How to Wash a Grounding Sheet So It Keeps Conducting

Wash a grounding sheet on a gentle cycle in cool or warm water with a mild detergent. Skip fabric softener, bleach and dryer sheets, then line dry it. When it is back on the bed, touch the tester pen to the fabric with the cord plugged in. If the pen lights, the sheet is still earthed.

That is the whole routine. The rest of this page explains why each step is there, so you can make sensible calls when the weather or the washing machine doesn't cooperate.

Key takeaways

• The silver thread runs through the weave, not over it, so a normal wash does not strip it.
• Fabric softener, bleach and dryer sheets are the three things to avoid. Each leaves a film that reduces conductivity.
• Line dry. A low tumble is the most it should see; high heat is the thing to avoid.
• Check it with the tester pen after washing. It takes ten seconds and tells you more than any label.
• The mat and the wristband are not machine washed. The mat wipes clean, and the band is washed by hand.

The wash, step by step

1. Unclip the cord. Take the cord off the sheet before it goes anywhere near the machine. The cord, the plug and the tester pen stay dry.
2. Gentle cycle, cool or warm water. A gentle or delicate cycle is kinder to every fibre in the sheet, including the silver thread. Hot washes aren't needed for bedding you wash regularly.
3. Mild detergent, and nothing else. No fabric softener, no bleach, no stain remover with bleach in it. If your detergent is a two-in-one with softener built in, use a plain one for the sheet.
4. Line dry. Hang it out. If you need the dryer, keep it on low, take it out promptly, and leave the dryer sheets out.
5. Back on the bed, then check it. Fit the sheet, clip the cord back on, plug it into the earth pin of a socket and touch the tester pen to the fabric.

Handle it like any good sheet when you take it off and put it back on. There is no need to baby it, but hauling on one corner to stretch it over a deep mattress is harder on the fabric than any wash.

Why softener and bleach are the two to avoid

A grounding sheet works by conducting. The 10% silver thread gives a path from the fabric you lie on to the cord, and from the cord to the earth pin of the socket. Anything that coats the thread puts a thin layer between your skin and that path.

Fabric softener works by leaving a film on fibres; that film is what makes towels feel soft. On a grounding sheet the same film sits on the silver thread. Bleach is harsh on fibres generally, and dryer sheets are softener in a different form. That is why all three come off the list, and why plain detergent stays on it.

This is also where a sheet's construction matters. A conductive layer printed or coated on top of a fabric can wear off in the wash. Silver thread woven through the fabric doesn't have a top layer to lose. When you compare grounding sheets, ask how the conductive thread is attached, because it decides how the sheet copes with years of washing.

Drying: line, or low if you have to

Line drying is best for the bamboo and for the silver thread. Australian sun dries a sheet quickly, and a breezy day does it without the heat.

When line drying isn't practical, a low tumble is fine. Keep it short and skip the dryer sheets. High heat is the one setting to avoid, for the same reason you would avoid it on any fine bamboo fabric.

How often to wash it

As often as you would wash any sheet on your bed. A grounding sheet is still a sheet: it is slept on, so it gets washed. There is no special schedule, and no reason to wash it less often to protect the silver.

If you are in the first month of using one, our first 30 nights guide puts the first wash at around week four, which is a good moment to run the tester pen and see that nothing has changed.

Check it after the wash

The tester pen is in every box. With the cord plugged into the earth pin of a socket, hold the pen and touch its tip to the fabric. It lights when the sheet is earthed. It is a conductivity check, not a health test, and it is the one thing you can measure yourself.

If the light stays off after a wash, it is almost always the connection, not the fabric:

• Check the cord is clicked on firmly at the sheet and at the plug.
• Try a different socket. Some older homes and rentals have sockets that aren't earthed.
• Plug straight into the wall rather than a power board while you test.

Our troubleshooting guide walks through each of these. If the pen still won't light, email us. The 1-year warranty covers conductivity and workmanship, and if the reading drops within the year, we replace the sheet.

Washing the mat, the wristband and the silk

The rest of the range has its own rules, and none of it goes in the machine with the sheet.

• The grounding mat has a waterproof carbon surface. Wipe it with a damp cloth and mild soap. No machine washing, no bleach.
• The grounding wristband is hand washed in cool water with mild soap, then air dried. The conductive fabric doesn't like the machine.
• Silk pillowcases and eye masks want cool water, a pH-neutral silk detergent and no softener. The silk care guide covers them.

The short version

Gentle cycle, mild detergent, no softener, bleach or dryer sheets, line dry, and run the pen when it is back on the bed. The full setup and care steps for every product are in our setup and care guide, and the sheets themselves are here: the fitted grounding sheet and the flat grounding sheet.

Questions people ask

Can you put a grounding sheet in the washing machine?

Yes. Wash it on a gentle cycle in cool or warm water with a mild detergent. Unclip the cord first. The mat and the wristband are different: wipe the mat with a damp cloth, and hand wash the wristband.

Does washing take the silver out of a grounding sheet?

Our sheets are organic bamboo with 10% silver thread woven through the fabric, not printed or coated on top, so a normal wash does not strip it. What reduces conductivity is a coating left behind by fabric softener, bleach or dryer sheets.

Can I use fabric softener on a grounding sheet?

No. Softener leaves a film on the fibres, including the silver thread, and that film reduces conductivity. Check the label of your detergent too: two-in-one products with built-in softener count.

Can I tumble dry a grounding sheet?

Line drying is best. If you have to use the dryer, keep it on low and skip the dryer sheets. Avoid high heat.

How do I know my grounding sheet still works after washing?

Put it back on the bed, plug the cord into the earth pin of a socket, and touch the tester pen to the fabric. It lights when the sheet is earthed. If it does not, check the cord is clicked on at both ends and try another socket.