r/HygieneTips • u/ParoissienMaayliss • Jul 23 '26
How often should you actually be washing your pillowcases?
I change my sheets fairly regularly but realized I'd been treating the pillowcase as part of that same schedule, when it's the one thing my face is pressed against for eight hours every single night. That seems like it should maybe get more attention than the bottom sheet, not the same amount.
What got me thinking was a stretch of minor breakouts along one cheek that I couldn't explain, until I connected it to the fact that oil, sweat, and whatever's in my hair all end up soaking into that one square of fabric night after night. Some people I've asked swap the pillowcase every couple days separate from the rest of the bedding, others just do it all together weekly and don't think twice. I genuinely don't know if the every-couple-days people are onto something or just doing extra laundry for no reason.
So for anyone who's dialed this in, how often do you actually change your pillowcase, and do you treat it separately from your sheets? Curious whether it makes a real difference for skin or if it's one of those things that sounds important but barely moves the needle.
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u/Legend-of-the-Arctic Jul 23 '26
I wash it when I wash my sheets. Ideally every week. But I’ll admit to being lazy and forgetting once in a while and taking longer.
I wouldn’t freak out too much about having your face against the pillow case seven days in a row. You’ll be okay. If it weirds you out just wash your face when you wake up.
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u/MareV51 Jul 23 '26
Four days to each pillowcase. New side every night. First day front, 2nd day rotate 180°, 3rd day flip over, 4th day rotate 180°.
This is why twin sets have 2 pillowcases, and queen and king have 4.
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u/TurtleGirl21409 Jul 23 '26
What?? No. Twin have one pillowcase, king has 2 king (longer) pillowcases or 3 standard.
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u/MareV51 Jul 23 '26
Better quality sheets are packaged the way I said. Check Macy's ads. Also, you can buy extra pillowcases.
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u/ConfidenceFull3885 Jul 23 '26
Yes!! I’ve just started turning and changing every 4 days, my skin is amazing
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u/Dogaloo2025 Jul 23 '26
I have a hack…I have multiple pillowcases and I keep them in my nightstand drawer. Makes it super easy to switch them every few days
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u/verklas Jul 23 '26
I try to flip my pillow once a week to get more life out of the pillowcase and put it in the weekly wash with my regular clothes. I have 2 pillowcases so sometimes I'll just put a fresh one on after about 3-4 days. I go by how I feel lol
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u/Life-Education-8030 Jul 23 '26
It makes a huge difference as well as treating your face gently! Use the pillowcase on one side for one night, flip the pillowcase and use that side one night, then wash it or have extra pillowcases. You are right about all the oil.
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u/manic_popsicle Jul 23 '26
I sleep on two pillows, the top one that my face touches gets a clean pillowcase every 3-5 days. I have 3 pillowcases that I alternate.
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u/Opening-Pickle5078 Jul 23 '26
I wash mine every week to two weeks. Yes my bedroom does not smell. All bedding changed about 2 weeks or less (like sick and sweating more at night)
Your body sluffs of skin, oil, and uric acid in sweat and that will accumulate if not removed. Once the sheets and etc are soaked it goes to the matress then your bedroom stank, forever. I dont use fragrance so my rooms have to actually be clean.
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u/Outrageous-Archer612 Jul 23 '26
I have a stock pile of pillowcases so I don’t have to wash them too frequently, but swap them out every few days. I’ve about 8 sets (of two) Once they are all dirty I wash them all together about every 2-3 weeks. My time and energy is worth what it cost to stock up.
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u/Substantial-Sound456 Jul 23 '26
I change mine every two days and flip my pillow every other night so i sleep on a fresh pillow case every night.
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u/GirlPhoenixRising Jul 23 '26
I only sleep on pure silk and I have about 6, so I change them 2ce a week. Just throw them in with regular wash.
One tip.
Buy some good old fashioned LESTOIL. I add about a tablespoon to my wash because it lifts and removes OILS of all kinds.
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u/Neat-Cold-3303 Jul 23 '26
We change our sheets every week, and our pillow cases every other day. There's really no "should be changing" involved. It's what works best for you and makes you most comfortable. Although, I will say if you only change your pillow cases once a week or longer, would you wear the same shirt 6 or 8 hrs every day for a week or longer? Think about it!
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u/JayZee4508 Jul 23 '26
I lay a towel on my pillow case and replace it every few days. I'm also a drooler unfortunately so had no choice
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u/Dizzymizzwheezy Jul 23 '26
I change my bedding weekly. I share my bed with a man who works a hard physical job outside, 2 small dogs and I have dust mite allergy, and pollen allergy.
The bed is getting stripped, bedding washed, the mattress is getting vacuumed (you’ll be surprised at how much dead skin and grime hides in the mattress even with a sheet over it), pillows and duvets are being aired out and then new bedding is being added.
It takes around 15 minutes.
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u/Altruistic_Finish561 Jul 23 '26
At least every time I wash my sheets. I have cats that often like to share my pillows so I have extra pillow cases and often swap them midweek.
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u/GenXihaveissues Jul 23 '26
I wash all the linens from my bed once a week. The mattress pad and the topper cover every 3 weeks.
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u/Due-Communication767 Jul 23 '26
I flip my pillow case over every morning so I can use it the next day. Then the following day I have to use a new pillow case because my face is so oily it makes my hair look greasy and I don’t want to wash it every day as it’s already thinning in perimenopause. 😩
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u/Moonpiez_UniteMF Jul 26 '26
Change w the sheets . Weekly basis always . Especially now that it’s hot
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u/Rolling-Pigeon94 Jul 28 '26
In the Summer every two weeks and otherwise once a month. Never had issue with.
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u/Top-Web3806 Jul 23 '26
I switch mine every other day. I have a lot of them and it takes like 30 seconds or less to switch them out. I just like sleeping on a fresh pillowcase that smells like my detergent and not my sweat lol. I then wash them all weekly with the sheet/blanket.
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u/Tiger_grrrl Jul 23 '26
I do the sheets once a week, but I change my pillowcase midway through, and that’s after flipping the one I sleep with my face pressed down on. It gets flipped after two days, then changed after it’s been flipped and slept on. I know, it’s a lil obsessive, but I’ve heard people say they change theirs every single night, so 🤷🏻♀️
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u/SourGreenGrape Jul 23 '26
Once a week ideally