Ch-ch-ch-changes...

December 21, 2005 10:44 PM

How often do you you change your sheets? (I'm specifically interested in single apartment-dwellers - if you're married, please feel free to contribute, but make a note of your marital status ... or ideally, note the difference between you as part of a married couple and as a single person). Thanks!
posted by Sinner to Home & Garden (59 answers total)

i live alone, and i wash my sheets every 2-3 weeks. And before the gf is here (long-distance relationship)
posted by slater at 10:59 PM on December 21, 2005

Usually some time after I notice they aren't white any more. Of course I live alone.
posted by unmake at 11:05 PM on December 21, 2005

Every week when I go to the laundromat. I change my pillowcase every 2-3 days.
posted by fshgrl at 11:06 PM on December 21, 2005

I change out my sheets (NOT just wash) every week. I would go longer, but my dog sleeps under the comforter with me, so it tends to smell like mutt after a while. I'm single now, but I did the same thing when I was with my boyfriend.

Now.... pillowcases? They're changed out every other day or so (yes, I'm that anal).
posted by damnjezebel at 11:11 PM on December 21, 2005

Every 1-2 wks.
posted by Radio7 at 11:15 PM on December 21, 2005

I wash my sheets every 2 weeks or so, longer if I would have to do a wash ($2.25) all by itself for them. I live alone. Before the girlfriend, washing was ... less frequent.
posted by headlessagnew at 11:17 PM on December 21, 2005

I'm single, in a long distance relationship. I probably wash my sheets once a month when the woman isn't around and once a week when she is. I have a Rottweiler/Shepherd who sleeps in my bed with me, so when I used to date more I washed my sheets before every date... some people are weirded out by dog hair ... I usually forget it's there.
posted by Happydaz at 11:23 PM on December 21, 2005

I'm in college. When I'm not at home, I probably do it once a month or so, but I'm slack about it. I waited too long last time and I seriously thought for about a week something had gone bad, either in the fridge or something of the roommate's or who knows. Turned out the sheets smelled. AFAIK nothing died in them, though I might have had I been given a few more days of that smell.

But aside from the TMIFilter you just got, here's my word of warning that I will begin washing my sheets religiously at least every couple weeks.
posted by SuperNova at 11:38 PM on December 21, 2005

I'm in college is well, and I go with once a month. Plus, mine are t-shirt sheets, and to me they lose some of their feel every wash, so I try and wash them as little as possible.
posted by mr.dan at 12:33 AM on December 22, 2005

Before I met her: Once a month. Now: Every seven seconds.
posted by Jofus at 12:38 AM on December 22, 2005

Whenever my girlfriend complains about them - like once a month or so. Pillowcases maybe twice as frequently.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 12:43 AM on December 22, 2005

Single female here. Every 1-2 weeks, though in part that's because I spend at least 3 nights a week at my boyfriend's. If I (we) were here every night, it would definitely be weekly.

Incidentally, my bf washes his sheets ~weekly, too, and without any prompting from me -- he's a total slob, god love him, but washing the sheets regularly is the one clean habit he clearly picked up somewhere along the line before I ever came along.
posted by scody at 1:00 AM on December 22, 2005

Single, mostly partner-less. I wash mine every two weeks, which happily coincides with my laundry half-week. Oftener if needed - occasionally I have these horrible sweating bouts and have to change my sheets during the night. And of course after sex - once every blue moon...
posted by mummimamma at 1:05 AM on December 22, 2005

I have four pillows on the bed, and move them round so I have a fresh pillow every couple of days, and then once a week I wash the sheet, pillowcases & duvet cover.

In the summer, when I'm able to dry them outside, I'll sometimes put the same set back on the bed, because there's nothing nicer than the smell of sun-dried bed linen, but where they're tumble-dried, I'll usually put a different set on each week.
posted by essexjan at 1:46 AM on December 22, 2005

Single fussy bachelor here. I change my sheets once a week, but I have 3 sets. I'll wash them whenever I'm doing a load of that color. I can't go longer because I'm allergic to skin oils, including my own. If I get too much skin oil into my eyes, the pain starts...
posted by SpecialK at 1:54 AM on December 22, 2005

I aim to change my pillowcase twice a week, bottom sheets every week, and top sheet/duvet cover every 2 weeks.
I'm not too fussy abouty it though, so they can often go twice this long.
posted by scodger at 2:02 AM on December 22, 2005

I do without sheets and pillowcases, then you don't ever need to wash them.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:51 AM on December 22, 2005

I'm in college. I try to wash my sheets (both flat and fitted) every week. I do other laundry every week, but sometimes the sheets don't make it in and they go two weeks instead. I have a ridiculous amount of dollar-store pillowcases and change them every day, and wash them all whenever I do the sheets.
posted by booksandlibretti at 2:55 AM on December 22, 2005

I change the sheets every week. I have three sets. I always wash the sheets and pillowcases together, so they fade at the same rate. Nothing bugs me more than when the pillowcases don't match the sheets. Same thing with towels. I have towels and washcloths that are easily eight years old, but look fairly new, because they are the same color.

I semi-live with The Boyfriend™. He now changes the sheets on his bed once a week, too. Of course, it helps that I told him early on that clean sheets are an aphrodisiac for me...
posted by Corky at 3:38 AM on December 22, 2005

Single girl, live alone. About once every two weeks, or the next day if I sleep with someone.
posted by pollystark at 3:51 AM on December 22, 2005

Married. But this was the same when I was single: sheets get changed every other Tuesday, when the cleaning lady comes. Becuase I HATE changing sheets/making beds. When I was in college, it was probably every three weeksish, depending on how often I slept in the bed.

I sort of think I should probably change the pillowccases more often. But no matter how hard I think, it just doesn't happen.
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:14 AM on December 22, 2005

Once a week !
posted by Makebusy7 at 5:21 AM on December 22, 2005

I live with two cats. The allergy doc says the cats must go, so instead I strip and remake the bed daily (ok, ok, sometimes I leave it for a week, then I pay dearly) because my allergies to dust and cat hair are pretty severe. I have the sinus infection to show for my laziness right now.

Since I don't have a washer/dryer, I have many sets of sheets and pillowcases. Not enough blankets though, I'm learning.
posted by bilabial at 5:23 AM on December 22, 2005

Two weeks, pillowcases and sheets.

Can I just say that I like your bowie reference?
posted by provolot at 5:31 AM on December 22, 2005

Until this question came up here, I'd never before heard of the practice of washing pillowcases on a separate schedule. I understand the reasoning behind it, but it still seems kind of excessive. That said, I wash my sheets once a week and usually change them out for a different set.
posted by emelenjr at 6:04 AM on December 22, 2005

Married, three sets of sheets, they get changed every week.
posted by tetsuo at 6:10 AM on December 22, 2005

Single; I change the sheets every week. Always have done.

I'm hardly a clean freak, but I'm a little shocked at the number of people who change their sheets every month! Don't they start to smell? I guess I just prefer getting into a clean (non-smelly) bed every night. No judgement, just a comment.
posted by different at 6:11 AM on December 22, 2005

Ideally, every week to 2 weeks. Realistically, every 3-4 weeks because I'm that lazy. My boyfriend changes his probably less, which is...not pleasant. I haven't found a way yet to tell him that without sounding like a nag.

I have three sets of sheets - old ones (fitted, flat, pillow case) come off, get washed, get stored away. Fresh ones rotated in.
posted by bibbit at 6:44 AM on December 22, 2005

24 year old male, with girlfriend.

About once a month? really I only change them if there's a noticable stain. usually I just movie the laundry to the floor and pass out.
posted by Mark5four0 at 7:00 AM on December 22, 2005

Couple of times a month in winter, more often in summer. Single female with cats.
posted by zadcat at 7:14 AM on December 22, 2005

Mark5four0 : "About once a month? really I only change them if there's a noticable stain. usually I just movie the laundry to the floor and pass out."

That's pretty much where I am as a single guy. They used to get changed before the long-distance ladyfriend came to town, but she doesn't come to town any more.
posted by PhatLobley at 7:21 AM on December 22, 2005

Mine every few weeks.

Weird though, it has never crossed my mind to change out the pillowcases more frequently I do them all at the same time...
posted by Gooney at 7:42 AM on December 22, 2005

Bachelorhood - every 2 to 3 months (barring stains or sweaty bouts of sleeping)
Living together & Marriage - every two weeks religiously

I'm a stinky boy and my sheets rarely acquired a funk. I usually stink only when I'm awake.
ha
posted by Seamus at 7:53 AM on December 22, 2005

Now that I sleep at my bf's house many nights, it's about once a month. But in sleeping-nights, it equals about every two weeks or so, which is how often I changed them when I spent the majority of nights in my own bed. He does his sheets about every other week as well. No separate pillowcase schedule (what is this for?) -- they get washed with the sheets.
posted by desuetude at 7:58 AM on December 22, 2005

Single geezer w/ GF who sleeps over a couple nights a week and short-haired low-shedding pillow-sleeping cat. Apartment-dweller but have washer/dryer. I rotate the pillowcases every couple of days and wash the sheets once a week or so. When I was a young slob, I had colored sheets and probably washed them once a month or so, but in my thirties my tastes changed and I switched to white sheets which corrected my behavour.
posted by nicwolff at 8:02 AM on December 22, 2005

I wash my sheets whenever I do significant laundry, which is usually every second week, but occasionally three.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:02 AM on December 22, 2005

Married, twice a week. Was every 5-7 days when I was living alone. Flannel in the winter and regular cotton in the summer. I can't beleve how many people go for a month at a time either. Then again I use just two bath sheets for a week's worth of showers and I know lot's of people are appalled that I don't use new towels everyday.
posted by Mitheral at 8:21 AM on December 22, 2005

About every 2 weeks. That ends up being every laundry batch. Sometimes the schedule gets screwed up when I do a small load of laundry in between, and the sheets miss their turn. Then I just do the pillow-cases and flip the sheets around (two-sided, but the print on one side matches the pillows better)
(Girl, living alone, but/and/hence the cat also sleeps on the bed.)
posted by easternblot at 8:31 AM on December 22, 2005

married: approximately monthly, much longer when i was single
posted by iurodivii at 8:50 AM on December 22, 2005

yeah, wow, i feel dirty. i change my sheets about once every four to six months. when i was young, my dad washed sheets weekly, but i just didn't pick up that habit.
posted by inging at 8:51 AM on December 22, 2005

single, male, hetro, 28: everything, every week
posted by blue_beetle at 9:09 AM on December 22, 2005

When I was single and living alone, I changed the sheets when they were visibly dirty if you were standing up, or if they were stinky. With a live-in girlfriend, they get changed magically pretty often.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:47 AM on December 22, 2005

Wow! This thread is really fascinating. I'm apparently behind the sheet-changing status quo.

My sleep situation is: myself (student, 25), significant other (recently graduated, now 9-5ing it, 24), and frequently one of our cats (Fido, spoiled domestic pet, 1). Since cohabitating earlier this year, sheet mileage has actually increased, which seems bassackward to me. "My" bed saw fresh sheets every 3-4 weeks; "our" bed is lucky to see any less than 5-6 weeks. Oh, we currently have jersey cotton (aka "t-shirt", as mr.dan said) sheets & pillowcases. So nice in the winter...mmm.

In all the time I've lived on my own, my only reason for buying new sheets has been sort of a "I'm bored with this color/pattern; I think I'll buy some ones" process. Reading this thread, however, I'm now suddently keen on the idea of keeping a second set of clean sheets on hand that are [more] frequently swapped for their unclean counterpart. I'm almost embarrased that it's taken me 7 years of not living under my mom's roof for this method to make sense to me, though.
posted by porntips guzzardo at 9:59 AM on December 22, 2005

Married - weekly. My wife saw something on Oprah about dust mites and completely freaked. For a week she boiled, steamed and re-boiled the sheets. She was convinced that we would be eaten alive if we didn't. Now it's back to weekly.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:11 AM on December 22, 2005

When single as a teenager: like every 2-3+ months!

Now, living with bf: every 3 to 8 weeks or so, but I probably should more often. But now I seem to have developed fairly frequent night sweats which makes the sheets stink :( It's just really hard cooking and doing laundry for two and cleaning up after 3 adults, 3 large dogs and 2 small children in this house, so the sheets take a lower priority.

Also in concern for not getting acne I put a hand towel over my pillow and change it weekly or so.
posted by mojabunni at 10:12 AM on December 22, 2005

Married here...we swap out the sheets about weekly.
posted by mmascolino at 10:32 AM on December 22, 2005

Married now, once or twice a week, but the wife always changes them. When I was single, I don't think I hardly ever changed them. Of course, there were often times I didn't actually have a bed, and I'd just buy new clothes rather than wash the existing ones.
posted by Captain_Tenille at 10:34 AM on December 22, 2005

Living alone, I change them weekly.
posted by aramaic at 10:34 AM on December 22, 2005

Married, weekly. The idea of leaving it longer than that just gives me the heebie-jeebies something awful.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:39 AM on December 22, 2005

Usually some time after I notice they aren't white any more. Of course I live alone.

Of course.

Female, live alone, usually sleep alone. The sheets get washed every Wednesday night when I do my laundry. I have four pillows on the bed, so there's no need for separate changes of pillowcases. I don't have a second set of sheets, though I would like that, because whenever I have the $50 to spare I've got something better to do with it. I have three cotton nightgowns and although usually in the winter I wear the same one all week, in the summer I tend to cycle through all three.
posted by orange swan at 11:03 AM on December 22, 2005

I'm married and we change the sheets about every two weeks. Usually when my wife says it's time. Back when I lived by myself I changed them once a month or so. I think that maybe changing them more often would probably help with allergies and such. I tend to change comforters and blankets much less frequently as they don't do well in the wash.
posted by jefeweiss at 11:59 AM on December 22, 2005

Single, female, 23. Weekly.
posted by Lycaste at 12:48 PM on December 22, 2005

Just so no one thinks that it's only boys that are gross, this female NYC apartment-dweller with a not-live-in BF and two cats that shed constantly changes her sheets maybe... every 2 months? Every 9 weeks? Depends if I'm going to have guests that might see the filth. I would do them more often if it were really easy but it's such a pain in the ass to take them off, lug them to the cleaners (I still haven't quite figured out the pick-up thing), etc etc. Also: I never make my bed.
When I have a new boyfriend I do them more often, until I figure out his gross tolerence. Fortunately my current beau has about the same gross tolerance as me (although a higher gross tolerance for towels, which sucks. Towels I try to wash every 2-3 weeks).
Sometimes I will do my pillowcases more frequently, if I notice that I'm breaking out more and I am using a strong hair product whose pillowcase presence might be contributing.
posted by ch1x0r at 2:35 PM on December 22, 2005

Single, three cats, seldom seen bf; sheets, cases, duvet cover are washed each week when I do laundry.

I do feel a sinner for having an above average number of sheet sets. Buying linens comes too easily to me.
posted by vers at 3:16 PM on December 22, 2005

my flatmates once had a (unknown to me) bet on how long before I changed my sheets. of course, since they kept hogging the stairwell to air their sheets, I never got the chance to air mine. I think it was about six months.

Nowadays, if someone is coming round, it's for that weekend. Otherwise, it can be up to three months.
posted by badlydubbedboy at 3:49 PM on December 22, 2005

Married, female, 26 - sheets are changed out every Sunday when we do the laundry with very few exceptions. We have two sets of sheets, but only one set of pillow cases. I'd never thought to change out pillow cases more often. I probably wouldn't need it, but my husband sweats A LOT in his sleep and his side of the bed and his pillow never smell very good. In fact, due to my husband's profuse sweating, we really should change out the sheets every few days, but we both work and I really don't have that kind of time to do laundry.

When I was single and living alone, I would probably change the sheets every few months. This was a combination of laziness and the fact that the sheets took that long to get dirty.

Before I started doing the laundry every Sunday and making the bed every day, my husband and I could go several weeks without changing the sheets, but this was PURE laziness.

On a slightly unrelated note, I now have a hard time leaving the house if the bed isn't made. I go crazy when my husband is still in bed and I have to leave since he never, ever makes the bed without me begging him to do so (and sometimes then, he forgets). It's just so refreshing to get into a made bed at the end of a long day.
posted by lynda at 3:57 PM on December 22, 2005

Single: weekly
Married: every two weeks

They're overdue. I hate doing laundry.
posted by deborah at 4:41 PM on December 22, 2005

Hasn't anyone heard the racist cliche "Cool clean sheets, G.I.!" Well, it sells for a reason. I'm otherwise slovenly, but even I change the sheets once a week. Why? Because it feels awesome! If I were sober enough at bedtime (to either notice the sensation or accomplish the task), I'd do it twice a week.
posted by iconoclastic flow at 8:16 PM on December 22, 2005

I'm a little freaked out. I change my sheets a little more than once a week. Just as an incentive-- you neven know when you will meet some worth inviting home.

While I can't say I've left a great guy in bed for having dirty sheets, i can say that I've never gone back a second time on more than one occasion, and crackers weren't the issue.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 9:14 PM on December 22, 2005