Bed sheets should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric, using a sheets cycle or the cycle recommended in your washer's use and care guide. If there isn't a cycle specified, a normal or regular cycle will usually suffice for cotton, polyester or linen sheets.
Unless they're unusually dirty, you can place most sheets right into your washing machine on a normal (or regular) cycle in cool or warm water. This setting can help you avoid excessive wrinkling. But it's not always that simple. If you still have questions, don't worry, you're not alone!
Although lower temperature washing is favoured for environmental reasons, for bedding it's best to stick to 60°C, this will help kill dust mites and bacteria. It's hard enough to keep bacteria and germs at bay, but if you eat in bed, there's a chance you're making it an even bigger breeding ground.
There's a lot of debate around the best temperature to wash your bedding, but as a general rule of thumb, we'd always recommend adhering to the care labels and following the instructions. Most fabrics can be washed at a warm temperature of 40° as this helps to remove dirt, natural body oils and takes care of germs.
So, is it safe to wash bedding at 60 even if the label says 40? Many people disregard the care label and wash their bedding at 60 Celsius without anything bad happening. If your bedding isn't particularly expensive and you really need to wash it at 60 degrees, it's usually fine to do so.
When washing bedding you want to wash at 60 degrees on a long wash ie 2 hours plus to make sure that any sweat, dander, dust or other nasties are killed and then removed. Wash all bedding on a full cycle 60-degree wash. Colder temperatures may not kill all the bacteria or remove sweat as effectively.
Experts at Dr Beckmann advise regular washing of clothes at 60 degrees to help eliminate the spread of bacteria & viruses. As the UK continues to self-isolate due to COVID-19, the cleaning experts say household linen, towels and underwear should all be washed at a temperature of 60°C to reduce the spread of germs.
What spin speed to use for bed sheets? Spin speed is also important when considering how to wash bed sheets. Aim for around 1000-1200rpm (800rpm or less for silk). Anything faster can cause excessive creasing, knotting and even potential damage to your sheets.
Washing sheets is a balance between making sure they're actually clean and ensuring they last as long as possible. To get your bedsheets really clean, it's best to use hot water, over 130 degrees Fahrenheit to get rid of dust mites and over 140 degrees to help kill viruses and bacteria.
A setting of 30°C is usually recommended for washing delicate clothes when combined with a delicate cycle, and not on quick wash. This means low temperatures can be used with items like wool and silk when set to a delicate or hand wash cycle.
Towels and sheets, along with any clothes that an ill person has been wearing, should be washed at a fairly warm temperature to kill bacteria and potential mould. A good temperature for washing towels and sheets is 40 degrees, but a 60 degreewash will be better at killing germs.
As a general rule, you can wash at 40 degrees unless: You need to kill bacteria/viruses. The clothes are heavily soiled with oil or dirt. You are washing towels, bed linen or underwear.
Washing at 60°C will not shrink every type of clothing, but may shrink items made of natural fibres such as cotton and wool.
30 for nearly everything here, occasional 40 if very muddy, 60 once in a blue moon. 60 for all bedding and towels! 60 for dust mites.
Separating linens into separate loads based on their material type (sheets vs towels) will not only give your linen a better clean, it will also help prevent unnecessary wear-and-tear on your linens and your washer – all while extending the life of your linens significantly! Don't Wash Sheets and Towels Together!
For perfect washing in a washing machine, it is important to know that white cotton can be washed at up to 95°C, while the temperature for coloured cotton should be no higher than 60°C, with a short rinsing period and the minimum possible spin cycle.
Washing With Hot Water
Cotton sheets like this 500TC 100% Cotton Sheet, can be washed on thehottest water temperature setting available. Usually, that is washing it at 90 degrees. This helps kill the germs and bacteria that thrive in your bedding.
Choose the right temperature: Always check your sheet's care label for specific instructions—but usually, you'll machine wash in cold water on a gentle cycle. Always avoid hot temperatures, which can contribute to wrinkles and shrinkage, weaken fibers, and fade colors.
The quick-wash shouldn't be used to clean the following:
So, if you have an outfit you want to wear on a date, go ahead and use the quick wash, but for items like towels and linens, it's best you use a different option.
You should never use the fast setting on some loads of washing. If you have a particularly heavy load of washing to do, like towels or bedding, you should never put it on the quick was setting. Towels get very heavy when wet, so the short 28-minute cycle doesn't separate the fabric enough to clean them properly.
A 90-degree cycle should really only be used for items that are very soiled or extremely dirty. Bedding and sheets should ideally run on a 60-degree wash, as should towels and even underwear and baby clothes.
Does washing at 30 degrees kill bacteria? A 30ºC wash isn't hot enough to rid clothes of germs. According to the NHS, a minimum temperature of 60°C is required for preventing the spread of germs (and it should be paired with a bleach-based product for maximum effectiveness).
According to Speed Queen, anything below (60°F) can prevent your detergent from providing a proper clean. Cold water is the preferred choice to prevent color bleed. Also, choosing cold water can make your clothes last longer by reducing wrinkling, reducing fading and preventing shrinking – all while saving energy!
Heavily soiled items such as bed linen, towels or other garments will need to be washed at warm to high temperatures for the most effective results. According to the NHS you should wash household linen, towels and underwear at a temperature of 60°C to prevent any germs spreading.
For many of us, though, it's hard to remember what 60 degrees feels like. It's not too cold and it's not too hot - you don't need to bundle up in a parka but you can't strip down to tank tops and shorts either. You may be wondering, Is 60 degrees is warm or cold? In many places, 60 degrees is mid-temperature.