How often bedding actually needs washing

Sheets, covers, protectors and the layer on top all have different answers, and washing everything on the same day wears out the pieces that did not need it.

Sheets and pillowcases, every week or two

These are the layers against skin, so they collect the most and they are built to be washed. Every week if someone sleeps hot or the bed takes a pet. Every two weeks otherwise. Pillowcases are worth swapping more often than the sheets, because they sit against a face for eight hours.

Duvet covers, every two to four weeks

A cover only touches you through a sheet, so it can go longer. Wash it when the sheets have been through twice. Take the insert out first, and do up the closure before it goes in, or the cover will come out with a sock inside it.

Protectors, every couple of months

A mattress protector is doing its job invisibly, which is why it gets forgotten. Every two months is enough unless something has happened, and then immediately. Check the label for the temperature, because the waterproof layer is the part that does not like heat.

The layer on top, twice a year

Quilts, blankets and comforters sit above the sheet and rarely touch skin. Twice a year, or at the change of season, is plenty. Washing them more often than that is the fastest way to flatten a fill that would otherwise have lasted a decade.