# Sheets & Towels: How often do you change yours? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 14, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296 "2009-01-14T19:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/21 "2009-01-14T21:55:07Z")
Bath towels - twice a week. Sheets - every Saturday morning. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/22 "2009-01-14T22:17:53Z")
Towels every three or 4 days, more frequently in the summer. Sheets, every couple of weeks, again, more frequently in sweaty weather. Guests get fresh towels every other day, and none have ever stayed longer than a week, so sheets aren’t an issue. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/23 "2009-01-14T23:05:45Z")
Sheets once a week. Towels every day. I’ll never use a towel twice. However, I try to time what towel I use. Since during football season, I’m wearing red on Sunday (Go Cards!) I"ll make sure I use the red towel on Sunday or Monday and wash red things on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/24 "2009-01-14T23:17:18Z")
Towels are done once a week. I alternate between two, so that Monday’s towel is bone-dry on Wednesday, when I get back to it, and so on. Sheets get washed when they’re smelly or spilled-on, which is…not often. But I’m in college–what do you expect? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/25 "2009-01-14T23:25:57Z")
I use towels once or twice before washing them, although tea towels stay around much longer than they probably should. (I don’t use them for the dishes, though, or when I do I use a fresh one.) I should probably change the sheets more often, but I do wash them for company. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/26 "2009-01-14T23:35:54Z")
I treat sheets like shingles. When one set starts to wear out, I’ll lay down a new set on top of it. Eventually you have to tear them all out and start afresh. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/27 "2009-01-14T23:40:45Z")
The washing machine and dryers offered at my complex are atrociously bad and expensive to boot. So I do laundry once a week at my parents house, where I am also fed and can generally coerce a few grocery items to leave with me. With that in mind, I generally use two body towels a week and one hair towel. There are generally three towels making their way around the kitchen, as they are used for everything. Sheets are changed once a week except during the summer, when I can make my way through all three sets. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/28 "2009-01-14T23:50:19Z")
For me & the spouse: Sheets - Once a month. Towels - Once a week. The kids, however, are my spouses kids who live primarily with their other parent. They are single use when it comes to towels. I’ve not been successful changing that habit, as it brings up conflict with how the other parent does things. I will speculate that when the kids are doing their own laundry, they might explore a more lenient schedule. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/29 "2009-01-15T00:06:09Z")
Sheets: Every two or three weeks. If my bed saw, shall we say, harder use, probably weekly. Towel: Every time I do laundry, which is about every two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/30 "2009-01-15T00:47:33Z")
Sheets - once every week, sometimes every two. Towels - once a week, unless something nasty gets wiped on one, in which case it is replaced immediately. Usually have 2-3 towels hanging in the bathroom at any given time. Guests get their own clean towel and wash cloth set. Dishtowels - once a week, unless there is a Kitchen Incident, at which point they are changed out immediately. Wash cloths - new one every wash. Between my tendency to rash and my husband’s issues (diabetes sucks) using multiple clean washcloths per day has kept the infection problems at bay (mostly) . I have the most amazing collection of washcloths, a three-week supply. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/31 "2009-01-15T01:58:35Z")
Towels: after 3 days Shhets: every 2 weeks, or whenever the cat hornks on them. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/32 "2009-01-15T06:29:39Z")
About once a week on either. During the summer when it’s really hot and humid, I’ll have two towels in rotation with the most recently used one hanging outside in the sun. Even then they usually both get washed after about 3 or 4 uses, or immediately if they stink at all. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/33 "2009-01-15T20:40:49Z")
It depends on whether or not you sleep nude…😉 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/34 "2009-01-15T20:57:01Z")
Towels every few days, when they get…musty. My bathroom stays pretty damp so they don’t last too long. Sheets…every two weeks or when it’s laundry time. I sleep alone and have four pillow sides to rotate so they last longer. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/35 "2009-01-15T21:16:39Z")
I haven’t changed a sheet or towel in 20 years. If you marry someone who changes these things more often than you then of course they will be the one to do the changing. Before I got married I would change the sheets when they start to feel “funny”. My wife likes to change once a week. Guess who changes the sheets? That said, when I say “change the sheets” I mean take them off and put them in the laundry. On those days, if I want to go to sleep then I have to put sheets back on the bed. As for towels… when I reach for the towel and it’s not there that means the laundry fairy has taken it. Time to get another from the closet. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/36 "2009-01-16T04:43:18Z")
Sheets-once or twice a month. TMI: If I know I’m about to get my period, I’ll put off changing them-just in case. Ladies, I’m sure you’ve been there. Towels-I use a fresh one for each shower. I used to use one twice, but I was getting some bad acne-so I started using a new towel every day, and it went away. ---
**Author:** ![bubba\_jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@bubba\_jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba_jr)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/37 "2009-01-16T05:15:04Z")
Towels, the slightest bit of mustyness, I live in the desert so, the towel is usually used to wipe up a beer spill before it gets stinky, when I go back east, one or two uses tops. Bed linens, that depends on the company, if I’m in “alone” mode, they get changed just before “not alone” mode. When in “not alone” mode, they get changed just enough to keep her coming back to bed. However if its daily, I will quickly return to “alone”, if she can stand them dirtier than I can, she is truly dirty, and not in the fun way, and again, I will quickly return to “alone”. When I was in college, I went an entire year sleeping on the mattress pad, and she kept coming back for more(she wasn’t dirty enough, in the good way). I had sheets(new, in the package), they just never made it onto the bed, if you don’t use them, you don’t have to wash them, and by virtue a mattress pad can never get dirty. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/38 "2009-01-16T05:27:39Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > TMI: > If I know I’m about to get my period, I’ll put off changing them-just in case. Ladies, I’m sure you’ve been there. Sheets: Twice a week, except for the above situation. But, according to my friends, I am certifiably insane, since I also iron them, so I do admit this may be excessive. I’m going to keep doing it, crazy or not, since clean, crisp sheets are one of life’s joys. Fresh towels every other day in cool, dry climates. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296/39 "2009-01-16T08:48:58Z")
Towels are every few days, sheets once a week. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sheets-towels-how-often-do-you-change-yours/481296.md?page=1)