It is dirty world out there, and the challenge of fighting the encroachment of odor and dirt into the home is one of the fundamental aspects of modern home keeping. Sometimes, it can feel like there is a veritable deluge of tasks that have to be completed – and in time – before something starts to smell. One of the best ways to deal with this is to invest in products or try techniques that keep things fresher for longer (meaning less regular work). For example, you might invest in a top-quality shoe deodorizer such as Shoe Fresh, which can keep regularly worn shoes fresh for three months. It certainly beats the constant washing, airing, and drying that are necessary without one.
Another household chore that can be a constant pain is keeping bedsheets fresh. This can involve three separate loads of washing and going without sheets for a night or two unless the process is carefully planned. Thankfully, there is a way to keep your bedsheets fresh enough to avoid the necessity of regular washing. However, because we use our sheets so often (by sleeping in them every night), this requires a routine to extend the life, as it were, of your fresh-smelling sheets. Moreover, bedding material that typically needs to be cleaned involves not only sheets, but pillowcases and mattress pads as well, which each need a different method of cleaning.
Here then follows then a handful of tips for keeping your bed sheets fresher for longer and making the work of cleaning them less inconvenient at the same time.
Work Out How Often You Need to Wash Your Sheets – And Make a Schedule
This tip actually doesn’t involve any advice that will keep your sheets fresher but developing a proper cleaning routine can drastically reduce the work involved in doing so. If you approach this chore in a haphazard fashion, it’s likely that you will find yourself without sheets for the odd night, and your sheets could get into quite a state before the time to clean comes around.
As a rule of thumb, therefore, you should clean your sheets every two weeks. However, there are certain factors that can necessitate more frequent cleaning. For example, if you are a heavy sweater or if you typically sleep for longer than is average (lucky you) then your sheets will naturally get dirtier faster. If you sleep with a partner, this effectively doubles the time it takes for them to start to smell.
But when you have finally worked out how frequently you have to wash, then you can easily plan ahead to make sure you have spare sheets when you are washing and the time set aside to do it properly.
Make Use of a Pre-Wash Stain Remover and a Fabric Softener
Now, this tip will actually extend the fresh-smelling life of your sheets. Using a pre-wash stain remover has the effect of ensuring that the sheets are actually fully cleaned, and a fabric softener imparts a light fragrance to the sheets, which will keep them smelling fresh for longer.
Avoid Going to Bed in Make-up and Clothes
If you are the type of person that has the odd night where exhaustion takes over and you fall into bed without proper nightwear and your make-up still on, then this can mark and stain your sheets, meaning your schedule can be disrupted and you will have to clean sooner.
In so many areas of life, having a routine and a plan can reduce stress and make completing everyday tasks easier – this applies just as much to laundry as anything else.