Tips to keep your bedding fresh and clean

Despite this, a poll by the Sleep Council shows that around a quarter of us tend only to change our bed linen once a month. Washing bedding hygienically is an important way of stopping the spread of germs when someone is unwell, but you should take extra care when you're doing the laundry so you don't put yourself or others at risk. DO wash at 60C (140F) and use a bleach-based laundry product if you can (check the care label of the bedding) to help stop germs spreading. Try to load the machine as evenly as possible to avoid the risk of warping the drum and run an extra spin cycle to remove as much moisture as possible before drying. It's best to tumble dry duvets and pillows because moisture left deep inside them can encourage mould to grow and natural fillings may rot. A better course of action is to leave the sheets and duvet turned down for a couple of hours after the alarm goes off, to allow moisture to evaporate.