 Breadcrumbs

  



   ![How To Maintain Your Bed](https://media.sheerluxe.com/tOW73oQQDOppOvrCJmE2NEecRWw=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2020%2F03%2Fhow-maintain-your-bed.jpg?itok=9m58iPJm)

  

 

 



 

 

[Life](/life)

 /  18 March 2020  

#  How To Maintain Your Bed  


Given that you spend a third of your life in bed and sweat about half a pint of perspiration every night, keeping your bed clean should be a top priority. From washing your bedding to replacing your mattress and pillows, here’s what you need to know.  


[ Save To My Favourites ](/user/login?destination=/markdownify/node/22338)

 

 



 

 

 

 

## HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU….

### Buy a new bed?

According to the [National Bed Federation](https://www.bedfed.org.uk/) a bed can deteriorate by as much as 70% over the first ten years of use, but because the process is gradual, people don't often notice how uncomfortable or unsupportive it has become. Ideally, replace your bed every seven to eight years. That might feel financially excessive, but if you break down the cost of a £1,000 bed over seven years, it works out at just 20p per night.

### Change the mattress?

Your mattress may look okay to the naked eye but what’s going on inside? As [The Sleep Council](https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/) explains, every year you shed a pound of skin (454g) into your mattress and lose around half a pint (285ml) of moisture during your nightly shut eye. And where does it go? Deep down into your mattress. In terms of health, regular mattress replacement is vital to reduce the prevalence of house dust mites that are linked with allergies.

If you’ve had your mattress for more than 10 years, your situation may also have changed during that time – you may have lost or gained a sleeping partner, you may have changed weight or moved to a house with a different room temperature and humidity level. The [National Bed Federation](https://www.bedfed.org.uk/) estimates the average replacement cycle is around 11-12 years but you shouldn’t have a mattress any longer than eight to ten years.

### Clean and turn the mattress?

A washable mattress cover will protect it from stains and perspiration, and help your mattress last longer. Wash it fortnightly with your bedding, and try turning your mattress over from side to side and end to end every few months. There are some mattresses that are designed not to be turned, so check the label first.

### Wash the bedding? 

You should be washing your bedding every two weeks to keep your sleeping environment hygienic, but ideally weekly – especially in summer or if you have the heating on at night. Wash sheets and duvets in warm water – 40°C-60°C is perfect – but beware that too-high a temperatures can destroy fibres and dull patterns. Meanwhile, anything less than 60°C risks bugs and mites surviving the washing cycle. For stain removal, try an oxygenated bleach product, as traditional bleaches can cause damage. Either spot treat the stain, or put a scoop of [Oxi Clean](https://www.oxiclean.com/en/products/stain-fighters/oxiclean-versatile-stain-remover) powder in the machine alongside your usual laundry detergent. Once clean, the heat from the iron can kill off any remaining bacteria on the sheets.

### Change the pillow? 

Pillows are a haven for dead skin cells, dirt, oil, sweat and saliva. To provide a barrier between the surface and your skin, use protective covers and wash them regularly. You should consider changing your pillow at least once a year, especially if you wake up with tension headaches, sneezing or aches and pains or if you notice permanent stains or noticeable lumps.

### Wash the duvet?

A duvet that hasn’t been washed for a year could be home to more than 20,000 dust mites. Generally, you should clean your duvet every two to three months, and at a minimum, twice a year. Synthetic fibre duvets should be washed in a large machine on a normal spic cycle at 60°C, while a feather or down filled duvet should be dry cleaned.

### Air the bed?

To keep your bed fresh, pull back the bed covers for at least 20 minutes every morning to let everything air and allow body moisture to evaporate. Make sure to dust and hoover around your bed regularly too, and open windows as much as possible to let old air out and fresh air in.

### **The products we're loving to help you get a good night's sleep...**

 **THE ANTI-AGEING BED**  
The [HOGO](https://hogo.es/en/) rest system technology of this newly launched bed claims to reduces a person’s biological age by an average of 15 years. The graphite and silver mesh surrounding the bed is linked to a ground connection that generates a natural bubble, which both protects against electromagnetic pollution and clears it from the body, providing a space that is free from emissions, chemicals and non-natural elements. This system claims to improve immune defences and regulate hormones. The range also covers the entire set up – from base to pillow.

**THE ANTI-SNORE PILLOW**  
John Lewis &amp; Partners has launched an [anti-snore pillow](https://www.johnlewis.com/kally-sleep-anti-snore-standard-pillow-medium-firm/p4361119) designed to reduce snoring frequency by up to 50%. Best suited to those who sleep on their back or side, it helps to keep the spine aligned for a comfortable and undisturbed night’s sleep.

**THE HEAT-REGULATING DUVET**  
Developed for NASA astronauts, the [Climasoft Outlast Duvet ](https://www.amara.com/products/the-climasoft-outlast-medium-duvet-super-king) by Brinkhaus proactively manages heat and moisture to maintain an optimum body temperature throughout the night. It utilises phase change materials that absorb, store and release heat for optimum thermal comfort.

 

 

 

 

  

## *more from*

### Life



 [View All Life](/life) 

  ![Your December Horoscope](https://media.sheerluxe.com/DItNYr8xLEkFwB0HLUn6llPyftY=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F10%2Fsl-011025-site-assets-horoscopes-hero-thumb.jpg?itok=SbqV-ogK)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  01 December 2025  

 [##  Your December Horoscope  


 

 ](/life/your-december-horoscope-4) 

 

 

 

  ![An M&S Flower Launch You Need To Know About](https://media.sheerluxe.com/0x2UNKOqVeLaNnbsnYB4FGLopc4=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F12%2Fsl-site-assets-011225-thumb-com-ms-flowers.jpg?itok=0PDXFh1u)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  01 December 2025  

 [##  An M&amp;S Flower Launch You Need To Know About  


 

 ](/life/an-ms-flower-launch-you-need-to-know-about) 

 

 

 

  ![A Day In The Life Of A BAFTA-Award Winning Writer-Actress ](https://media.sheerluxe.com/0ErUTwRTgfqEFcN4Xjkals2nUz0=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F11%2Fsl-site-assets-191125-thumb-hero-interview-nicole-lecky.jpg?itok=f4DBwY6c)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  19 November 2025  

 [##  A Day In The Life Of A BAFTA-Award Winning Writer-Actress  


 

 ](/life/nicole-lecky) 

 

 

 

  ![Your November Horoscope](https://media.sheerluxe.com/uy2n-HAGa_bUbJRGeiDpHaRV9h4=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F10%2Fhorocopes-hero-thumb.jpg?itok=sweR5Gin)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  03 November 2025  

 [##  Your November Horoscope  


 

 ](/life/your-november-horoscope-3) 

 

 

 

  ![How Adopting A Pet Can Change 2 Lives](https://media.sheerluxe.com/PAwYrWsfW8Pu6uAXfZwsg-EmIlI=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F10%2Fpetare-portrait-hero-hr.jpg?itok=07Jvj0sj)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  22 October 2025  

 [##  How Adopting A Pet Can Change 2 Lives  


 

 ](/life/how-adopting-a-pet-can-change-2-lives) 

 

 

 

  ![Go Behind The Scenes At Our Sukkot Lunch](https://media.sheerluxe.com/M0hy53QXhuiSDVlmKgbdfpnPdak=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F10%2Fsl-151025-sukkot-lunch-thumb.jpg?itok=AopiPR8H)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  15 October 2025  

 [##  Go Behind The Scenes At Our Sukkot Lunch  


 

 ](/life/go-behind-the-scenes-at-our-sukkot-lunch) 

 

 

 

  ![Your December Horoscope](https://media.sheerluxe.com/DItNYr8xLEkFwB0HLUn6llPyftY=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F10%2Fsl-011025-site-assets-horoscopes-hero-thumb.jpg?itok=SbqV-ogK)

  

 

 



 

[Life](/life)

/

  01 October 2025  

 [##  Your October Horoscope  


 

 ](/life/your-october-horoscope-5) 

 

 

 

  ![8 Thoughtful Gift Ideas For Older Relatives & Friends](https://media.sheerluxe.com/0kmT517DBBlNYu5KGXGye8gtLnQ=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Fsl-gold-150925-site-assets-gifting-thumb.jpg?itok=kRLMY4kZ)

  

 

 



 

 [Life](/gold/life)/

  15 September 2025  

 [##  8 Thoughtful Gift Ideas For Older Relatives &amp; Friends  


 

 ](/life/8-thoughtful-gift-ideas-for-older-relatives-friends) 

 

 

 

  ![The Name To Know For Sophisticated & Compassionate Care In Later Life ](https://media.sheerluxe.com/ExxwhSEbX-WY5sHl3sEbpuGnPhY=/200x267/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Fsl-gold-150925-site-assets-kyn-comm-thumb.jpg?itok=zfYPm91c)

  

 

 



 

 [Life](/gold/life)/

  15 September 2025  

 [##  The Name To Know For Sophisticated &amp; Compassionate Care In Later Life  


 

 ](/life/the-name-to-know-for-sophisticated-compassionate-care-in-later-life) 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 



  

 Share This Story

 [Facebook

 ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?display=popup&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com&u=https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Flife%2Fhow-maintain-your-bed&t=How+To+Maintain+Your+Bed) [ Pinterest

 ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Flife%2Fhow-maintain-your-bed&description=How+To+Maintain+Your+Bed&media=) [ E-mail

 ](<mailto:?subject=How To Maintain Your Bed&body=Hi%0A%0AI&#039;ve just read this article https://sheerluxe.com/life/how-maintain-your-bed and thought you might like it, too.%0A%0ASheerLuxe is your in-the-know friend keeping you up to date with everything new in fashion, beauty, culture, lifestyle %26 home.%0A%0AYou can sign up for the FREE daily newsletter here. https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsignup%3Fseed%3Dsharing%26utm_source%3DWebsite%26utm_medium%3DSL%26utm_campaign%3DEmail%26utm_id%3DSharing>) 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at <info@sheerluxe.com>.

 

 

 

  ##  Fashion. Beauty. Culture. Life. Home 

###  Delivered to your inbox, daily 

 [Subscribe](/signup)