow cases weekly, but sheets and duvet covers every two weeks?
All at the same time

How often do you change your mattress protector (blush again)?
Maybe once a month

Do you use softener?
Yes

Fortnightly for everything - 40 - 50 degrees depending on how dirty they are.

I have never got around to washing the mattress protectors though - we have zip around ones that enclose them and they are a hassle to do.

I never use fabric softener but that's just because it's me keeping my budget low!

Sheets weekly and mattress protector much less often, maybe every 6 months? Same for DC.

Bedding washed fortnightly. Due a baby soon so I'm sure this will increase! 40 degrees wash with fabric conditioner, and usually stain remover. Love it when it's warm enough to hang the sheets outside - they smell so good.

I wash any bedding when it starts to feel greasy or smelly, probably about every 3 weeks. I use softener and put it on a 60 degree wash unless covered in puke, wee or poo in which case it gets washed immediately on 90 degrees. Then it gets tumble dried and put away, no ironing here

Ours and DC's beds all done fortnightly or more frequently if it's hot or one is poorly.
Older 3 DC change their own fitted sheets, pillow case & duvet cover. I do ours and youngest. They often team up as there is a high sleeper and a set of bunk beds!
Bedding is done on a 60 degree wash with non-bio powder and I add fabric conditioner. Dried in tumble dryer- taken out & folded whilst warm or put straight back onto beds so no need to iron.
I then time it to ensure they have baths/ showers and clean nightwear, so start of 100% fresh!!!

sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers 40 degrees every fortnight, eight lots of bedding! Duvets about once every 4-6 weeks. I actually have a full spare set for each bed including spare duvet but there have been about 4 occasions in the last 15 years where I have had to resort to sleeping bags as (as most mothers have experienced) if one child goes down with a vomiting bug, more than one will have it within the week and they always wait until you have stripped and remade the bed before they throw up again! In those circumstance I wash at 90 degrees. I do use mattress protectors...both the thick padded sort which I vacuum when stripping beds and the thinner sort that goes in the wash with the sheets. Don't mind doing the kids beds...Hate folding king size sheets as there's never anyone to grab the other end when you need help!

Once a week without fail, on a 60 degree wash with fabric softener.

Fortnightly and wash at 60 degrees for both the kids and I.

We change our bedding once every 5-7 days. It's washed on a 60degree wash with fabric conditioner, dried on the line when it's fine, in the dryer if it's not.

Our bedding does get ironed, I think it makes the room look tidier.

DS1 is a soldier and brings his sheets home every week. Wednesday night is sheets night, he said.

DS2 is at uni and he does his sheets every 7-10 days. His sheets, duvet covers and towels are all the same colour so he puts them all in the machine on a 60, dries them in a dryer and doesn't bother ironing them.

We have 1 king size and 2 doubles
Ds1 is going through puberty so I tend to do his weekly stench city
The others 2 weekly
Wash with fairy non bio (excema) at 40 degrees

Everything in a boil wash (allergies) and done 1-2 weekly. DH moans about washing more frequently and we only have 1 set per bed so wash, dry, remake. Teens are reluctant but manage fortnightly with cajoling. I expect them to strip and remake the beds but I do all washing. DH does our bed (making) as the bed is enormous with a heavy mattress so he needs to lift and do duvet stuffing. We used to run self catering and a hotel so he is fast and efficient. Guests are always washed on departure as we live in a holiday place so often have rapid changes but no spare sets of bedding. Note to self - buy more bedding.?

Ours is washed weekly to fortnightly. I use a bio powder and fabric softener and wash at sixty degrees with the occasional ninety degree wash. It is line dried weather permitting and ironed.

change ours weekly on a saturday,dc about every 8 or 9 days,'40 wash, dry on line if possible, finish off in tumble dryer in winter after being on a clothes airer next to large double radiator. refuse to iron bedding shake and that will do, use a top sheet next to our body so that cuts down on having to wrestle the quilt cover , hate changing cover on quilt. matress cover not that often perharps twice a year. plenty of old sheets under us so it does not really get that mucky.yes i do use fabric conditioner. LOVE GETTING IN TO FRESHLY WASHED SHEETS BLISS

Slattern here. Fortnightly. Sometimes less if we have busy weekends back to back. The mattress protector is every other wash. I have two king size beds to deal with as my husband is in the spare room and me and baby in the main bed plus toddlers single bed and cot. Toddler bed is prob more regular due to bed wetting / vomiting incidents.
Wash at between 40 and 60 dependant on how grubby they look. Dry on the banister then go straight back on the bed. I don't have spare sheets. So occasionally if they haven't dried in time husband sleeps in a sleeping bag. Sometimes I just do the bottom sheet and pillows if I can't be faffed with the duvets.
Don't use softener and always use an extra rinse to get all the washing powder out.

I try to wash our bedding weekly. More often for dc if he wets the bed as he is potty training.

Usually bung it all in together that is mine and dhs and 2 dcs. Wash on 60 degrees for the main weekly wash and 40 degrees for ds accidents. I use non bio capsules as we all have eczema prone skin and use fabric conditioner too. On occasion also use vanish powder to jazz up the colour and white vinegar for stains.

If weather permits it gets hung out on the washing line if not it gets tumbled on delicate setting to reduce creases. Fold it afterwards. Absolutely don't iron it unless really creased.

Only have a mattress protector on ds bed and have washed it once which was a pita when he soiled on it.

Sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers are washed fortnightly. I have my bedding and my ds's bedding on a rota so mine gets done one weekend and his gets done the other. All washed on a 60 degree wash with bio liquid and softener and, ideally, hung on the line. I LOVE the smell of line dried washing. In the winter, I will try to line air and then it goes in the tumble dryer. No mattress protectors used in this house, we can all now control our bladders proud

I do mine and my DS's on alternative Friday's as I like having clean bedding for the weekend.

I only do mine at 40 degrees unless we've had any bugs. My tumble dryer broke last winter so at the moment outside drying is good, will have to contemplate a new dryer before this winter.

I always feel very slovenly on these threads. I change the sheets around once a fortnight, and the duvet covers and pillow cases at the same time. I do all of the beds in the house at the same time. I just don't have the time or the inclination to do it more regularly....

Bog standard 40C wash, washing liquid bought as cheaply as possible - we have very soft water in Scotland and the cheapo stuff gets it just as clean as the expensive powders and branded liquids. No issues with limescale or anything else. OUt on the line to dry wherever possible, smells SO much better.

Never iron sheets, duvet covers or pillow cases. Ever.

I always feel very slovenly on these threads. I change the sheets around once a fortnight, and the duvet covers and pillow cases at the same time. I do all of the beds in the house at the same time. I just don't have the time or the inclination to do it more regularly....

Bog standard 40C wash, washing liquid bought as cheaply as possible - we have very soft water in Scotland and the cheapo stuff gets it just as clean as the expensive powders and branded liquids. No issues with limescale or anything else. OUt on the line to dry wherever possible, smells SO much better.

Never iron sheets, duvet covers or pillow cases. Ever.

Weekly for us, and fortnightly for the DC as they are only small and don't sweat like adults! I think I wash on 60 degrees, I don't really look at the temperature. I do the mattress protector once a week too. I do struggle to dry them though, as I don't use driers or outside lines.

I hate doing our bed and I normally convince dh to do it. He normally does it every 2 weeks. I do the kids beds when they get dirty as there's a spilt drink/leaky nappy at least once a week.

Forgot to say I wash them on 60 and I iron them. Not sure why!

Usually every other week to be honest - occasionally weekly.

I do our cotton bedding and white towels at 50 or 60 degrees with a non-bio powder, hang outside on the line (plenty space) or in the drying room (plenty space - is just 2 old wooden cot-sides nailed up horizontally in the same room as the boiler!)

Mattress cover gets washed less often.

I never use softener - I prefer my sheets slightly "rough", tbh my favourite sheets are linen. I used to starch and iron them before DCs - no longer!

But I love that "clean sheet" feeling!