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How often should you be remaking your bed?

When it comes to your bed, maintaining a hygienic sleep setup can actually improve your sleep quality, helping you start every day better.

Most people shed 500 million skin cells per day and a lot of that ends up in bed for dust mites to feed on. And those with asthma or allergies might see symptoms worsen by sleeping on dirty sheets!

You want to be washing your sheets once a week - or every 10 days if you don’t suffer from allergies and wear nightclothes. Bedding builds up with sweat, skin cells and oils quickly, even if it doesn’t look dirty.

Using an effective detergent like smol’s will still give you a great clean on a 20°C cycle - that’s better for the planet and your energy bills!

What temperature do smol recommend then?

For your regular weekly washes I recommend washing most loads at 20°C for 30 minutes. It’s gentler on fabrics, slashes energy use, and still delivers excellent stain removal with the right detergent. A colder wash can actually be more effective if you opt for a bio detergent as its enzymes need cooler water; too hot and they lose their ability to digest stains. A wash at 60°c (unless you have silk sheets) every now and again can help kill off dust mites and other nasties.

What's the difference between bio and non-bio detergent?

Bio detergents contain enzymes, which are especially good at breaking down tough stains like food, grass, or sweat. It’s best used in mid to low temperature washes (ideally between 20-40°C) as anything hotter can cause them not to work effectively.

Non-bio skips the enzymes, which in turn makes it more suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies. Although non-bio doesn’t contain enzymes, it’s still great at removing stains and keeping your clothes clean, you just may need to use a slightly higher temperature setting to aid with the cleaning process.