How Often Should You Really Wash Your Sheets in the Summer? Laundry Pros Weigh In

Just like your clothes, your bedding comes into contact with tons of stuff on a daily basis, which is why most laundry pros advise washing your bedding regularly once a week. Scott Schrader, cleaning expert at CottageCare, explains how sheets can become a hotbed for bacteria and allergens fairly quickly in the summer because sweat, body oils, dust mites, and skin cells accumulate quickly from excessive heat and humidity.

Below, laundry pros reveal how many times you should really be washing your bedding in the summer, so it consistently stays fresher.

How Often to Wash Sheets in the Summer

The biggest factors in determining how often you should wash your sheets in the summer season are how well-ventilated your bedroom is and whether you shower before bedtime, according to Elizabeth Shields, operations manager of Super Cleaning Service Louisville.

“If you’ve got air conditioning, that already gives you a bit of a pass because when the space is cool and breezy, your body doesn’t sweat as much, so your sheets stay cleaner for longer,” Shields says.

If your home is climate-controlled, she feels you can likely keep to a once-a-week wash schedule. If you shower before bed, you can stretch it a bit longer.

Sofia Martinez, cleaning expert and CEO of Sparkly Maid Austin, agrees that once a week (at minimum) suffices if you have air conditioning on in the warmer months, but recommends washing more often if you sleep hot, have night sweats, live in an especially humid region, have allergies, or let pets in bed.

“If your sheets feel damp or sticky in the morning, that’s a good sign that they need more frequent laundering,” Martinez says.

In these cases, she recommends washing the sheets every four to five days.

And Schrader concurs that you should launder sheets at least every week but recommends twice a week if you’re a hot sleeper or live in a humid area. Of course, you can avoid running the laundry that frequently if you keep an extra set of clean sheets on hand to change the bedding mid-week.

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How to Wash Sheets

1. Separate the sheets from towels and bulkier items. Sheets need extra space to tumble freely in the washer, according to Martinez.
2. Wash on warm and the delicate cycle. Warm water is well suited to neutralize body oils (and won’t shrink fibers, to boot), Martinez says. And, if possible, add an extra rinse cycle to get rid of any detergent residue.
3. Use a fragrance-free or skin-sensitive detergent. Scented detergents can irritate the skin during excessive heat and sweating, says Schrader.
4. Avoid using fabric softener. Fabric softeners can leave a residue that traps heat and sweat in the sheets’ fibers, according to Schrader.
5. Hang the sheets to let them air dry. For the best results, all the experts agree on air drying the sheets. But if this isn’t an option, always machine-dry on the low-heat setting.

Additional Tips for Washing Sheets

• Spot-clean any visible sweat stains before washing the sheets. “My go-to hack is to add hydrogen peroxide and a drop of Dawn on the spot, then sprinkle on baking soda,” Shields says. Rub stains with a finger or scrub with an old toothbrush. Then let it sit for 20 minutes before rinsing out with warm water.
• Avoid overloading the machine you wash the bedding in, as sheets need room to agitate and rinse properly.
• Try using a half cup of distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser during the rinse cycle. It can help remove any lingering smells without leaving a scent.
• When the wash is complete, immediately remove the sheets and shake them out to help reduce creases, Shields says.
• Make sure to also wash your mattress protector (once a month in the summer) since it absorbs what passes through the sheets, Martinez says.
• Hang your sheets to dry outside. “Ultraviolet light from the sun naturally disinfects, and nothing beats the cleanliness and fresh smell of air-dried sheets,” Schrader says.