Linen has a natural pH balance and is bacteria-resistant, making it a great bedding fabric for those who have allergies or skin issues. Linen is also heavier than cotton, contributing significantly to its durability.
Cotton is the easiest to care for can be washed in hot water and placed in a dryer on the regular cycle. For a more delicate fiber like linen, stick to washing in warm water and drying with medium heat.
Your bed may host bacteria
Our beds can play a host to a vast variety of bacterial species. For example, research looking at hospital bed linens found that Staphylococcus bacteria were common.
Cotton is the most common fabric used for sheets. Generally speaking, cotton has excellent breathability and moisture-wicking abilities. Additionally, cotton sheets are typically durable and easy to maintain. There is a range of both cotton types and fabric weaves, each with their own properties.
Antimicrobial bedsheets are manufactured with a built-in antimicrobial solution that is seamlessly integrated into the fabric. This treatment can be applied across an array of bedding and other home textiles to provide an inherent layer of product protection against the inevitable bacteria growth from daily use.
From ringworms to onychomycosis (skin lesions, crumbling toenails) and even pneumonia, your family and guests can contract many fungal and bacterial infections from sleeping on unwashed sheets. These infections can lead to rashes and severe itching and even leave scars.
Sanitizing towels and bed sheets
To wash bleach-safe bed sheets and towels, machine wash in the hottest water recommended using a good detergent and ⅔ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach in a traditional deep-fill washer, or ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach in a high efficiency clothes washer.
Cleaning Instructions for Hospital Linens
Soiled or infected linens should be washed at a temperature of 65 degrees for at least 10 minutes, or 71 degrees for a minimum of 3 minutes. Hypochlorite may be used to disinfect linens, if they can withstand it.
Poosh is Kourtney's health and wellness lifestyle brand that helps followers curate a modern, wellness-focused lifestyle. In a YouTube video, Kourtney, 43, chose the Terracotta bedding set and seemed impressed that Bed Threads is a 100 per cent carbon-neutral and plastic-free brand.
Most hotel bed sheets are high-quality cotton, though you'll occasionally find hotel bed sheets made from linen. Look for durable and soft cotton, like Egyptian and Supima, and keep up with cleaning your sheets and bed so your bedroom feels like a luxury hotel.
Buying organic cotton not only reduces the number of toxins you breathe and expose your skin to, but can lessen the amount of pesticide chemicals released into the water supply when washing your clothes. Other good fabric alternatives to look for are silk, flax, wool, and tencel (made from sustainable wood pulp).
Typically, polyester sheets can be warmer and more moisture-trapping than cotton sheets. If you prefer a cool night's sleep over a warm night's sleep, it is likely that cotton sheets are better for you. However, you can also consider getting polyester bed sheets but supplementing them with a PolyCool mattress topper.
Bedding made of viscose from bamboo is extremely soft and silky, much more so than traditional cotton. It is also more breathable, which means it won't trap excess heat under the covers with you; you'll stay cool and comfortable no matter the season.
Hotels use powerful cleaning agents to remove stains from linens so often times they are able to get these lighter stains out without issue.
One of the most well-known secrets of the hotel industry in keeping their sheets enviably is peroxide-based detergents. Bleach is also added to the mix. While these chemicals are truly effective in preventing white linens from greying or turning yellow, they do require some level of expertise.
You should probably change your bedsheets once a week. Think about it: You spend hours in bed every night, and your sheets collect skin flakes and an assortment of bodily fluids and oils. Then there's stuff like dust, dust mites, and (if you have a cat or dog) pet hair.
Bleach – Add ½ cup once the wash cycle has started. You should use color-safe bleach for any dyed fabrics, and chlorine bleach for white bedding. Hydrogen peroxide – Unlike chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide is safe for most fabrics and dyes.
One way is by using an antibacterial spray, which is great at killing germs and harmful bacteria. The spray is best used when it is sprayed lightly across the mattress surface. Dip a rag in warm water and wring it out to wipe down the sprayed surfaces.
Cleaning your mattress and other non-washable fabrics
Our Lysol® Disinfectant Spray kills 99.9% of the germs that are hanging around on your homes' soft furnishings. Its unique cap completely covers large areas without over wetting, making it great for soft surfaces such as your decorative cushions, mattress, sofa etc.
But still, the slight majority, 54%, do not wash their sheets often enough — only a few times per month or less. Of the 523 people surveyed, about 30% said that they wash their bed sheets a few times per month; and 22% said they wash them once a month or less.
Most people should wash their sheets once per week. If you don't sleep on your mattress every day, you may be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so.
You should swap out your dirty towels for clean ones about every three days, but that doesn't mean you need to wash them immediately.
Lotus Microfiber is the most antimicrobial fabric – but also antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal- in the world. It's antimicrobial efficiency is more than 99.5 %.
White Vinegar
To use vinegar to disinfect your laundry, try adding 1 cup to the rinse cycle. Not only can it kill germs and bacteria, but it's also a great natural deodorizer. White vinegar can be used on colors and whites, keeping clothes bright, and works as an effective fabric softener, too.