If you are wondering whether or not you should change your pillowcase, keep reading. Will talk about when the best time to do it. You’ll want your bed to be as fresh and comfortable as possible.
Yes, washing your bedsheets on a regular basis is always a good idea. But how often do we need to change things up? Are there any signs that will let us know when it’s a good time to switch up the cotton pillowcases?
If you are looking for answers to all these questions, stick around. With that said, let’s dive right in and get started.
How often should you change your pillowcases?
The answer is once a week. That’s because you’ll want to wash them to get rid of all the allergens and microbes that may be hanging around. You’ll want to wash them on the hottest setting so you can kill them as fast as you can.
Another thing you need to remember is whether or not you go to bed with makeup on or drool in your sleep among other things. That can really up the frequency of changing them up. You’ll want to wash your face or shower every night before you go to bed.
You could be sweating while you sleep or deal with skin allergies due to what’s hanging on your pillowcase. If you want to keep your pillowcase on for longer periods, it would be a good idea to keep yourself clean before you sleep.
What exactly is on your pillowcase?
The answer may surprise you. Did you know that we shed around 30000 to 40000 skin cells every day? Of the 24 hours in a single day, we sleep anywhere from 7 to 8 hours.
When we sleep, we shed much of these skin cells and they end up on our pillows and sheets. Let’s not forget that there could be other allergens that are clinging to your skin as well such as pollen. It can fall off and end up on your bed.
You could also drool in your sleep or also leave oil, sweat, or any other bodily fluids behind. These can help create a breeding ground for many microorganisms including fungus or bacteria. When this happens, you may be dealing with infections or even skin irritation.
So there’s a good chance that your bedsheets could get contaminated on a regular basis. Some of the skin infections that exist can spread from person to person via bedsheets. This buildup may just scare you a bit (and if so, we hear you loud and clear).
This is just one more good reason why you’ll want to clean your bedsheets (including your pillowcases) once a week or more if needed.
What about dust mites?
Dust mites are too small so you’ll need a microscope. Indeed, they live inside dust flying around your household. Their favorite food is dead skin cells.
Their best environment is where humidity and heat come together. What better place than someone’s bed sheets? This may not be good for you assuming you have some kind of skin allergy.
You can add a protective layer to your sheets that will keep the dust mites out. It’s optional but worth it if you are someone with sensitive skin. Otherwise, they won’t be much of a problem.
Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t just forego the task of washing your sheets and pillowcases. That should be done once a week no matter what.
Washing the pillows themselves
Switching gears for a moment, let’s talk about the pillows themselves. When is a good time to wash them? According to the National Sleep Foundation, you’ll want to get that done once every six months.
All you need is hot water and a mild detergent. While most pillows can be washed, it’s important to check the tag to make sure what the proper care instructions are. Most of the time, they will be done on a gentle cycle.
However, swapping them for fresh pillows will need to be done once every one to two years. It can be a pain to buy pillows every year. But you can keep them longer and in good shape by taking the best care of them regularly (while minimizing the damage on your end by keeping yourself clean).
Final Thoughts
If you are wondering how often you should change your pillowcases, we hope the answer we gave you was the best one. It may be more than usual depending on certain skin conditions you may have. It is possible to extend the lifespan of your pillowcases and pillows themselves.
Taking the best care of them will be your best option at this point. Furthermore, you’ll want to keep yourself clean to minimize the number of allergens and microbes that could be building up.
