How Often To Change the Bedding With Ringworm

The itchiness, the redness, the uncomfortable pain—ringworm. Ringworm is a contagious skin infection caused by a fungus. The infection starts off with redness and itching. Ringworm can appear on your scalp, feet and other areas of your body. To help eliminate ringworm, you need to treat yourself as well as any clothing and bedding, which you should change—sheets, pillowcases and other linens—every two days.

Changing Your Bedding

Change your bedding every two days. Sheets, pillowcases and other linens must be washed in hot water. By changing your bedding, you are not infecting others you sleep with and you are not re-infecting yourself. It is important that you change everything on the bed, even the mattress cover and comforter.

Washing and Drying the Bedding

Wash your bedding in hot water and use a regular laundry detergent. Also add ½ cup of borax to the wash water to help kill the ringworm. Then dry your bedding on the hottest setting your linens will allow (make sure you check the label on the bedding for the proper setting) for at least 30 minutes.

You can also dry your bedding on a clothesline outside. Make sure you dry it during the hottest part of the day. You want the linen to dry completely before putting the bedding back on your bed.

If you can't wash or dry your bedding in a home washing machine/dryer, have the bedding dry cleaned.

Extra Set of Bedding

If you only have one set of bedding, invest in another. Buy a polyester blend set of bedding so you can clean it quickly in hot water. Don't forget to buy pillowcases, mattress pad, comforter and any other bedding you usually put on your bed.