Adulthood sneaks up on you fairly quickly. Before you know it, you’re expected to know (or pretend to know) a lot of things nobody ever taught you. How taxes work. Which drawer the batteries live in. And how to actually look after a bed.
BED HYGIENE
The reality is that most of us have been winging it for years. We throw the sheets into the washer when we remember, fluff the pillows occasionally, and hope the mattress is somehow taking care of itself.
Meanwhile, it turns out beds are a lot more high maintenance than most think. Enough to have a whole schedule: things to wash weekly, things to rotate every few months, and things that expire long before you’d think to replace them.
Whether it’s where you unwind after work, spend lazy Saturday mornings, recover from the flu or binge an entire season of Love Island in one sitting, your bed does a lot of heavy lifting in your everyday life. It deserves slightly more attention than the occasional spin in the washing machine for the sheets.
Consider this your crash course on everything bed-related.
DAILY
Let your bed breathe. Before you make the bed in the morning, pull the duvet back and let everything air out for 20 to 30 minutes. Your mattress absorbs moisture from your body overnight and making the bed immediately after waking up traps it in your sheets.
Open a window. Even ten minutes of fresh air lowers humidity, which makes it harder for dust mites and mould to thrive.
Consider lint rolling your bed when you have an extra two minutes to spare. Hair, lint, fuzz, and the mysterious debris that somehow appears overnight all have a habit of settling on your sheets. If you have white bedding, you’ve almost certainly noticed.
WEEKLY
Wash your sheets and pillowcases. Once a week is the least you can do. If you sleep hot, have pets, or have allergies, aim for every three to four days instead.
EVERY TWO WEEKS
Wash your duvet cover. It can be inconvenient and tedious to take out and put back on, but it’s still collecting oils, sweat, and dust. There are many ways to do this, some easier than others.
Vacuum under the bed. It’s easy to forget surfaces you can’t see. Dust under beds accumulates faster than people realize, largely because the airflow is poor. If you have allergies, do this weekly instead.
EVERY ONE TO TWO MONTHS
Wash the mattress protector if you use one (which you probably should), most are machine washable.
Wash blankets and throws. Even decorative throws collect dust, especially if they’re kept on the bed year-round.
EVERY THREE MONTHS
Rotate your mattress. Turn it 180 degrees so the top becomes the bottom. Unless the manufacturer specifically says otherwise, don’t flip it upside down. Most modern mattresses are designed to be slept on one side only.
Wash your pillows. The pillow itself, not just the pillowcase. Check the care label first, since certain types of pillows (e.g., memory foam) usually can’t go in the washing machine. Replace entirely annually.
Wash your duvet or comforter. Most people don’t do this nearly enough because of how hectic it can be. Depending on the filling and care instructions, a few times a year is usually enough.
EVERY SIX MONTHS
Deep-clean your mattress. Take it off the bed and let it get a little bit of sun. Sprinkle baking soda over the surface and leave for several hours before vacuuming thoroughly to help remove lingering odors. Then, wipe it with a damp sponge.
Move the bed. Pull it away from the wall and clean underneath, behind the headboard, and along the edges. It’s one of the dustiest spots in the bedroom simply because you can’t reach it every day.
