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Do you change your sheets every week? Every fortnight? Or does it depend on, err, what’s been going on underneath the covers? Be honest and tell us … how often you do change your bed linen?
I do mine fortnightly. Or weekly. Or whenever I remember.
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336 Comments so far
1-2 a week…..pillowcases more often
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I’m a freak then, I change mine usually twice a week and I change my pillow cases more frequently then that. I usually only sleep on one side of a pillow once – I flip it over the next night then change it! Freak!
I even go as far as to make sure I have clean sheets whenever I wash my hair, because that just seems like the most logical thing in the world to me. And if I go to bed with really, really dirty hair or after a night out at the pub or something I HAVE to wash my sheets the next day.
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I even bought my current boyfriend new 1000 thread count sheets for his bed after we’d been going out like two months.
I think I have OCD?!!
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Mine – often, but I’m breastfeeding a newborn so there’s often a little leak or spit – so every 2 days on average, weekly when I’m not feeding a newborn! New borns every day or more by necessity, toddler every week or more by necessity. Husband (I’m currently sleeping in with the baby) every 2 weeks, it’s weekly when I’m doing them! If I had the be-arsedness I’d love clean sheets daily. But the environment…
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Only time I wash my sheets is if I sleep with someone new, or mum goes on a rampage. But hey, isn’t that part of being nineteen?!
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I was planning on washing my 18 year olds bedding today but I have ended up out and about on this sort of mercy dash. I will message him soon and see if he is up for the task! Wish me luck with that one
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I do wash my sheets every week, on a Sunday, because climbing into clean sheets makes me feel like I have a “fresh” start to the week. But I work 12-14 hour days, as well as some weekends, and let a whole lot of other household duties slide! The vacuuming for instance. And the washing. And i can’t remember the last time i cleaned my shower! And, no, i don’t have a cleaner. I think different things matter to different people. And I don’t have kids. I can see that would bring an entirely new dimension to the issue. I think this discussion is an interesting insight in how we manage our increasingly busy lives though? Horses for courses….?
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Weekly
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I try to change them once a week, but as I spend half a week in a city and half in another it’s more likely to be every 2 weeks.
Human bodies sweat and produce oils during the night which get absorbed by the sheets, you can’t leave them there for too long! Plus every morning I roll sheets and doona down and open the window for 15/20 mins to get some fresh air through them
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I roll the doona and top sheep back every day, sometimes I go to work and leave them like that to air them out.
I also wash my matress protector whenever I wash my sheets (about once a week), it absorbs lots of sweat etc so I unless I washed that too I wouldn’t feel that my bed was really fresh. I also wash my electric blankets about 3 times a year.
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I love the feeling of clean sheets so change them once a week, and like to make sure i have a shower before bed on the night that the sheets are fresh (every other day I’m a morning shower person – need it to wake me up!)
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Sheets get done weekly in Winter, maybe twice a week in summer, pillow cases every couple of days, Towels are hung on the line every morning and washed at least twice a week.
Kids bedsheets about every 10 days as they have a bath everynight before bed but their pillow cases get done with ours every couple of days.
I am currently a SAHM mum but even when I worked full time it was the same, it doesn’t take long to do at all. There is no way I could sleep on sheets that had been on the bed for a fortnight.
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Single guy, nothing going on in my bed except sleep.
Three monthly.
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i go through phases. sometimes it’s every week, sometimes every fortnight, but mostly its every 4 – 6 weeks. i just can’t be bothered!
i prefer to clean my bathroom instead of changing my sheets! i hate the doona cover. i fight with it every single time!
I also hate doing it because for some reason, my doona covers have so much lint on them even after washing that they feel dirty anyway!!
http://www.xxxmissvxxx.wordpress.com
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Once a month (or so) for ours… maybe a little more frequently for my 3-year old’s bed. Honestly, I don’t see the need for weekly or even fortnightly sheet-changing, it’s not like we go to bed covered head to toe in mud or anything.
ps. Cleaning the toilet is the easiest job in the house, in my opinion. A quick spurt of cleaning liquid, a scrub and you’re done. You barely even have to bend down. Changing sheets however = backbreaking and tedious! IMO, of course.
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Weekly, kid’s beds I try to remember fortnightly.
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I had to come back and look at this post again.
It cracks me up that so many people think that changing the sheets is something they ‘don’t have time for’! Seriously, whipping the sheets of the bed takes less time that actually making it. It takes, what? 2 mins max? The washing machine does the big job for you. Hanging sheets out to dry is quick, because it’s only a few items (unlike a load of clothes that includes fiddly socks and undies and what-not).
Granted, the task of putting the clean sheets back on the bed is not a favourite task of mine, but I’d rather do that than something like clean the toilet
(not that I don’t clean the toilet, but it’s a less glam job that making the bed).
I said I was one of those who changed the changes weekly. To answer some people’s curiosity, I’ve always done this. Whether I’ve been a full time worker, a SAHM or a combination of both.
I’m only posting this to answer a few questions people have raised about whether it’s only the SAHM mums who wash weekly and also to point out that it’s not really a job that requires a lot of time for me. I’m not posting this to have a go at anyone.
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Before I had kids, sorry, after the first one but before the twins, I cleaned my house from top to bottom including changing the sheets every single week. Now, I’m lucky if I do it every month. We all shower before bed, kids wear their PJs for about a week unless they spill something on them, I wear mine for a day or two (but often all day, because I work from home I have been known to wear them all day, have a shower and put a clean pair on – these are my fav days) and husband whenever I throw his in the wash – which is every couple of days. I used to feel really guilty about this and change the pillow slips every week, now I might change mine a couple of times in between if my skin is oily, but not religiously. I also used to iron, now I just fold neatly and pack it all back in the basket and leave it over night and it’s like it has been ironed. My husband is a cop and we don’t even iron his shirts, just hang them on a hanger to dry. Frankly I just don’t have the time, none of us have contracted any nasty illnesses because of my more relaxed approach and I just don’t feel the need to put myself under that pressure anymore, and I love it. There was a time when I wouldn’t have had anyone over to the house unless it was all clean, last weekend I was going to be out all day, but it was hot, so I sent out a text to some friends and invited them all to come over with their kids for swim, I got home a couple of hours after they had all rocked up, they’d bought with them a selection of salads, nibbles, sweets, etc, husband did the BBQ (just sausages in bread) and we had the best night, and I didn’t once cringe when a kid ran through the house wet holding an ice cream or a hand full of chips, knowing full well they couldn’t make it any worse than it already was! It’s great, and I can’t believe I didn’t start doing this, or stop doing all the other stuff years ago.
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I was wondering after I posted this what my children would be like when it comes to changing their sheets, my mum was a once a weeker, which is no doubt why I started off the way I did. Now that I do it significantly less frequently, I wonder if that will make them less inclined to do it, or maybe it will have the opposite effect. The other thing that contributes to me not doing it more often is that my kids all have loft beds, which are an absolute cow to make.
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love it. Love your attitude, love your relaxed approach to housework and especially love you will invite people over without having a panic clean beforehand! …will try to be more like you..just more relaxed about all that stuff.
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Weekly … because washing is what weekends are for. Clothes Saturday, sheets and towels Sunday.
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My husband works away for 2 weeks, then home for 2 weeks, the sheets get changed up to 4 times in the fortnight he is home
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hahaa good on you mickie!!
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PHEW I feel better after reading a few of the comments… I intend to change my linen weekly, but mosly get it done monthly. It’s not part of the plan, but how it works out in the end. At least while hubby’s away at work (for four weeks) I can spread the germs around a bit…(all over the bed I mean)
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Some people have a holier than thou attitude to housework. Changing your sheets more than once a month? You must go to bed dirtier than me if you need to do that! We all shower before bed including kids so how dirty could their sheets get?
I have long thick straight hair and recently told my boss I only wash it once week and you should have seen the look on her face! It’s ridiculous.. She
then admitted my hair always looked lovely and she’s never thought it looked dirty before I told her.Cleanliness is next to godliness..isn’t that right? Explains everything…lol!
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Once a month…ish. Maybe every 6-8 weeks is more accurate. Though I keep them fairly pristine with my strict only-freshly-washed-bodies rule and a top sheet under the doona. If I was less lazy it would be every 2-3 weeks but any more regularly seems like a massive waste of water and unnecessary pollutants down the drain.
For those who think having animals on the bed is dirty; my dog sleeps on the doona on her own little sheet, and does not shed hair or smell. And I would argue small children can be grottier
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I’ll swap dogs with you, and you can have the kids for free because I agree they are grotier. What sort of dog is it? My dog sheds enough hair in a day to make a small blanket!
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I try for weekly but it’s probably every 10 days, I change the pillowcase/turnover pillow every second or third day depending on when I wash my hair. I wash my feet every night during summer or when I wear sandals/thongs – cant stand having dirty feet!
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This makes me feel slightly embarrassed as I change my sheets every month! I have a shower every evening and wash my hair every second. I just don’t see the need to wash my sheets as frequently as once a week, that feels excessive to me. I am a really tidy person, I change my towels every second wash. But changing bed sheets less than fortnightly seems like a waste of water to me.
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On the subject of cleanliness, I started a debate ages ago with my mum about the different times we have a shower. I prefer to have one at the end of the day. It sort of washes the day off me and I can go to bed nice and clean. My mum on the other hand has hers first thing in the morning. Says it wakes her up. As a mum who, for many years, used to get up at 5.45am, leave home 6.30am with a baby for a 90 min commute to the city for work (I worked 8.30-5, 5 days a week), I just never have time in the morning. What does everyone else do? Some mornings I’ll have another shower but usually a quick one to ‘freshen up’
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I prefer morning as it means I can get a brush through my hair – I have to have it wet and have just conditioned it to be able to pull it back. But it doesn’t faze me having a shower later either if I don’t get around to it, and I won’t bother if I know I’m going to be getting really sweaty or dirty anyway.
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I think this should be tomorrow’s quick question! My mum and I have the same point of difference – I HAVE (yes, caps are necessary) to have a shower before bed and wear slippers so my feet don’t touch the floor and put dirty bits into my bed. Keeps the sheets cleaner for longer. This is a massive neurosis of mine and has been a sticking point with some of those who have shared my sheets…
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I cannot believe anyone would choose between morning OR night to shower. Surely I’m not the only one who showers BOTH morning AND night?!!! Anything other than that is ewwwwwwww!!!!!!!!
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I shower twice a day.
Early evening (in winter to warm up) or before bed.
And on rising in the morning..to wake up lubricate the joints.
But I take quick showers, conscious of water use….unlike my husband.
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Agreed re over washing. Environmental disaster. What are you a hotel? Also how many of these humans work full time? I’d be interested to know. I am home most days after 7.30pm. I run a business. Weekends I am shattered and despite best intentions, would rather die than change sheets. Fortnightly if lucky, sometimes up to a month. No maid = get by as best you can. First world problems
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Would love to know how many of these people work full time vs say at home mums. Once a week, twice a week!?!? Who has time? We’re lucky if we do it fornightly but working 7000090 hours a week means sadly there is little energy left for such things. I need A maid.
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Sheets – every Sunday. Pillowcases – twice a week. Doona cover – every fortnight. But there has to be a flat sheet under the Doona. I know it sounds rather routine, but there is nothing like snuggling into freshly washed sheets on a Sunday night!
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Lol I’m the EXACT same!
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Im a black african american and my momma always told mah sistas and me to wash our bed sheets 3 times a week, cause we dont want no bed rash… hmmhmm u ok?
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Whenever I remember – which sometimes is weekly, sometimes is… too long
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I usually change mine once a fortnight. That’s sheet (fitted sheet), doona cover and pillow cases. I wash the mattress protector maybe every few months. I figure it’s under the sheet so stays fairly clean. I also sleep on a memory foam mattress which apparently dust mites hate which is great. My daughters bed at the same time. I’m trying to get her to do her own but at 7 she can’t even remember where her hairbrush is yet alone change bedding. I don’t get the concept though of putting a flat sheet on under a doona. Under blankets, sure, that’s normal but doona just beats the purpose.
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A flat sheet under the doona means having to change the doona cover less!
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Lots of people reminding me of my Nanna who would do laundry on Monday, shopping on Thursday and housework on Friday…without fail! I am much more random – just do what I can, when I can… life is busy! Clean Sheets are lovely but I’m very ad hoc.
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not often…and it hasn’t killed me yet.
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to be honest, when it’s during uni semester, I don’t. I simply don’t have time. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true.
And if I do get around to doing it (because trust me, I LOVE clean sheets), then I never get time to bring them in / make the bed, and sometimes will sleep with my doona and mattress and no sheets.
But towels are weekly, and when I’m on holidays I definitely wash sheets twice a month at least.
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Weekly DEFINITELY!
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Probably forthnightly to monthly.. I’m tidy, but all the use of water frightens me. Such a waste of resources to do it more than once a week. I do figure, I’m only in my bed about 3-4 nights a week (I’m at my boyfriends the other half) so essentially it’s a weeks worth..
I’m not big on washing at all really, jeans get a weeks worth of wear, as do coats before getting a wash, unless I’ve spilt my lunch on them. Underwear & socks daily, as do T shirts.
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Once a fortnight for sheets and towels. Towels just dry a clean body – how dirty can they get?!
Definitely top sheet and doona on the bed, purely so I don’t have to change a doona cover every fortnight! nightmare. The doona cover gets washed when it’s visibly dirty (not hard since it’s white) which works out probably every 2-3 months or so. HATE changing the doona cover :/
seriously don’t understand people washing their towels everyday or every second day. what a waste of time, water and energy. we are so freaking SPOILED in our first world bubbles it’s disgusting.
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Probably once a month. I never think of it until they need it!
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Weekly change of sheets. Nothing better than snuggling in crisp white sheets. I would change daily if I could. Their is something more sensual than clean sheets.
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I love sleeping in clean bedding. It’s the best. However, I personally would never own anything white. I don’t wear white, have white towels or white bedding. Too easy for marks and stains and a pain to clean. I iron every Sunday afternoon and that’s hubby’s 5xshirts, 5xpants and sometimes ties. I refuse to buy kids clothes though that need ironing.
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White rocks…. bleach is a wonderful thing you can’t bleach tomato sauce stains out of colours~!
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I love this discussion! We sit on our couch for hours at a time. How often do we wash the couch?
Pillow cases should be done regularly to keep the germs away from your face I think. The rest when they are dirty. I probably do them about once a month. Just me in the bed!
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I think about the couch too. I used to vacuum it weekly, now alas far less often than it is needed.
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Well, knock yourselves out and read me the riot act, because I change my bedsheets maybe 4 times a YEAR, if that. (Quelle horreur!) And I’m not a penniless student but a working single mum in her forties. I’m not even going to defend myself. I’m out and I’m proud. I do actually like clean sheets and there’s nothing sweeter than bringing them in sun-warmed but they just don’t seem dirty enough to warrant more washing. I sleep on my own and there is absolutely nuthin’ interesting going on beneath those covers I can tell you. I wash my towels once a week so clearly I am not a clean-o-phobe. And I would bet my bottom dollar I am not alone. PS Don’t tell my mother. She’s a Scorpio. You know how they are about cleanliness!
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I change the sheets every couple of weeks. I wish it was more often, but I’m just damned lazy. Towels are at least once a week. The only time my husband changed his sheets before we lived together was when I would come to visit (about once a month, long distance relationship). I don’t remember ever seeing my brothers sheets on the line in all the years he’s been an adult, so for all I know the last time he washed them was in 2005… Some guys (and girls) can be so gross!
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Usually fortnightly, pillowcases sometimes more often. We have tank water though, so I don’t wash unless I really have to.
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Sheets….weekly
Pillowcases…..twice weekly
Towels……every 2nd day
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OMG
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I agree! Pillowcases and towels are changed twice a week, sheets once.
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Sheets once a fortnight although I wish I would do it weekly.
Towels MUST be done at least weekly! I hate going into people’s bathrooms when their towels stink.
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Yes, I agree, so many people have those stinky damp towels! Wash them people.
I LOVE clean sheets I do it fortnightly, but wish I had the time for weekly.
My ultimate would be daily, but who has time for that.
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Get a towel warmer, honestly it is the appliance I most value after the dishwasher. Towels are always dry!
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Every Friday no questions asked. All my linen is white. No colours.
Towels every 2nd day.All my towels are white. No colours.
Tea towel and dish cloth daily.I’m ok wih colours here.
(On a side note my soap and toilet paper has to be white. No colours.)
My husband dosent get it.
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Miss Martini you sound like you are very thoughtful with your washing so can I ask you some practical advice please? It seems to me to make sense to wash tea towels dish daily BUT how do you justify putting a load of washing on every day just for tea towels or do you dare mix tea towel dirtiness with normal clothes???
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Maybe she changes em daily but doesn’t wash them daily. They can sit dirty in the basket.
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I do this, but anyone who saw the state of my tea towels at the end of the day would unnderstand! The teenage kids use them like paper towels. Drives me nuts.
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If she’s like me, she changes the tea towels daily but just does one load of washing of tea towels and other towels per week. If tea towels are really grotty, damp and smelly, I leave the soaking in a small bucket of water till wash day.
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Ah so that is the answer Im looking for Cordeline! My tea towels also get to wipe up spilt food from 2 little boys and I hate the idea of washing them with clothes. SO good idea to leave them soaking till I build up a dirty tea towel wash
Thanks!
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I’m with your husband!
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I do mine about every 3 weeks because its just me in there. commenters must not be single people living in sharehousing. I have lived with numerous people who never washed their sheets. im talking one girl who never washed them the 9 months I lived with her and another who only washed them after 3 months when his mum came to visit. soo festy.
to people who dont wash them regularly (and im not even that regularly sheesh) they really start to smell. I can smell stinky sheets coming out of my housemate’s rooms.
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Eww that is so gross. So glad I bypassed the whole share house thing.
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I do the sheets about once a week, the pillowcases sometimes more often. The towels every 3 days or so.
I always leave the beds stripped down to the mattresses when we go away as it is a good chance to air the mattress.
I’m a bit surprised at how many people let their animals sleep on/in their beds – yuck, I reckon that’s pretty unhygenic, especially with dogs, even the cleanest dogs smell.
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Definitely once a week if not more (depending on what’s been going on
… Fresh clean sheets are just so good, and make for an excellent night’s sleep.
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Sheets dooms covers and pillowcases once a week. Protectors prob every month and towels for hubby and I twice a week. My two adultesvents ( I like that) they get done where they get put in the laundry. I laughed out loud about aunts face and arse comments. And the teenage boys clean arses;)
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I change them once a week, and air them every day (I just don’t make the bed, flipping the doona down).
Given we sleep naked and do other naked things in bed most nights, weekly sometimes doesn’t feel like enough. Are other people influenced by that?
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