chriss
New Member
Joined: October 2010
Posts: 28
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Post by chriss on Mar 20, 2011 8:45:23 GMT -5
Hi, how often should i do this? im guessing my current policy of once every 3-6 months is not ideal. Do people do it every day? week? fortnight? Everday seems excessive whats the general consensus? Also how many sets should i have. Do i need just 2 sets, one to have and another to put on when i washing/drying my main set? Sorry if this sounds dumb im just trying to figure out how to fit it into my routine.
Also, somewhat off topic, maybe some cat owners can help with this one. Cat fur. How do i deal/manage cat fur? I have one cat and she sheds like Dr Phill. Im forever lint rolling my dark clothes. Ive been told to give her a brush everynight. But she doesnt like it and i havent noticed any difference yet.
Thanks.
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Post by toomanyideas on Mar 20, 2011 9:01:13 GMT -5
Hi Chriss,
I change my sheets once a week, or sooner if something is spilled on them. I have two sets of sheets but I mostly use just one set--I don't like folding sheets, so I just put them back on the bed when I'm done washing them.
As for the cat fur, I haven't figured that one out yet myself.
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Post by lozzylooloo on Mar 20, 2011 9:13:22 GMT -5
Hi Chriss, I believe that every week is recommended. I would love weekly, but it doesn't necessarily happen (particularly in winter when washing takes longer to dry), so I aim for fortnightly... but sometimes it ends up a month and a wrinkled mess before i get there  I also tend to do better if i release perfectionism - i can wash the sheets without having to wash and change the doona cover and mattress protector every single time! I also was doing more frequently when bub was little and sharing the bed. Two sets of sheets is theoretically plenty. If you have a cat (or in my case, a baby) sleeping with you who might make a mess, three might be better - because murphy's law the day the sheets are hanging on the line is the day the other set on the bed get vomitted on or something  I actually have too many sets - about 6 - which, even allowing to make up the sofa bed for guests is too many. Anyway, good luck - if nothing else, i love the feel of slipping into a bed made up with clean sheets! We deserve that goodness more regularly  |
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Post by eagle on Mar 20, 2011 9:22:47 GMT -5
Well, now, that depends on how often you sleep on them and how dirty or sweaty you are when you sleep on them and perhaps a few other factors. Like do you eat in bed? Does your dog sleep under the covers with you, and whatnot. Also do you shower before bed, and are therefore clean before you sleep, or do you never bathe at all? These kinds of things have an effect on how clean or dirty your sheets get between washings.
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Post by scribbles on Mar 20, 2011 9:25:06 GMT -5
Chriss, I'll admit that my *goal* is to change the sheets once a week. The *reality* is more like every week and a half to two weeks, sometimes even three. My mother always changed the sheets weekly, and that's my only reason for wanting to do the same. When you think about it, your face is mashed into the pillow all night long, so changing at least the pillow case occasionally is probably a good idea. It is a nice feeling to climb into a bed with crisp, clean, fresh sheets, though.
However, I know a lot of kids when I was in college who put clean sheets on their beds at the beginning of the semester and took them off again when they went home at the end of the semester and let their moms wash them. None of them seemed to get sick from the sheets.
It's probably a good idea to have two sets of sheets. Even if you have a favorite set and wash them and put them right back on the bed, you never know when something might happen--the washer might break down mid-load or your cat might barf on the bed when you don't have time to wash the sheets or something like that. Emergencies happen.
Something I read in a book once stuck with me: One off, one on, one in the wash. This was about clothes, but I think it works for sheets as well. One set in use on the bed, one set just taken off and waiting to be washed and one ready to go in case of emergency. Two will work, but three might make life easier.
As for the cat, I have the same problem. I've tried out at least 5 different brushes on my cat. The one that does the best job getting out the excess fur is the one he hates the most. The one he doesn't mind at all gets almost no fur out at all. What I do is keep a small basket with the brushes under the chair where I sit to watch TV. The cat always ends up in my lap, so when he's fallen asleep, I fish out a brush and brush him very gently. I have found that if I follow every brush stroke with a pet of the hand over the same area, he doesn't get as upset as quickly. And even if I'm brushing his back or side, about every 5 brush stroke is to his face, because he likes that. I don't ever count on brushing all of him at one time. But over the course of the week, with about 2-3 minutes of brushing every night, I think I get most of him.
Of course, in the spring and fall when he is shedding like mad and barfing up hairballs daily, I do sometimes have to grab him and hold him down and use the good brush that he doesn't like and just have at him. I get enough fur off him to create another cat.
So my advice is to go slowly. Try several different brushes. Try petting him as you brush. Try brushing him when he's asleep and relaxing. Don't aim for the whole cat all at once, but bits of him over time.
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Post by canna on Mar 20, 2011 9:54:47 GMT -5
Like others have mentioned, it depends. I change the sheets once a week. The mattress pad cover about once a month, but usually longer than that though. I have six sets of sheets.
My cat Mesquite loves to crawl under the covers, and even does that when the bed is made; he is this lump undercover; he's hiding and just knows he can't be seen though. Ha.
He doesn't like to be brushed. I do a quick comb when he's resting on my lap. I just use an old comb, and that works well with him. In the summer, he gets the matted fur on his back close to his tail. That is tricky - I snip those with sissors, one at a time, quickly when he's eating or on my lap.
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Post by messymimi on Mar 20, 2011 10:08:57 GMT -5
Dear Chriss,
Once a week for us, and no more than two sets of sheets, one to wash and one to use.
You have to decide what is best for you, though. More sets means more to store.
messymimi
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susan
New Member
Joined: March 2011
Posts: 39
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Post by susan on Mar 20, 2011 10:20:15 GMT -5
I have 4 sets of sheets. Two sets are cotton for summer, two are brushed cotton for winter (because I have learnt it's not fun getting into a bed that seems to be made with sheets of ice and the brushed cotton helps reduce that!). I try and change them every week, because I love clean sheets... doesn't always happen though. If you have use of a dryer, you could probably get away with just 1 set. Depends on how organised you are. I'm not and/or can simply be too tired/disorganised/distracted to strip my bed, wash and dry my sheets and make my bed on the same day. But then I have ended up needing to change my sheets but having to wash/dry some before changing them... As for cat fur... I gave up on trying to defur myself!  |
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Post by einsteinsdesk on Mar 20, 2011 10:30:51 GMT -5
In the winter I do every 2 weeks. I don't sweat at night, and I always change into clean pajamas and shower before bed. In the summer I have to change every few days because I do sweat at night. Edited to include: I am currently in maintenance in my bedroom, but hasn't always been so. There were definitely times when I didn't even have sheets on the bed because I took them off to wash, then lost them in the mess.  . |
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Post by einsteinsdesk on Mar 20, 2011 13:11:40 GMT -5
I just wanted to add that while there may be a preferred amount of time to wash your sheets, it's best to maybe just try to do it more often than you do now. Work up to once every 4 weeks, then once every 3 weeks, and so forth until you reach the right level of washing that works for you. Don't pressure yourself to meet an ideal, just aim for better. We can always do better, and it's easy to measure.
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Post by harleyquinn on Mar 20, 2011 13:29:06 GMT -5
Hello, For sheets--if you have 2 sets, then you can change them weekly and wash them the same day or whenever it's convenient. You'll always have a clean set. I like white sheets because they can be bleached--helps when you have pets. For kitty fur--I vacuum as often as I can and use lint rollers to remove the cat hair from clothes. Here's one on Amazon-- www.amazon.com/3M-836R-OS-Lint-Roller/dp/B00006IA8QAlthough it's good to brush the cat, I don't think brushing has much effect on how much hair ends up on furniture and clothes. Some shedding is inevitable so I just deal with it. |
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Post by Meme on Mar 20, 2011 14:08:20 GMT -5
one thing I remember about the cats is to check their food as some foods are not the best quality and cat will shed more-- we found it made a big difference to make sure our cat had healthy food even though it cost more - a vet could help with info- also depends on climate of house--- season etc. and the brand of cat-  but we did make a major difference by better food - hugs Meme |
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Post by Arid on Mar 20, 2011 15:04:10 GMT -5
Wow! You've gotten LOTS of GREAT advice here!
Arid
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Post by gggal on Mar 20, 2011 16:28:00 GMT -5
I wash my sheets every weekend....i also have a cotton duvet cover and i wash that every 2-3 weeks. I dont think i need to quite so much, but its white and tends to start looking a little dim after a week or two and shows any marks. but i like the white b/c i can throw bleach in if needed and get it looking bright again. I also have a light blanket on my bed with my sheets...i wash that every 2-3 weeks as well. (usually the alternate week i am washing my duvet cover so i dont need to lug every piece of bedding to the laundry room every single week) I figure it is not right against my skin, nor am I sitting on it like i might my duvet cover, so every 2-3 weeks might even be a lot, but if im washing my sheets anyways, i usually just throw it in. I like how everything ends up smelling like fresh cleaned laundry/fabric softener sheets and then getting into bed!
I have 2 sets of sheets, but really just use 1...wash them, do some errands while they are in the wash and make the bed back up with them. Still, I like having the second set just in case I get super busy or sick and can't do laundry that week, but would still like to change my bedding and sleep on clean sheets.
Also, I used to go I don't know months without changing the sheets or there was a time in my depression i am pretty sure i was sleeping right on the mattress, but now i wash them once a week and have found no problem keeping it up. I have pretty all white bedding and love throwing it all in at once with my whites.
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susan
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Joined: March 2011
Posts: 39
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Post by susan on Mar 20, 2011 17:18:56 GMT -5
gggal ~ I am totally with you re the duvet cover. I use a pretty one and it's over my top sheet. I'm guessing that people don't wash their blankets every week, so I don't need to worry too much about the duvet cover. Tend to wash it whenever I wash my mattress and pillow protectors.
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