If you have kids, you know bedding gets dirty fast. Spilt milk, sticky fingers, night-time accidents, sweaty summer sleeps, and the odd bout of illness all end up on the sheets. Knowing how to wash children’s bedding properly keeps your child’s bed fresh, hygienic, and cosy. It also helps those duvets and comforters last much longer.
This guide walks you through it step by step, in plain language. Whether you live in a flat in Pimlico, a family home in Westminster or a terrace near Victoria, you will find simple advice you can use this week.
The Quick Answer: How Should You Wash Children’s Bedding?
Here is the short version for anyone in a hurry.
- Wash children’s sheets and pillowcases once a week at 60°C if the care label allows it.
- Wash duvet covers and blankets every one to two weeks.
- Wash the comforter or duvet itself two to four times a year, or straight away after an accident or illness.
- Use a mild, fragrance-free detergent and skip heavy fabric softener.
- Dry everything completely before putting it back on the bed.
That is the basic routine. The rest of this article explains the why and how.
Why Clean Bedding Matters for Children
Children spend around ten hours a day in bed, depending on their age. Their skin is thinner and more sensitive than ours, so dirty bedding can affect them more.
Dust mites, sweat, skin flakes, and dribble build up in sheets and comforters over time. This can trigger sneezing, itchy skin, or flare-ups of eczema and asthma. Clean bedding creates a healthier sleep space and helps your child rest better.
London homes can be especially prone to this. Many flats in central areas like Pimlico, Belgravia, and Vauxhall are small, with limited airflow and not much room to dry large items. That makes a proper wash routine even more useful.
How Often Should You Wash Kids’ Bedding?
A simple schedule makes life easier. Here is a guide most families find realistic.
Sheets and pillowcases: Once a week. Wash them sooner if your child has a cold, a rash or a leaky night.
Duvet covers: Every one to two weeks. They sit between your child and the duvet, so they take the daily wear.
Blankets and throws: Every two to four weeks, or whenever they look or smell tired.
Pillows: Every three to four months, if the label says they are washable.
Duvets and comforters: Two to four times a year. Wash them straight away after vomiting, a stomach bug, or a bed-wetting accident.
Soft toys that live in the bed: Every few weeks, as they collect dust and germs too.
Before You Wash: Check the Care Labels
This tiny step saves a lot of trouble. Every duvet, comforter, and sheet has a care label, usually stitched into a seam. It tells you the highest safe temperature, whether you can tumble dry, and whether the item is machine washable at all.
Look out for these common symbols:
- A tub with a number: This is the maximum wash temperature.
- A tub with a hand: Hand wash only.
- A triangle with a cross: Do not bleach.
- A square with a circle: Tumble drying is allowed.
- A crossed-out circle in a square: Do not tumble dry.
If the label is missing or faded, play it safe. Use a cooler wash and a gentle cycle, or ask a professional.
How to Wash Children’s Sheets and Pillowcases
Sheets are the easy part once you have a routine.
Strip the bed and shake the sheets out: Do this away from the bed to avoid spreading dust.
Sort by colour: Keep whites, brights, and darks apart.
Choose the right temperature: A 60°C wash is excellent for killing dust mites and bacteria on cotton sheets. Use 40°C for delicate fabrics or printed designs.
Pick a gentle detergent: Fragrance-free or “sensitive skin” options are kinder to children’s skin.
Do not overload the drum: Bedding needs room to move so the water and soap can rinse out properly.
Add an extra rinse if your child has sensitive skin: This clears leftover detergent that can cause irritation.
How to Remove Common Kids’ Bedding Stains
Children’s bedding rarely stays spotless, so a few stain tips come in handy.
Milk, vomit, and food: Rinse the stain in cold water first. Hot water can set protein stains. Then wash as normal.
Urine: Rinse in cold water, then soak in a mix of cold water and a little detergent for 30 minutes before washing. Many parents find a sprinkle of bicarbonate of soda helps with the smell.
Mud and grass: Let it dry, brush off what you can, then wash.
Felt tip and crayon: Dab gently with a little washing-up liquid on a damp cloth before the main wash.
Blood: Always use cold water. Rub gently with a little soap, then rinse.
Act as soon as you can. Fresh stains come out far more easily than old ones.
How to Wash a Child’s Comforter or Duvet
Washing a duvet is where most people hesitate, and fair enough. They are big, heavy, and tricky to dry. Here is how to do it well.
Check the Filling and Size
Most children’s duvets are filled with polyester or microfibre, and these are usually machine washable. Feathers, down, and wool fillings need more care and often a lower temperature or a professional clean.
Size matters just as much as filling. A single duvet takes up a lot of room once it is wet. A standard home washing machine often struggles with it, and the duvet may not rinse or spin properly.
Wash It Step by Step
- Check for rips or loose seams: Fix them first, or the filling can leak out in the wash.
- Wash it on its own: Never mix it with other items.
- Use a gentle cycle at 30°C to 40°C, unless the label says otherwise.
- Use a small amount of mild detergent: Too much soap leaves residue in the filling.
- Run an extra rinse and a spin cycle: This removes as much water and soap as possible.
Why a Launderette Is Often the Better Choice
A big commercial machine gives a duvet the space it needs. At The Pimlico Launderette, for example, the washing machines have around twice the capacity of an average domestic machine.
The water is softened, which means less soap is needed and less residue is left behind. For families with sensitive skin, this is a significant benefit.
How to Dry Children’s Bedding and Comforters Properly
Drying is just as important as washing. Damp bedding can grow mould and smell musty, which is the last thing you want near a child’s face.
For sheets and covers: Tumble dry on a low to medium heat, or hang them outside on a breezy day. Take them out while very slightly damp to reduce creasing.
For duvets and comforters: These need a large dryer and plenty of time. A small home dryer rarely does the job. The middle of the duvet stays damp long after the outside feels dry, and that is where mould and odours start.
A few helpful tips:
- Add two or three clean tennis balls or dryer balls to the dryer. They help fluff up the filling and stop it clumping.
- Pause the dryer every 20 minutes or so to shake the duvet out.
- Check the centre of the duvet before you stop. It should feel completely dry.
- If it still feels cool or damp inside, keep drying.
Large gas-heated dryers, like the ones found at a good self-service launderette, dry bulky items far more evenly than most domestic machines.
Choosing the Right Detergent for Children’s Bedding
Not all detergents suit little ones. Here is what to look for.
- Fragrance-free or hypoallergenic formulas: These cause fewer skin reactions.
- Non-biological options if your child has eczema or very sensitive skin.
- Small amounts: More soap does not mean cleaner bedding. It often means more residue.
Skip heavy fabric softener where you can. It can coat fibres, make duvets less breathable, and sometimes irritate skin. White vinegar in the softener drawer is a gentle alternative that helps keep fabrics soft.
Special Cases: Baby Bedding, Allergies, and Illness
Baby bedding: Newborn and baby bedding should be washed before first use and then regularly. Use a gentle detergent and a hot enough wash to keep things hygienic, while following the care label.
Allergies and asthma: Wash bedding at 60°C once a week where fabrics allow, use allergy-friendly covers, and dry fully. Washing also helps remove pollen that sticks to sheets in spring and summer.
After illness: After a tummy bug, a cold, or head lice, wash everything on the hottest cycle the label permits. Dry thoroughly in a hot dryer.
Bed-wetting: Keep a spare set of sheets and a waterproof mattress protector ready. Washing straight away stops smells from setting in.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even careful parents slip up. Here are the mistakes we see most often.
- Overloading the machine so bedding does not rinse properly.
- Using too much detergent or softener.
- Putting damp duvets back on the bed.
- Washing everything at the same hot temperature, even delicate items.
- Skipping the care label.
- Leaving stains to dry before treating them.
Avoid these, and your children’s bedding will stay cleaner and last longer.
When to Use a Launderette Instead of Washing at Home
Home washing works well for sheets and pillowcases. For bigger jobs, a launderette can save time and stress. Consider it when:
- Your washing machine is too small for a duvet or comforter.
- You live in a flat with no space to dry bulky items.
- You need several loads done at once after illness or a house move.
- You want the bedding dried fully in one visit.
This is especially handy in busy parts of central London. If you live around Pimlico, Victoria, Westminster, Churchill Gardens, or Belgravia, a local launderette is only a short trip away and saves a lot of drying time on your radiators and air conditioners.
Let the Pimlico Launderette Handle the Heavy Lifting
Washing children’s bedding and comforters should not take over your weekend. At The Pimlico Launderette, we make it simple, whether you want to do it yourself or hand it over to our team.
Here is what we offer:
- Self-service laundry with fast-spinning, large-capacity machines and softened water, with wash times of around 31 to 36 minutes.
- Large gas-heated dryers that dry bulky duvets and comforters properly.
- Pillow and duvet cleaning, with a single duvet service from £13.
- Service washes from £20 for a small load, from £30 for a medium load and from £35 for a large load.
- Friendly, experienced staff on hand all day to help.
We have served Pimlico and the wider Victoria area for 36 years, so we know what busy London families need.
Find us at: 3 Westmoreland Terrace, London, SW1V 4AG. From Victoria, take the C10 bus to Sutherland Row, or walk along Buckingham Palace Road to Sutherland Street and turn into Westmoreland Terrace.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Sunday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please note the last wash is at 6:00 PM for small machines and 5:30 PM for large machines.
Call us at 020 7821 0637
WhatsApp: +44 7391 001142
Bring in your children’s duvets, comforters, and bedding today, and let us give them a deep, fresh clean.
Call, message us on WhatsApp, or just drop in. Your little ones deserve a fresh bed, and you deserve a free evening.
