Improve Bedding Hygiene with a Flat Sheet on Your Bed

In the heat of the South African summer, do you also struggle to fall asleep? Is your blanket or comforter just too warm? Enter the flat sheet – a simple, easy to care for solution to your sleeping problems. Read on as our bedding expert at The Mattress Warehouse explains why you need flat sheets (or top sheets) on your bed.

Summer is here, what’s the point of a flat sheet?

A flat sheet makes for an excellent barrier between your sweaty body and the duvet or blanket. So you don’t have to go through the schlepp of washing your duvet all the time. Furthermore, with average summer night temperatures of over 20°C (optimal sleeping temperature is around 18°C), using a flat sheet instead of a blanket can make the difference between sleeping and swearing… Uhm, we mean sweating. Difference between sleeping and sweating. Point being, a sheet is a lot cooler than your blankie.

So in answer to your next question…

Yes, your bed absolutely needs a flat sheet

It is true that in America, the younger generations are moving away from using a flat sheet. However, don’t let that influence your decision. Because using a top sheet is simply more hygienic than going without. Sure, it can be annoying if you need to make your bed in a rush but it is so much easier to maintain than a comforter. But before we go into too much detail about why your bed needs a flat sheet, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of having a top sheet on your bed:

The pros and cons of having a flat sheet on your bed

You might be wondering how having a top sheet improves your sleep hygiene, right? Well, let us show you. A recent study found that bedding and linen are among the top ten dirtiest household items in South Africa. That is because roughly a third of us don’t wash our bedding on a weekly basis, as we should. But in all fairness, bedding gets dirty real quick! You see, we create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria by shedding dead skin cells and sweat into our bedding every night. If you have a top sheet, you can contain the bacteria between the sheets. And then on laundry day you can simply chuck the sheets in the washing machine and get rid of the nasties.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a top sheet the bacteria infests your blanket and/or duvet which is a lot more tedious to wash.

More than hygiene

Using flat sheets has more pros than simply keeping your bed bacteria-free. We’ve already mentioned the fact that it can help to regulate your body temperature on warm nights. But it also creates a more, dare we say, luxurious feel to your bed. Luxury hotels use top sheets to make guests feel like they can stay in bed forever. So if you want to pamper yourself and enjoy your time in bed, simply add a flat sheet between the fitted sheet and the comforter. You can also use a flat sheet to cover the mattress, instead of a fitted sheet. It is more tedious to put the sheet on the bed, but much easier to put the clean sheets away in the linen cupboard. You can find out how to use a flat sheet instead of a fitted sheet here. But if you prefer a fitted sheet for a base, see how to fold a fitted sheet properly with our guide.

Flat sheets for sale for any bed size

You’ve probably realised by now that flat sheets are quite versatile and can add a whole lot of value to your bedroom. And the cool thing is that you can get these sheets in any size, from single all the way through to King XL. At The Mattress Warehouse, all of our flat sheets are made of 100% cotton, with thread counts varying between 200 and 500. If your child needs a new top sheet or two, opt for something like the Sealy 200TC Cotton Flat Sheet. It is durable but you won’t break the bank or cry if the sheet gets damaged. For your own bedroom, if you want to sleep in style, check out the Basel 500 Thread Count Cotton Flat Sheet.

Tip: For a complete guide to thread count, click here.

Buy your bedding and linen online

So for the warm summer nights ahead, head over to our online store and get a flat sheet or three. It will help you keep cool and clean. What more do you need in the bedroom? And if you live within a 100 km radius of major cities in South Africa, the shipping fee is on us.