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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
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Hospital bed sheets, including fitted hospital bed sheets, are the linens placed over a hospital mattress. Searchers are usually clinic staff, buyers and students who need to know what a sheet is and how it must be reprocessed; this guide covers the rules published by the CDC and OSHA, which retail listings leave out.
What hospital bed sheets are
A hospital bed sheet is a textile laid on the mattress of a patient bed. A fitted sheet has elasticized corners that hold it over the mattress; a flat sheet is a plain rectangle that is tucked or laid over it. Users are patients, nursing and environmental-services staff, and the laundry or linen-service teams who reprocess them. The CDC lists “bed sheets and blankets” among the laundry that health-care facilities handle (CDC, Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities, section G “Laundry and Bedding”, page dated January 8, 2024).
Bed sheets are an item of linen, not a medical device. The FDA’s classification for the adjustable hospital bed (21 CFR 880.5100) describes the bed itself: a bed with a built-in electric motor and side rails. It says nothing about sheets or linens.
How hospital bed sheets are laundered
The CDC guideline describes two accepted approaches to washing, plus drying and ironing as additional steps. These are the values the CDC states; local policy and the sheet’s fabric label still govern an individual facility.
| Step | What the CDC states |
|---|---|
| Hot-water wash | “A temperature of at least 160°F (71°C) for a minimum of 25 minutes is commonly recommended.” |
| Lower-temperature wash | Water temperatures of 71°F to 77°F (22°C to 25°C) can reduce microbial contamination when the cycle is properly controlled; such cycles rely on chlorine- or oxygen-activated bleach. |
| Chlorine bleach | A total available chlorine residual of 50 to 150 ppm is usually achieved during the bleach cycle; chlorine bleach becomes activated at water temperatures of 135°F to 145°F (57.2°C to 62.7°C). |
| Drying and ironing | The temperatures reached in drying, and especially in ironing, add significant microbiocidal action; dryer temperatures and cycle times are dictated by the materials in the fabrics. |
Handling soiled sheets
OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iv), covers contaminated laundry, and the CDC guideline restates the same practices:
- Contaminated laundry is handled as little as possible, with a minimum of agitation.
- It is bagged or containerized at the location where it was used, and is not sorted or rinsed in the location of use.
- Bags or containers are labeled or color-coded; if the laundry is wet and soak-through or leakage is likely, the container must prevent it.
- Workers who have contact with contaminated laundry wear protective gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment.
For linen moved around a unit, see linen carts and linen chutes. Clean linen from an off-site laundry must be packaged before transport so it is not contaminated during loading, delivery and unloading (CDC).
Sheet, mattress cover and antimicrobial textile: what each is not
| Item | What the CDC says |
|---|---|
| Linen sheet | A linen sheet placed on the mattress is not considered a mattress cover. See vinyl mattress covers. |
| Mattress cover | Should be replaced when torn; the mattress should be replaced if visibly stained. Wet mattresses can be a substantial environmental source of microorganisms. |
| Antimicrobial-treated sheets | No data support their use as part of a sound infection-control strategy, and the added expense of replacing a facility’s bedding and sheets with them is described as unwarranted. |
Common mistakes
- Sorting or rinsing soiled sheets on the unit, which OSHA prohibits at the location of use.
- Treating a sheet as if it were a mattress cover, or the reverse; the CDC treats them as different items.
- Relying on antimicrobial-treated sheets as an infection-control measure when the CDC finds no supporting data.
- Leaving a torn mattress cover in service or a visibly stained mattress in use.
FAQ
What temperature should hospital sheets be washed at?
The CDC states that at least 160°F (71°C) for a minimum of 25 minutes is commonly recommended for hot-water washing, and that properly controlled lower-temperature cycles of 71°F to 77°F (22°C to 25°C) with bleach can also reduce microbial contamination (CDC, January 8, 2024).
Is a fitted hospital bed sheet the same as a mattress cover?
No. The CDC states that a linen sheet placed on the mattress is not considered a mattress cover. See vinyl mattress covers.
Do antimicrobial hospital bed sheets reduce infections?
The CDC says no data support using antimicrobial-treated textiles as part of a sound infection-control strategy.
Can soiled sheets be rinsed on the ward before they go to the laundry?
No. OSHA’s standard says contaminated laundry is not sorted or rinsed in the location of use; it is bagged or containerized where it was used.
Related guides
See also hospital blankets and terminal cleaning for the room-level process.
Sources
- CDC, Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities, “G. Laundry and Bedding”, page dated January 8, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/environmental-control/laundry-bedding.html (checked 2026-10-30).
- OSHA, Bloodborne Pathogens, 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iv) Laundry, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1030 (checked 2026-10-30).
- FDA, 21 CFR 880.5100 AC-powered adjustable hospital bed, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.5100 (checked 2026-10-30).
