We have a confession to make.

Linens have always been most used when it comes to handling day to day and domestic needs and cleaners know the pain of cleaning old stains. Back in the days’ people only used these fabrics to make clothes then came blankets, towels, and all the rest of post-industrial products we can’t go without today. Each and all products, made out of linens,  need to be taken care of if you want it to last in the long-term.

That’s why CleanerConfessions.com and the experts at IFLreview.com teamed up to help you learn more about household linens and their maintenance throughout time.

Here are the most common types linens we use at home and how often each should be washed:

Linen used for Bedding

How often to wash bed sheets?

Most commonly, standard bed sheets are rectangular but shapes can indeed vary a lot. Bed sheets are often placed below or on top of other bedding. There are two types: bottom and top sheets.

The bottom sheet is placed on top the mattress as a light cover and under the rest of bed coverings. It should be washed at least once a month along with clothes since it is pretty small and light.

The top sheet is placed over your mattress and other bed occupants. It is often very large which can cover the whole bed from top to bottom. You should wash it once a month but do it separately from other clothes since It is bigger than the bottom sheet and it might be too much for your washing machine to handle.

How often to wash?
Wash at least once per month.

* Note: If you’re an RV enthusiast, you should bear in mind that mattresses for RV’s require more care than those at home.

How often to wash bed skirts and valances?

A bed skirt is a piece of fabric usually placed between the mattress and the frame to serve as decoration. It doesn’t require too much cleaning since your body hardly ever has any direct contact with it. Clean it at least once every 4 months and it’s considered to be ok since it does not build much grease nor dirt. Besides dust it would be tiring to take the mattress and all other stuff to get the bed skirt out.

How often to wash?
At least once every 4 months.

How often to wash bedspreads?

Also, know as a  bed cover. And from the name of it, I’m sure that you can tell what this linen can do. It is simply a large piece that is placed over the rest of bedding with its sides almost reaching the floor to cover bedding from dirt and dust during the day. Nowadays, people often use duvet cover as a bedspread. It is pretty big to wash but you still need to do it once every here and there since dust and stains built of dead skin could be a good environment for mites.

* Note: According to Thomas Ryan, a professional salesman of baby cribs at www.PrincesBabyCrib.com, washing toddler bedding a least once every 2 weeks is mandatory until the baby gets at least 6 months old. A baby crib takes more care than beds for grownups.

How often to wash?
Clean it once after every 3 months is fine.

How often to wash blankets?

A piece of linens that comes in various sizes, but many still refer to it as to a small, thin, and light piece of rectangular linen. You don’t have to wait for spring cleaning time to come. It is not suitable for cold areas where a comforter or duvet would often be more favoured since it does a good job at comforting for children. It can be washed with your clothes anytime you want to.

How often to wash?
If used on a regular basis – once per month.

How often to wash a pillowcase?

It is designed with a box shape to contain the pillow fill inside. The linen needs to be properly washed on a regular basis. This means at least once or twice a month. Dandruff and dirt can cause serious problems to your pillow –  they can penetrate the case and host many various types of mold.

Pieces made of linen meant for dining

How often to wash aprons?

Now we’re all familiar with this piece. Every housewife uses at least one while cooking or doing other chores in the kitchen. It helps keep dirty oil and food stains off your clothes. However, you have to clean it after each and every time you use it since oil stains can end up as permanent if you leave them long enough.

How often to wash?
Always after intense use.

How often to wash a dishcloth?

We use it to along with sponges to manually wash dishes and silverware. This piece of linen doesn’t require any specific type of washing. You only need to properly dry it off once you’re done washing the dishes.

How often to wash?
You can do it daily.

How often to wash dishtowels

These are used for drying wet dishes or wipe your wet hand during meal preparation or cooking itself. Dishtowels are supposed to mostly accumulate damp and moisture and it does not make sense to wash it too often. Yet it would be a clever idea to do it once every here and there. If you’re clever enough to have a white dishtowel you will easily see when it’s time to wash the linen.

How often to wash?
Once per week.

How often to wash napkins?

Napkins are used to cover your frontal while eating to avoid getting stain or dirt on your clothes. Only wash it when you need to use the linen for formal dinners.

How often to wash?
After usage.

How often to wash your placemat?

These linens are often used for formal and luxury dining as a piece of cloth which is placed under your dinnerware. It ensures that food won’t cause any extra stains for you to wash. You could use it over a long period of time, but depending on how messy you are, you shouldn’t leave it to gather too many stains.

How often to wash it?
When stains build up.

Other pieces using linen:

How often to wash a tablecloth?

It is meant as decoration and protection for your table. Those that are used for protecting the table from scratches and stains often has a simple colouring on it.  Ornamental tablecloths often have colourful blending and patterns too. You should wash it at least once per month.

How often to wash?
Once per month.

How often to wash towels?

One of the most used linens in the world. Obviously, most useful after a bath, or washing your hands, but truth is towels are often used as rags and could get quite dirty. You should wash your towel along with your cloth right after your bath to make sure that they’re cleaned and ready for next uses.

How often to wash?
Every two weeks.

How often to wash a handkerchief?

Most of us carry at least one in your pocket. It has many and various uses. You can use it to clean off the dirt that accidentally got on your cloth during your daily activities, or it can be used as a bandage if you accidentally wounded yourself. Pretty effective, right? But remember to wash it once every 2 or 3 days  since you will need them to be clean and fragrant on a daily basis

How often to wash?
Once every 2 or 3 days.

How often to wash curtains?

Used to block sunlight, wind, and keep strangers out of sight. Curtains have been used for a very long time. Surely one of the must-have household interior improvers. You need to clean your curtains frequently with a vacuum just to get the dust off. You don’t have to wash the entire curtain if you didn’t cause stains on it since it is going to take some effort taking it down and hanging it back up again.

How often to wash?
Once every 3 months.

Bottom Line:

You might not notice but there are many types of linen that we use during our daily activities. These types of linen are all very effective but they also need to be taken care of. So remember to wash yours and follow our instructions.