How Often Should You Wash Throw Blankets, Pillow Covers, and Other Home Textiles?

How often you should wash home textiles depends on how they’re used. Pets, kids, allergies, food spills, and whether an item touches your skin can also change the schedule. As a general rule, wash frequently used textiles every week or two, moderately used items every month or few months, and mostly decorative textiles a few times a year. Always check the care label first since some fabrics require hand washing, dry cleaning, spot cleaning, or other special care.

Key Takeaways

• Wash textiles that regularly touch your skin more often than purely decorative items.
• Frequently used throw blankets may need washing every one to two weeks, while decorative throws can usually go longer.
• Wash decorative pillow covers about every one to three months, or sooner if they’re frequently used.
• Curtains, washable rugs, and other less frequently handled textiles may only need washing every few months.
• Homes with pets, kids, allergies, or frequent spills may need a more frequent cleaning schedule.
• Vacuuming, shaking out, and spot cleaning can help maintain some textiles between washes.
• Always follow the care label, especially for wool, silk, velvet, down, embellished fabrics, and other materials that may require special cleaning.

How Often Should You Wash Home Textiles?

Use this as a starting point rather than a strict schedule:

These frequencies can change considerably depending on use. If something looks dirty, smells, has been spilled on, or has been exposed to illness, don’t wait for its regularly scheduled wash.

How Often Should You Wash Throw Blankets?

Wash a throw blanket every one to two weeks if someone regularly curls up underneath it. A blanket that spends most of its time folded over the back of a sofa may only need cleaning every one to three months.

Think about what happens to the blanket rather than where it sits. A living room throw might regularly come into contact with:

• Skin and hair
• Sweat
• Pet fur
• Pet dander
• Food crumbs
• Drinks
• Dust
• Dirt from clothing

If your dog has claimed the throw blanket as its personal bed, you’ll probably want to wash it more frequently.

Check the care label before putting a throw into the washing machine, though. Wool, weighted, electric, faux fur, knitted, embellished, and other specialty blankets may have specific cleaning requirements.

How Often Should You Wash Decorative Pillow Covers?

Decorative pillow covers generally need cleaning about every one to three months, but pillows that get daily use may need it more often. A decorative pillow that nobody touches can go much longer between cleanings than the pillow everyone uses for afternoon naps. Sofa pillows may collect skin oils, hair, food crumbs, pet fur, and dust even though nobody sleeps on them overnight.

If the cover is removable, follow its care label. For nonremovable covers, check the manufacturer’s instructions for vacuuming, spot cleaning, or other recommended methods.

How Often Should You Wash Couch Cushion Covers?

If your sofa has removable, washable cushion covers, cleaning them every three to six months may be enough for an average household. Heavily used sofas may need more frequent attention.

Clean them sooner if you notice:

• Visible stains
• Food spills
• Pet hair or odors
• Dirt
• Body oil buildup
• Unpleasant smells

Before removing anything, check the furniture care instructions. Some cushion covers have zippers for manufacturing purposes but aren’t intended to be machine washed. Washing the wrong fabric can cause shrinking, fading, distortion, or make it hard to put the cover back on the cushion.

Regularly vacuuming your sofa can help keep dirt and crumbs under control between deeper cleanings.

How Often Should You Wash Curtains?

Wash washable curtains about every three to six months as a starting point. Curtains in kitchens, bathrooms, homes with pets, or particularly dusty areas may need more frequent cleaning. Curtains can collect dust, pet hair, pollen, cooking residue, and other particles even though you rarely touch them.

You don’t necessarily have to wash them every time you notice dust, though. Depending on the fabric and manufacturer’s instructions, you may be able to vacuum curtains with an upholstery or soft brush attachment between deeper cleanings.

Some curtains should be dry cleaned or cleaned while hanging, so check the care label before removing them.

How Often Should You Wash Washable Rugs?

A washable rug may need cleaning every one to three months, but location makes a big difference. An entryway or kitchen rug gets much dirtier than a decorative rug in a low-traffic bedroom. Homes with pets and young children may also need more frequent rug washing.

Vacuum or shake out rugs between washes to remove loose dirt. Clean spills promptly instead of waiting for your next full wash. Before putting a rug into the washing machine, check both the care label and your washing machine’s capacity. A large rug can become extremely heavy when wet.

How Often Should You Wash Bath Mats?

Wash bath mats about once a week, especially if they stay damp or are used by several people. Bath mats repeatedly come into contact with wet feet and moisture. Hang them (over the side of the tub or on the shower door) so they can dry between uses rather than leaving them wet on the floor.

If a bath mat has a rubber or non-slip backing, check the care label before washing or drying it. Heat and repeated washing can damage some backing materials.

How Often Should You Wash Kitchen Towels?

Kitchen towels should be washed daily to every few days, depending on how they’re used. A towel used only to dry clean hands will last longer than one used for spills, countertops, wet dishes, and food preparation. Switch to a clean towel sooner if it becomes wet, dirty, or smelly.

Consider keeping separate towels for different jobs so the towel you use to dry your hands isn’t also the one that just cleaned up dinner.

How Often Should You Wash Hand Towels?

Wash frequently used hand towels every few days. Bathroom hand towels can stay damp, especially when several people use the same one. Replace them sooner if they’re visibly dirty, smell unpleasant, or don’t have enough time to dry between uses. Make sure towels hang spread out enough to dry, rather than bunching them up.

How Often Should You Wash Pet Blankets?

Wash frequently used pet blankets about once a week, or sooner if they’re visibly dirty or smelly. Pet blankets can collect fur, dander, dirt, saliva, and whatever your pet carried inside after its latest backyard adventure.

Follow the blanket’s care instructions, and remove as much loose fur as possible before putting heavily furry textiles into your washing machine to prevent clogs in the filter.

How Often Should You Wash Pet Beds?

Aim to clean washable pet bedding about every one to two weeks, depending on how heavily it’s used. If the bed has a removable cover, clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Vacuum loose hair and debris between washes.

Clean the bed sooner if your pet has an accident, gets muddy, or brings fleas or another pest problem into the home. If the interior isn’t washable, follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations.

How often should you wash duvet covers?

Wash a duvet cover about every one to two weeks if it’s used as your primary bed covering. A duvet cover protects the insert from much of the skin oil, sweat, and dirt that would otherwise reach it. That lets the insert go much longer between cleanings.

If you always use a top sheet between you and the duvet, you may find you don’t need to wash the cover as often.

How Often Should You Wash Comforters and Duvet Inserts?

Comforters and duvet inserts generally don’t need to be washed as frequently as sheets and duvet covers. A few cleanings per year may be enough when they’re protected from direct skin contact. Wash them sooner after spills, accidents, or other messes.

Always check the care label. Large comforters can exceed the capacity of a household washing machine, and down, wool, and other fills may require specific cleaning and drying methods.

How Often Should You Wash Mattress Protectors?

Wash a mattress protector about every one to two months, or more frequently if needed. The protector sits between your sheets and mattress, where it can collect sweat, skin oils, dust, and other debris. Always clean it immediately after spills or accidents, though.

Follow the care instructions carefully, especially for waterproof protectors. High heat can damage some waterproof materials.

How Often Should You Wash Sofa Slipcovers?

Wash washable sofa slipcovers about every one to three months, depending on how heavily the furniture is used. A sofa used daily by kids and pets may need more frequent cleaning than a chair in a formal living room that almost nobody sits on.

Always vacuum and spot clean between washes. And before laundering the entire slipcover, check the manufacturer’s instructions for washing, drying, and putting the cover back on.

Textiles Cleaning FAQs

How often should you wash blankets if you have pets?

A throw blanket your pet regularly sleeps on may need washing about once a week. Remove loose fur between washes, and clean the blanket sooner if it becomes dirty, wet, or smelly.

Do you need to wash decorative blankets?

Yes, but decorative blankets generally don’t need to be washed as frequently as blankets used every day. A blanket that mostly sits on the back of a chair or sofa may only need cleaning every few months.

Should you wash blankets before putting them into storage?

Clean blankets according to their care labels before storing them. Make sure they’re completely dry before packing them away to help prevent odors and moisture problems.

How can you remember when to wash home textiles?

Add less frequently cleaned textiles to a monthly or seasonal cleaning checklist. You can divide the jobs throughout the year so you aren’t trying to wash every curtain, rug, blanket, and pillow cover during one enormous laundry weekend.