Bedding through the year

Short answer: Change your bedding every second week, wash at forty degrees without fabric softener and keep two sets per bed. The pillowcase can be changed every week. Use a lighter set in summer and a fuller one in winter, so the bed feels right all year round.

The rhythm of daily life

Every second week on a fixed weekday is a rhythm that is easy to keep. Choose Sunday, for example, and it becomes a habit rather than a task you have to remember. The bed is used every night, and the fabric absorbs moisture, oil and skin cells, so a fixed change keeps it fresh without becoming a burden.

Change the pillowcase more often

The pillowcase can happily be changed every week, because your face rests directly on it. This is where most oil and moisture ends up, and you notice it on the pillow first. With a spare pillowcase in the cupboard, changing takes under a minute, and the rest of the bedding can wait until the next normal change. See bamboo pillowcases.

Forty degrees is enough

Forty degrees is enough for a normal wash of bedding. Sixty is only worth using with a concrete reason, such as illness in the house. Otherwise the high heat wears fibres and seams unnecessarily. Choose a normal programme, fill the machine properly and give the bedding room to move in the drum. See bamboo bedding.

Skip the fabric softener

Wash bedding without fabric softener. Softener leaves a thin film on the fabric, and that film makes it absorb moisture less well. That is exactly the quality you want to keep in a set you lie in for eight hours a night. If the bedding has gone stiff, simply washing it again with a correct dose of plain detergent often helps.

Two sets per bed

Keep at least two sets per bed. Then you can take the used one off in the morning and put the clean one on without waiting for it to dry. If you want to avoid urgent washing entirely, three sets are even better, because a clean one is then always ready. For more sheets in rotation, see bamboo sheets.

The summer set

In summer a lighter set is pleasant. On warm nights the difference is felt quickly, because a thinner set does not hold heat in the same way. Put it out when the first warm evenings arrive and leave the rest in the cupboard. You need not change everything at once. Start with what lies closest to the body and see how you sleep.

The winter set

When the dark and cold arrive, switch to a fuller set. A set with a little more weight and body feels safer on a cold evening, and you do not have to pull out extra blankets. Wash the summer set before putting it away, so no moisture or smell sits in the cupboard when you take it out again next spring.

The change takes five minutes

The seasonal change takes about five minutes, and it is time well spent. Take the old set off, put the new one on and set a reminder in the calendar twice a year. Many wait until they freeze or sweat, but it is easier to change a little early than too late. A set that fits the season gives a calmer night.

Store the clean set dry

Store clean sets dry and airy in the cupboard. Damp bedding that is folded away can pick up a cupboard smell that does not disappear at the next use. Make sure the bedding is completely dry when you fold it, and place the whole set in its own pillowcase, so you can find it quickly on a tired morning.

Frequently asked questions

How many sets should you have per bed

Two at a minimum, so you can always change without waiting for drying. Three is better if you want to avoid urgent washing and keep a spare set for accidents.