How to Clean Everything on Your Bed

If you use a duvet cover over your comforter instead of a top sheet, Holliday-Bell says washing it every two to four weeks along with your comforter is typically sufficient, depending on your personal preference and usage. I know it’s tempting to leave your duvet cover in place for months at a time since they’re so annoying to remove, but it’s just as important to wash regularly as your sheets. Or just switch to a top sheet instead and wash it with your sheets every week.

How to Clean Your Pillows

Recommendations for cleaning your pillow depend on the type of pillow you have. Does it have a cover? What kind of fill does it have? Casper, the maker of our top pillow pick, generally recommends washing your pillow every three to six months and your pillowcase every two weeks. If you aren’t using a pillowcase and instead just sleep straight on the pillow cover (you’re a wild one), you’ll want to wash the pillow cover with that frequency instead. We try to wash our pillow covers every month or two even with the pillowcase covering them, especially in the event of illness or drooling episodes.

But what about the pillow filling, or if your pillow doesn’t have a cover? This depends. Most pillows and fillings can go into the wash, but certain loose foam fillings—like the filling of a Honeydew or Coop pillow—aren’t designed for the wash. Solid foam pillows also might need to be hand washed instead of thrown into the washing machine. You’ll need to double-check the instructions for your specific pillow to make sure you’re washing it right.

How to Clean Your Comforter

Photograph: Nena Farrell

The matter of how often to clean your comforter is weirdly contentious. Some prefer to wash once per month or so, though others advise washing seasonally—just once or twice per year. If you have a duvet cover, you can wash that more frequently and save yourself the trouble of washing your comforter. We’ve found that as long as we thoroughly dry our comforters, even the down versions hold up just fine. Avery points out that you should spot-clean a comforter (using warm water and soft soap such as Woolite) or dry clean it as needed and that machine washing can disrupt fill placement (especially on a baffle-box comforter). Ijaz says that you should dry-clean heavier bedding, or wash those items in front-loading machines to prevent damage to your washing machine.

How to Clean Your Mattress

Photograph: Nena Farrell

You can spot-clean your mattress. Note that if it has a built-in cover (like our favorite Helix mattress), you shouldn’t remove the cover to clean it. You’ll want to be careful about using too much water—the last thing you want is a waterlogged bed. To spot-clean, first vacuum the top of your bed to get rid of dust, dander, and other detritus. Next, you can sprinkle baking soda on any stains, rub it in with an old toothbrush, and vacuum it up after letting it sit about 10 minutes. Baking soda can help neutralize bad odors. Finally, for stubborn spots, you can mix hydrogen peroxide and water with a tiny bit of dish soap. Spray or sponge the solution on and sprinkle the stain with more baking soda. Let the paste sit for a few hours before vacuuming it up.

How to Clean Your Bed Frame

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Be sure to regularly vacuum and/or dust your bed frame. A brush attachment can help with dust and debris (like the aforementioned alleged Hot Cheeto crumbs), and a crevice tool can help you get into the nooks and crannies. If your bed frame is upholstered, you can spot-clean any stains using a mix of dish soap and warm water. You may want to test by cleaning a small out-of-sight area to ensure the fabric looks the same afterward. A wooden bed frame can benefit from furniture wax if it isn’t looking its best. Always refer to manufacturer care instructions.