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Washing your bed linen and sheets should be on your to-do list every week, with most of us spending approximately 49 to 60+ hours sleeping in our beds in one week alone1. With that much time in our beds, our sheets become a haven for things we can’t see, and dirt and grime build up quickly.
The biggest mistakes people make when washing their bed sheets include overdosing with detergent, overloading their machine and not using the correct wash settings, but these mistakes are easily fixed and can take your laundry day to the next level.
Read on for our top 5 laundry hacks to level up your bed linen washing days.
Often, people will overload their machines by putting pillowcases, sheets, quilts and even towels all in one load at once. Overloading your machine can be damaging and doesn’t allow for a thorough wash as it leaves no room for the items to circulate. Take this bit by bit! Shake them! Before loading sheets into the washer and dryer, give them a good shake and don't overload them.
If you’re washing larger sets of sheets, it’s best to separate the top and bottom sheets to ensure there is enough room in your machine for a softening wash. We recommend using dryer balls to prevent your sheets from clumping and tangling together by tumbling between the layers and separating the fabric to avoid friction.
Using too much or too harsh detergent can cause damage and discolouration to your sheets, especially those with pastel colours or delicate fabrics. Ditch the detergent altogether and instead, opt for more natural wash solutions like 1 cup of bicarb soda for deep cleans and ½ cup of vinegar for the softener, and add a few drops of essential oils into the washing machine for a nice and calming smell to your sheets.
If you do want to stick to the detergents, keep in mind the newer detergents are extremely concentrated, so a ¼ cup (or half the lid of the detergent) is plenty. For heavier, bulkier loads, up to ½ cup is suitable, but any more may not be rinsed away and instead, be left behind sticky on your sheets.
As best practice, cold water is a perfect setting for washing your sheets, especially for more delicate fabrics including silk and linen as it won't shrink or damage your sheets. For a wash at cooler temperatures, Westinghouse’s PreMix+ blends detergent with water and pressure sprays it onto the load to reduce detergent residue, ensuring a thorough and more hygienic clean without the energy-need of hot water, especially when paired with the PlusHygiene feature.
With that in mind, every material has different requirements for washing so, it’s best to check the care label for each individual material to not discolour or shrink your fabrics.
The faster, the better. The faster the spin cycle speed used when washing sheets, the less drying time you will need as any excess water won’t be still absorbed in your sheets. This simple change makes a huge difference, especially for those that already know how long sheets can take to dry.
New dryer technology allows you to gently dry your sheets with high performance and energy efficiency, and it's quicker than air drying. For example, our EasyCare Heat Pump Dryer range features SensorDry to detect when your sheets are dry enough and so, ends the cycle so that you end up with undamaged laundry that hasn’t been overdried.
Washing your bed linen and sheets should be on your to-do list every week, with most of us spending approximately 49 to 60+ hours sleeping in our beds in one week alone1. With that much time in our beds, our sheets become a haven for things we can’t see, and dirt and grime build up quickly.
The biggest mistakes people make when washing their bed sheets include overdosing with detergent, overloading their machine and not using the correct wash settings, but these mistakes are easily fixed and can take your laundry day to the next level.
Read on for our top 5 laundry hacks to level up your bed linen washing days.
1. Don't overload the washing machine
Often, people will overload their machines by putting pillowcases, sheets, quilts and even towels all in one load at once. Overloading your machine can be damaging and doesn’t allow for a thorough wash as it leaves no room for the items to circulate. Take this bit by bit! Shake them! Before loading sheets into the washer and dryer, give them a good shake and don't overload them.
If you’re washing larger sets of sheets, it’s best to separate the top and bottom sheets to ensure there is enough room in your machine for a softening wash. We recommend using dryer balls to prevent your sheets from clumping and tangling together by tumbling between the layers and separating the fabric to avoid friction.
2. Ditch the generic detergents
Using too much or too harsh detergent can cause damage and discolouration to your sheets, especially those with pastel colours or delicate fabrics. Ditch the detergent altogether and instead, opt for more natural wash solutions like 1 cup of bicarb soda for deep cleans and ½ cup of vinegar for the softener, and add a few drops of essential oils into the washing machine for a nice and calming smell to your sheets.
If you do want to stick to the detergents, keep in mind the newer detergents are extremely concentrated, so a ¼ cup (or half the lid of the detergent) is plenty. For heavier, bulkier loads, up to ½ cup is suitable, but any more may not be rinsed away and instead, be left behind sticky on your sheets.
3. Make sure you cold wash
As best practice, cold water is a perfect setting for washing your sheets, especially for more delicate fabrics including silk and linen as it won't shrink or damage your sheets. For a wash at cooler temperatures, Westinghouse’s PreMix+ blends detergent with water and pressure sprays it onto the load to reduce detergent residue, ensuring a thorough and more hygienic clean without the energy-need of hot water, especially when paired with the PlusHygiene feature.
With that in mind, every material has different requirements for washing so, it’s best to check the care label for each individual material to not discolour or shrink your fabrics.
4. Use the fastest cycle on your washing machine
The faster, the better. The faster the spin cycle speed used when washing sheets, the less drying time you will need as any excess water won’t be still absorbed in your sheets. This simple change makes a huge difference, especially for those that already know how long sheets can take to dry.
5. Time-efficient drying
New dryer technology allows you to gently dry your sheets with high performance and energy efficiency, and it's quicker than air drying. For example, our EasyCare Heat Pump Dryer range features SensorDry to detect when your sheets are dry enough and so, ends the cycle so that you end up with undamaged laundry that hasn’t been overdried.
1https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedding-information/how-often-should-you-wash-your-sheets
