Consider this: 39 percent of Americans wash their sheets and bed linens weekly, and another 44 percent wash them bi-weekly or monthly.

Are Americans wearing their bed linens out by washing them too often?

Eileen Mockus, an expert in home linens and the CEO of Coyuchi [www.coyuchi.com]—pioneers in making organic, sustainable home textiles—says that, actually, weekly washings are recommended to keep sheets looking fresh and to minimize dust and allergens.

But Mockus says that linens have to be washed the right way to minimize wear and recommends three tips for keeping sheets fresh:

#1. KEEP IT GENTLE 

Wash linens on the gentle or delicate cycle with like colors, with cold water. 

#2. KEEP IT NATURAL

Use a natural, plant based laundry detergent and avoid fabric softeners, dryer sheets (they just coat your sheets in chemicals and make them less breathable). Avoid chlorine bleach in favor of peroxide whiteners; or use products like Vaska’s Spot Off, which use enzymes to pre-treat stains and are more effective than bleach for stain removal.

#3. KEEP IT COOL

Line dry, if you can, or tumble dry on a low-heat setting to avoid hardening the loops on towels and sheets, which can lead to them feeling crunchy.

Coyuchi [www.coyuchi.com] — pioneers in making organic, sustainable home textiles —conducted the Coyuchi Linen Lifespan Survey to see how often Americans were replacing their sheets, and why so many sets of old sheets were ending up in landfills.

But even the best cared-for sheets don’t last forever, and that’s why Coyuchi recently launched a sustainable linen subscription service Coyuchi for Life [www.coyuchi.com/subscribe] that ships new sheets to your door every 6 to 24 months—and keeps your used sheets out of landfills by upcycling or recycling them for you.

For more information on the “Netflix of Bedding,” watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK9T4RcQU6g