00:00Sheets and pillowcases should be washed every week.
00:03You can go two weeks, but it really shouldn't go longer than that.
00:06Hi, I'm Carolyn Forte, Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Home Care and Cleaning Lab,
00:10where we test all types of cleaning appliances and products
00:13and share our best advice and home cleaning tips.
00:16Today I'm going to be answering some common questions about cleaning your bedding.
00:19This is Good to Know.
00:22So the first question about bedding is, should I be cleaning my mattress?
00:26And the answer is, it's a good idea,
00:28especially if you or someone in your family has allergies.
00:31Mattresses accumulate dead skin cells, dust mites, and all kinds of things.
00:35Certainly if there are visible stains, those need to be removed.
00:38If you've got a garment steamer or a household steamer,
00:41the best thing that you can do is go over the surface of the mattress,
00:44go into all the nooks and crannies, into the welts and the cording
00:47and mattress and box spring, if you have one.
00:50That will kill dust mites lurking near the surface,
00:52and then follow up with a good vacuuming,
00:54because you not only want to kill them, but you want to remove them.
00:56Afterwards, you can sprinkle on some baking soda, rub it in,
00:59let it sit for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, vacuum it out.
01:03That will help remove any odors that might be trapped in the mattress.
01:06And then finally, you can spray with a disinfecting spray
01:09or a fabric sanitizer, anything that's safe to use on fabrics
01:12to kill bacteria and give your mattress an overall fresher feel.
01:17Next, why are my pillows turning yellow, and how do I clean them?
01:21Pillows turn yellow from sweat and body oils,
01:24and it really is important to clean them,
01:26and many pillows today are machine washable.
01:28Regular, synthetic, fiber-filled, down-filled,
01:31or even some shredded foam pillows can go in the washing machine,
01:34but the solid foam pillows should not go in the washing machine.
01:37They are not safe to machine wash.
01:39One way to help keep your pillows from turning yellow
01:41is to put a liner underneath the pillowcase,
01:44so it helps protect the outside of the pillow,
01:46and it's much easier to remove the liner and wash that
01:49than it is to wash the pillow.
01:50Next question, how often should I be washing my bedding?
01:53Sheets and pillowcases should be washed every week.
01:56You can go two weeks, but it really shouldn't go longer than that.
01:59You're sweating, you've got body oils, makeup stains,
02:03so those are the first place where those kinds of soils get trapped.
02:06For your comforter, certainly it depends on if you eat in bed,
02:09if your pets share your bed with you, if you sit on the comforter,
02:12how dirty it is, then that will dictate that they need to be cleaned more often.
02:15Mattress topper is there to keep the mattress clean,
02:18so that will be a spot where that can collect sweat and body soils,
02:22so every two months, three months would be a good idea to take that off.
02:26Wash it in the washing machine and put it back on.
02:28It will help keep your mattress cleaner longer, too.
02:30What temperature should I wash my bedding?
02:32Warm or cold are best, depending on what the care label says,
02:35so always be sure to follow that.
02:37If you've got someone in the household who's sick or particularly allergic,
02:41you might want to up the temperature a little bit warmer
02:43to make sure that it gets super clean,
02:45but detergents work better in cold water today,
02:47so cold water will protect the fabrics and should give you good cleaning.
02:51Next question, what's the best washing machine settings to use for my bedding?
02:55Most sheets and pillowcases and flat bedding can be done on the normal
02:59or the colored cycles.
03:01Some require low or delicate, so always follow the care label,
03:04but comforters, mattress pads, anything that's filled and puffy,
03:08if your machine has a bulky bedding cycle,
03:10it's probably a good option to choose that.
03:12It puts an extra rinse in on some machines that do that
03:15or keeps it tumbling at a certain way so that fibers and the quilting
03:19and everything that's deep in those puffy and bulky bedding items will get clean.
03:23What's the best way to keep my sheets and bedding white or true to color?
03:28Cooler water temperatures will help protect some of the colors.
03:32If you do have stains or things you can't particularly remove,
03:35you can generally add a little oxygen bleach.
03:37That will help keep colors bright.
03:39It will help whiten whites and remove any dinginess or yellowing that can be in there.
03:43Some sheets and pillowcases may be safe for chlorine bleach,
03:47but it's always best to test those in a little hidden spot first to be sure.
03:50Finally, think about how you're drying them.
03:52Use the automatic cycle instead of the time.
03:55Don't just put them in there for an hour and let it go.
03:57The automatic cycles will monitor the moisture level in your sheets
04:01and your pillowcases and your bedding and end the cycle when it senses that they're dry.
04:06And what that helps do is it helps prevent over-drying,
04:09it helps keep fabric soft, and it helps keep colors true.
04:14Do hypoallergenic mattresses hold less bacteria?
04:17Hypoallergenic is not a term that's really regulated by the government,
04:21so every manufacturer takes liberties with what it means for their particular products.
04:26But hypoallergenic doesn't really have to do with bacteria.
04:29It has more to do with allergens, like dust mites or allergens to materials
04:33that can be used in the mattresses.
04:35So if you have a latex allergy or you are particularly allergic to dust and dust mites
04:40or certain fibers or fabrics, those are the types of things that you want to look for
04:44in a mattress that won't expose you to those kinds of things.
04:47Mattress manufacturers can call something hypoallergenic.
04:50You really need to know what they've done to make it hypoallergenic
04:53so it's not irritating to you.
04:56How do I wash delicate bedding materials like silk or linen?
04:59Silk and linen bedding is generally machine washable on the delicate cycle.
05:03Cool, maybe warm temperatures.
05:05You do put it in the dryer. Dry it until it's damp dry.
05:09Maybe about 10 minutes or so.
05:11Then take it out and let it finish air drying.
05:13It'll air dry quickly, but that way you don't risk over drying or damaging the fabrics or the fibers.
05:19Next question, can I put my comforter in the dryer or should I air dry it?
05:23Definitely put it in the dryer.
05:24First of all, air drying the comforter takes up a lot of room and takes a long time.
05:27So it's really annoying to do that.
05:29And in the dryer, what happens is that the filling,
05:31whether it's a synthetic or down filling, down feather filling, gets fluffed up.
05:36So the fluffier the filling, the warmer it's going to keep you.
05:38And that's what you want.
05:39You don't want filling or down that's clumped up, not fluffy, inside the comforter.
05:44So make sure that in the middle of the cycle, several times,
05:47you take it out, turn it around, fluff it up.
05:50Break up any clumps of down that you might feel through the outer fabric.
05:53Toss in a few dryer balls to keep it tumbling.
05:55Once it's completely dry, then you know you're going to get the best warmth from your comforter.
06:00How often should I be replacing my throw pillows?
06:02Throw pillows last forever, honestly.
06:04But the idea is that you can keep them clean.
06:06If you sit on the bed or pets are on the bed,
06:08you're going to want to make sure that fabrics and fibers do trap odors and stains.
06:12Maybe you can wash them. Toss them in the wash.
06:14If that's possible, check the label.
06:16If not, you can use a good garment steamer to help remove odors.
06:19Spot clean them when you can.
06:20If your throw pillows have removable covers, those generally are washable.
06:24So that's an easy way to freshen and remove dust and stains from them.
06:28You can toss them in the dryer on the air fluff cycle to help remove some of the dust
06:32or run a garment steamer over them to help release some of the odors.
06:35Also, throw blankets, especially if your pets are laying on the bed,
06:38can be generally thrown in the washing machine and tumble dried as well.
06:42Thanks for watching. Head to goodhousekeeping.com for more tips.
07:02♪♪♪
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