Clean bedding is one of the conditions for a healthy sleep. And even if a person thoroughly bathes before bedtime, in the morning his bed will no longer be sterile clean. Dead skin cells accumulate on linen - food for bed mites, sweat, dust particles and much more. Proper washing of bed linen allows you to ensure hygiene - and at the same time does not lead to quick wear of the fabric.
How often to wash bedding
Sanitary regulations for children and medical institutions recommend changing bedding as it becomes soiled, but at least once a week. The same periodicity can be maintained at home - for a week, linen loses its freshness, but still does not have time to grease, and as a result is easily washed.
In winter, when a person sweats less, and pajamas and warm nightgowns are used for sleeping, bed linen can be changed once every two weeks. By the way, in many European countries it is customary to change the linen every 10-14 days, but there the air is firstly aired, and secondly, the air temperature in the bedroom is often lower than usual for Russians.
Pillowcases that come in contact not only with the skin, but also with the hair (especially if the hair is oily), usually get dirty faster - especially since in this case the remnants of night creams, makeup, etc. can accumulate on the fabric. In this case, the tissue is in contact with the skin all night. Therefore, it is better to change pillowcases more often - once every 2-3 days.
Beds of feverish patients are best washed after one day of use. If this is not possible, you need to at least put a clean pillowcase on the pillow every day.
Preparing laundry for washing
Bed linen are not recommended to be washed with clothes, handkerchiefs or kitchen towels. Before sending linen to the washing machine, it is sorted:
- by type of fabric (the washing mode for different sets may be different);
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according to the degree of staining of the fabric (white and light should be washed separately from color, even if these are items from the same set);
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according to the degree of contamination (only sheets slightly soaked with sweat do not need to be washed intensively, this will lead to premature wear of the fabric).
Duvet covers, pillowcases or mattress covers are usually turned inside out before washing - this will get rid of dirt accumulating in the corners.
If there are stains (for example, blood) on sheets of colored delicate fabrics, they must be treated with a stain remover before washing. Contaminated cotton or linen sheets do not require such treatment - it will be enough to adjust the washing mode.
How to calculate the weight of laundry
The washing machine has loading restrictions - they are calculated by the weight of dry laundry. Moreover, if we are talking about washing sheets and duvet covers - we must keep in mind that these are quite voluminous products. And so that they stretch well, it is better not to load the machine completely: the weight of dry laundry should be about one and a half times less than the maximum load.
Estimated weight of bed linen:
- one and a half bed duvet cover - 500-700 grams,
- pillowcase - 200 grams,
- the sheet is 350-500 grams.
What and at what temperature do bed linen
Before automatic washing machines became widespread, linen was usually washed in very hot water, and often boiled to bleach and additionally disinfect. Now there is no need for such a "harsh" wash - modern technology in combination with modern detergents allows you to wash clothes at lower temperatures, which ensures better safety of the fabric.
The optimal temperature for washing light linen and linen made of thick cotton fabrics can be considered 60 degrees - this temperature is sufficient for disinfection, and the washing efficiency is quite high. If you wish, you can wash such fabrics at higher temperatures - the laundry is better disinfected, but the laundry will wear out faster. For washing such products, you can use a powder for white linen or universal powder. In order to wash heavily soiled laundry (including sheets with stains), you can use powder bleaches or detergent enhancers, as well as liquid bleaches for washing machines.
Colored bedding and delicate linen are washed at 30-50 degrees. For colored linen, products for colored fabrics are used (marked with Color on the packaging). You can use liquid shampoos for washing - they are designed for use at low temperatures, and wash clothes well enough. Heavily soiled laundry is presoaked or pre-washed. It is advisable to iron clothes that are washed at low temperatures before use - even if you are not a fan of ironing sheets.
To wash baby bedding, use detergents for washing children's things. Usually baby clothes are made from natural fabrics, which allows you to wash it at fairly high temperatures.
The exact recommendations for washing bedding are contained on the product labels or package packaging - it indicates the recommended washing temperature, drying mode, the possibility or impossibility of using bleaches, and so on. If we are talking about an expensive set of delicate fabrics or colored linen with voluminous patterns - it is better to familiarize yourself with the recommendations and follow them.
How to wash bedding in a washing machine: modes for different types of fabric
Most modern washing machines allow you to set additional functions, adjust the degree of extraction, etc., which allows you to choose the optimal washing mode for bedding, depending on the characteristics of the fabric.
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Flax - 60-95оС, soaking or preliminary washing is possible, strong extraction;
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Light calico, percale, ranfors - 60-95оС, soaking or preliminary washing is possible, any mode;
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Sateen, poplin - 40-60 ° C, soaking or prewash is possible, any mode;
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Colored chintz - 40 ° C, without the use of bleach, medium-intensity extraction;
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Batiste, bamboo - 30-40оС, delicate regime without spin or with low spin;
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Polyester or cotton with the addition of polyester - 40 ° C, delicate or synthetic mode, soaking, double rinsing is possible;
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Silk - 30 ° C, delicate washing mode (silk mode), special mild detergents and conditioner, low spin or no spin. Attention! Be sure to familiarize yourself with the label: for some silk products only dry cleaning is indicated.
