After years of use, bed sheets can lose their softness and color. But, if properly cared for, you can broaden the time between replacing linen sets. Largely, the lifespan of your linens rests upon how and how often you wash them.

That said, quality is a major factor in preserving your linens. High-thread sheets are strong and dense. Aim for a thread count of 600 if your budget allows for it. Similarly, 100% cotton sheets are more resilient compared to polyester products.

Wash Your Linens Smartly

Abrasive cleaners will dull your linens and breakdown their fibers. This includes dryer sheets and fabric softeners. These products are hard to rinse and can produce harmful residue.

Too much detergent may also have consequences. Many experts suggest using half of what the bottle recommends to avoid damage. Moreover, dissolving the detergent before loading the linens makes for a gentler cycle.

For linens, always use cold water. If your machine has a center agitator, then make loose balls with your linens for protection. Only wash linens with linens, too. Adding regular clothes to the mix increases the likelihood of wear. For example, jeans have rugged textures and zippers that catch on or pill the material.

Wash Your Linens Frequently

If you wash properly, then it will not harm your linens to put them through a cycle every week. In fact, scheduling your laundry every 5 to 10 days can help extend the life of your linens. More so than some cleaners, the oils and dirt from our own bodies hurt the fibers in the cloth. Worse, when things like dust, skins cells, and crumbs collect, bed bugs or mites might visit.