Latest news with #experts
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Roth 401(k) vs. 401(k): Which one is better for you?
401(k) retirement plans come in two types: traditional and Roth. A traditional 401(k) allows you to contribute pre-tax dollars, offering an immediate tax break. A Roth 401(k) plan allows you to contribute post-tax dollars, so you won't owe taxes when you withdraw from the account in retirement. Each plan offers different advantages. Which one is best for you ultimately depends on your time horizon, individual goals and risk tolerance. The 401(k) plan comes in two varieties — the Roth 401(k) and the traditional 401(k). Each offers a different type of tax advantage, and choosing the right plan is one of the biggest questions workers have about their 401(k) plans. It can be a surprisingly complicated choice, but many experts prefer the Roth 401(k) because you'll never pay taxes on qualified withdrawals. Here are some of the key differences: Traditional 401(k) Roth 401(k) Contributions Contributions are made with pre-tax income, meaning you won't be taxed on that income in the current year. Contributions are made with after-tax income, meaning you won't receive a tax break in the current tax year. Retirement withdrawals Withdrawals at retirement (after age 59 ½) are treated as ordinary income. Withdrawals at retirement are tax-free if you've had the account for at least 5 years. Employer match An employer match may be available. An employer match may be available and is typically treated as a contribution to a pre-tax account. Required minimum distributions Yes, starting at age 73. RMDs are no longer required. Penalties Yes, a 10 percent bonus penalty on the full withdrawal amount may be levied on early withdrawals. Yes, a 10 percent bonus penalty may be levied on any earnings taken through early withdrawals. However, the choice depends a lot on your individual financial situation. Here's what you need to know about each type and why one might be better for your needs. Get started: Match with an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals The 401(k) is one of the most popular retirement plans around. About 70 million people actively participate in them, holding a collective $8.9 trillion as of September 2024, according to the Investment Company Institute. Their appeal: A 401(k) plan offers a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement, making it easier for you to roll up some dough for the future. Regardless of which plan you choose, 401(k) plans have some things in common. Some of the most important features include the following: Tax breaks for contributing, either now or in the future. A selection of investment funds to purchase. Tax-advantaged growth on your contributions. Maximum annual contributions of $23,500 for 2025, with a $7,500 catch-up contribution for those who are age 50 and older. Potential for employer matching contributions, with your employer kicking in extra money based on your contributions. 10 percent penalties may be assessed for early withdrawal, with penalty-free withdrawals beginning at age 59 ½. Either 401(k) plan helps make investing easy, because they withdraw money from your paycheck and then invest it in your selected funds. Many participants like the ease of investing this way and report that they never miss the money. A traditional 401(k) is the original version of the plan and is usually referred to simply as a 401(k). This type of plan allows you to make contributions with pre-tax dollars so that you don't pay taxes on money you contribute. So your tax break comes today, rather than later. In this 401(k), you'll also enjoy deferred taxes on your investment gains. Your money is taxed only when it comes out of the account. That means you can avoid taxes on earnings, such as capital gains and dividends, until you withdraw them from the account during retirement. A Roth 401(k) is a relatively new addition, and it allows you a different kind of tax break. With a Roth 401(k) you'll make contributions with after-tax money, so you won't enjoy a tax break today. In exchange, any money that you withdraw in retirement will be tax-free. In a Roth 401(k), you'll enjoy not only tax-free growth of your investment gains but also tax-free withdrawals. The reality is that you won't pay taxes on any money that comes out of the account at all. The lone caveat: the withdrawals must occur in retirement, meaning mainly that money has to be withdrawn after you turn age 59 ½, with a few qualified exceptions such as economic hardship, or for qualified first-time homebuyers. One other key difference occurs if you're receiving matching funds for a Roth 401(k), which typically don't go into the Roth portion of the account. 'Employer contributions go toward your pre-tax 401(k) funds,' says Rob Greenman, CFP, at Vista Capital in Portland, Oregon. 'So, by electing an employee Roth contribution, you're getting a mix of both Roth and pre-tax funds.' However, the Secure Act 2.0, which was passed at the end of 2022, now allows for matching contributions to be made in the Roth account, though it may take some time for employers to offer this feature as part of their plans. Keep in mind that if you opt for matching contributions to go into your Roth account, the contributions will be taxed. The question about which 401(k) plan is better depends so much on your individual situation. A Roth 401(k) works well in many cases, but the traditional 401(k) is really good in others. But not knowing the future means you'll have to do some guesswork about where your life will lead. 'With perfect information about our career trajectory, future earnings, and future tax rates, we'd simply be able to model whether contributing to our 401(k) on a pre-tax or Roth basis was best,' says Roger Ma, founder and financial planner at lifelaidout in New York. 'Unfortunately, we don't know any of that information.' However, there are a number of situations where you're better off picking one or the other based on where you are now and what you might expect in the future. 401(k) calculator: Figure out which plan makes the most financial sense for you Here's when the Roth is probably a better option: 'I recommend making Roth contributions when someone is in a low bracket and expecting to later be in a higher tax bracket,' says Mark Wilson, CFP and founder of MILE Wealth Management in Irvine, California. 'If you can pay taxes today at 12 percent to avoid paying taxes in the future at 25 percent, this is a good deal.' Wilson defines a low bracket as being taxed at the federal level of 12 percent or less. 'There are cases where Roths can make sense for folks in higher brackets as long as they are expecting even higher incomes in the future,' says Wilson. Youth is also a big advantage, allowing money to grow tax-free even longer. 'The younger a person is, the more advantage a Roth can have for them, because they have a longer time for the money to grow,' says Edward J. Snyder, CFP and founder of Oaktree Financial Advisors in Carmel, Indiana. 'The younger person is also more likely to be in a lower tax bracket than someone who is mid- to late-career.' Even if you don't expect to earn more, you might expect tax rates across the country to increase, and such a rise could make the Roth 401(k) more attractive today. 'We are experiencing, as a country, some of the lowest tax rates in our history,' says Alex Koury, CFP, of Hosler Wealth Management in Phoenix. 'Considering the massive debt we already have, it is likely in the future tax rates will be higher.' Of course, there's always uncertainty in any projections, especially predicting the political winds. 'The risk is that you may not know your income in the future and you may not know what tax rates will be in the future,' says Marguerita Cheng, CFP and CEO at Blue Ocean Global Wealth in the Washington, D.C. area. If you've already funded a traditional 401(k), it can make sense to add a Roth plan to the mix. It can actually be valuable to not have all your eggs in one retirement basket, even if it does make the most financial sense today. That's because having both plans will offer you flexibility later. 'Having money spread out in both pre-tax and Roth accounts gives 'future you' more flexibility to better control your tax bracket in retirement,' says Ma. 'They will be able to choose to take withdrawals from sources that are pre-tax, like a traditional 401(k), or after-tax like a Roth 401(k),' says Snyder. 'This can help them get more income out of investments and not go into a higher tax bracket.' 'If you only have money in a traditional 401(k), you'll have less flexibility, as withdrawals will be taxed at your marginal tax rate, and you'll be subject to required minimum distributions,' says Ma. 'RMDs can have an impact on the taxation of Social Security benefits and Medicare surcharges,' says Greenman. Exceed certain income thresholds and more of your Social Security check becomes taxable. A mix of accounts can help you avoid this scenario. Both the traditional 401(k) and the Roth 401(k) had required minimum distributions in 2023 (though there are a handful of exceptions), but the Roth allowed you to escape the RMD without any extra taxes. Beginning in 2024, RMDs were no longer required for Roth 401(k) accounts, thanks to the Secure Act 2.0. Here's when the traditional 401(k) plan is probably the better option: Because the traditional 401(k) gives you a tax break on contributions today, it can make sense to use that break today when your tax costs are high. 'If someone is in the highest tax bracket (37 percent), and they think they will be earning less as they approach retirement, then it may make sense to contribute on a pre-tax basis,' says Ma. That's the course of action recommended by Marianela Collado, CFP, at Tobias Financial Advisors in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but she adds an important stipulation. 'Having said that, even this only makes sense if you are disciplined enough to take the savings associated with making that traditional 401(k) contribution and you save that, too,' says Collado. Collado says that if you're not disciplined enough to invest that tax savings from the traditional 401(k), 'then the tax-free growth [in a Roth] will far outweigh what you could've accumulated in a traditional plan on an after-tax basis.' Some employers don't offer matching contributions for 401(k) plans at all. However, some subset of employers provide this perk for traditional 401(k) plans only — but not Roth 401(k) plans — because of how tax laws benefit these traditional plans. 'Some employers do not match on Roth 401(k) contributions, because they are unable to get the tax benefit,' says Marc Schindler, owner of Pivot Point Advisors in the Houston area. 'If this is the case, the worker can utilize the regular 401(k) to capture the match and then switch to the Roth later in the year.' Using Schindler's strategy, you can still capture the full employer matching — which advisors universally agree is the thing you must do — with early-year contributions to a traditional plan. Learn more: How to build a financial plan for you and your family If you want to take advantage of the benefits of a traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k), you can do so. For example, you could make contributions for the first half of the year into the Roth version to take advantage of its tax-free withdrawals in retirement and use the second half of the year to get benefits from the traditional 401(k) plan's tax breaks on contributions. Or you could alternate years, using the Roth plan one year and the traditional plan the next. Either way, your plan's administrator will track and categorize your contributions appropriately for tax purposes. Regardless of which 401(k) plan you choose — or if you choose both — your total contributions in any single year are limited to the annual maximum ($23,500 in 2025, with a $7,500 catch-up contribution for those age 50 and older.) That maximum does not include any employer match on your contributions, however. So the match counts as a bonus above and beyond your own personal contributions. With this employer contribution, the maximum you can put into the account is $70,000 in 2025, plus the $7,500 catch-up for those 50 and over. Is there a downside to a Roth 401(k)? A Roth 401(k) doesn't have major downsides, but it's worthwhile knowing the full story. Generally, early withdrawals from a 401(k) are not permitted, so when your money is there, it's in there for good. That said, the 401(k) does have a few situations — hardship withdrawals — when you can access your money, and sometimes even without a penalty. Your investment options in a 401(k) are also limited to whatever is in your plan, and the investments may be unattractive or charge high fees. Is Roth 401(k) separate from 401(k)? Regardless of whether you contribute to a traditional 401(k), a Roth 401(k) or both, your money is held in the same account. The management company keeps track of which contributions are treated as pre-tax contributions and which are after-tax Roth contributions. Can you convert traditional 401(k) funds to a Roth 401(k)? Yes, you can convert a traditional 401(k) to a Roth 401(k), but it will create a taxable event. Since contributions to a traditional 401(k) were made with pre-tax money, income taxes have never been paid on the contribution. So any pre-tax money that is converted to a Roth 401(k) will create a tax liability, which could be substantial, depending on how much you're converting. You can also work with one of the best brokers for IRAs to convert a traditional 401(k) to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. The choice between a traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k) can depend on a lot of factors that are specific to your individual financial situation. While the experts love the Roth 401(k) for its many tax benefits, you'll have to decide whether that makes sense for your needs and future. — Bankrate's Brian Baker, CFA, contributed to an update of this story.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
The lifestyle triple-threat cutting 20 years from a person's life
Approximately one million adults in England are at risk of significantly cutting 20 years from their lives by combining being overweight, excessive drinking, and smoking. Analysis by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) reveals that 22 percent of adults in England, totalling about 10 million people, have two or more of these health risk factors. Experts warn these factors disproportionately increase the risk of developing severe conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and Type-2 diabetes. Public health advocates stress that these issues are often driven by industry behavior and call for a comprehensive, joined-up approach to public health policymaking to alleviate strain on the NHS. The government plans to address these challenges through a new 10-year plan, which includes measures like banning junk food advertising, increasing funding for addiction treatment, and phasing out cigarette sales.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
B&M's £1 pantry staple will banish flying ants from home – as ‘tens of millions' of insects to swarm UK in just DAYS
THE B&M pantry staple that will keep pests out of your home, as experts warn this year's Flying Ant Day could be one of the biggest in recent years. This handy hack offers a low-cost, toxin free way of keeping the pesky insects away ahead of pest control experts' warnings. 2 Ground pepper can be used to deter ants from your home and is available for £1 at B&M. A study from Vanderbilt University says that ants have 400 smell receptors which allow them not only to smell their immediate surroundings, but also play a role in their communication and navigation. That is why putting down strong scents like pepper can help to deter them, as it will overload their receptors. Cheap trick to keep your home pest free There are a couple of different ways that you can use the pepper deterrent. The easiest is to simply sprinkle it in areas where you typically see ants in your home. However, you can also use it to mix up a makeshift bug spray, offering a cheaper alternative to forking out on insect repellent. By mixing one measure of pepper to ten measures of water you will create a spray which can then be used throughout your home. A Texas A&M University showed that water with pepper is more likely to kill ants than water alone. Where to spray the ingredient in your home However, be careful not to spray it near where your pets might be, as it could cause irritation to their respiratory system or cause an upset stomach. Pest control experts are anti a significant surge in flying ant activity this year, as a result of the ideal combination of altering wet and warm weather. Biggest flying ant day in recent memory This summer's particularly high humidity is perfect for swarming. Experts have suggested that year's Flying Ant Day - the annual mating flight where millions fill the skies in synchronised displays - could be one of the biggest in recent years. Paul Blackhurst, Head of the Technical Academy at Rentokil Pest Control, told Manchester Evening News: 'While flying ants may disrupt your picnic, barbeque, or pub garden pint, they play a vital role in the ecosystem.' He added: "This natural event, when vast numbers of winged ants, known as alates, take to the skies at once in search of mates from other colonies, could be one of the most prolific for years." Keep pests out all summer IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know. Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay. Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent. Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents. Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
Geeky Gadgets
20 hours ago
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
AI Agents : What Experts Predict for the Future of Business
What if the next major innovation in your industry wasn't a product or a service, but an autonomous system working tirelessly behind the scenes? AI agents are no longer a futuristic concept—they're here, reshaping industries and redefining the way we work. From streamlining logistics to transforming healthcare diagnostics, these specialized systems are unlocking new levels of precision and efficiency. Over the course of 72 hours, leading experts gathered to discuss the fantastic potential of AI agents, revealing insights that could shape the future of business, technology, and even careers. The question isn't whether AI agents will impact your field—it's how soon and how profoundly. Tina Huang distills the most compelling takeaways from those discussions, offering a roadmap to understanding the rise of vertical AI agents, the skills needed to build them, and the trends driving their evolution. You'll discover how these systems are tailored to specific industries, why skills like prompt engineering and evaluations are critical for developers, and how no-code tools are lowering barriers to entry. Whether you're a professional exploring AI integration or an enthusiast curious about its potential, these insights will deepen your understanding of a rapidly advancing field. The future of AI isn't just about innovation—it's about adaptation, and this exploration will leave you questioning how prepared you are for what's coming. AI Agents: Key Insights How AI Agents Are Shaping Industries AI agents are becoming integral to modern business operations, driving efficiency and innovation across sectors. Industry leaders, including Google, have identified 2025 as a pivotal year for the widespread adoption of agent-driven products. These autonomous systems are automating tasks, streamlining workflows, and allowing businesses to achieve greater precision and scalability. A particularly notable development is the rise of vertical AI agents. These specialized systems are designed to address the unique needs of specific industries or tasks, much like vertical SaaS (Software as a Service). By focusing on niche markets, vertical AI agents are unlocking significant potential for businesses to optimize operations and reduce costs. Healthcare: Vertical AI agents assist in patient scheduling, analyze medical data, and support diagnostic processes, improving both efficiency and accuracy. Vertical AI agents assist in patient scheduling, analyze medical data, and support diagnostic processes, improving both efficiency and accuracy. Finance: These agents enhance operations by automating fraud detection, managing portfolios, and providing real-time insights. These agents enhance operations by automating fraud detection, managing portfolios, and providing real-time insights. Logistics: AI agents optimize supply chains, streamline inventory management, and improve delivery efficiency. By targeting specific domains, vertical AI agents empower businesses to deliver tailored solutions, reduce operational costs, and enhance overall performance. Essential Skills for Building AI Agents Creating effective AI agents requires a blend of technical expertise and strategic thinking. Two skills, in particular, stand out as critical for developers aiming to build robust and scalable systems: Prompt Engineering: This skill involves designing precise and adaptable prompts that guide AI agents to perform tasks effectively. Developers must define roles, tasks, inputs, outputs, and constraints, followed by iterative testing to refine the agent's behavior. For example, a customer service AI agent may require prompts that ensure empathetic yet efficient responses to user inquiries. This skill involves designing precise and adaptable prompts that guide AI agents to perform tasks effectively. Developers must define roles, tasks, inputs, outputs, and constraints, followed by iterative testing to refine the agent's behavior. For example, a customer service AI agent may require prompts that ensure empathetic yet efficient responses to user inquiries. Writing Evaluations (Evals): Evals are structured assessments that measure an AI agent's performance across dimensions such as task completion, reasoning quality, tool usage, robustness, and efficiency. By identifying weaknesses and making sure reliability, evals prepare AI agents for real-world deployment. Mastering these skills enables developers to create AI agents that are not only functional but also reliable and adaptable to diverse use cases. AI Agent Insights From 72 Hours of Expert Panels Watch this video on YouTube. Browse through more resources below from our in-depth content covering more areas on AI Agents. Career Opportunities in AI Agent Development The rapid growth of AI agents has given rise to new career opportunities, including the emerging role of 'Agent Engineer.' This multidisciplinary position combines expertise in prompt engineering, software development, product knowledge, and machine learning. As businesses increasingly adopt AI-driven solutions, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is surging. To excel as an agent engineer, focus on the following areas: Stay Updated: Keep track of advancements in AI frameworks, tools, and methodologies to remain competitive. Keep track of advancements in AI frameworks, tools, and methodologies to remain competitive. Gain Hands-On Experience: Work with automation technologies and experiment with building prototypes to refine your skills. Work with automation technologies and experiment with building prototypes to refine your skills. Develop Core Expertise: Hone your abilities in crafting effective prompts and conducting thorough evaluations to ensure the reliability of AI agents. By cultivating a diverse skill set and staying informed about industry trends, you can position yourself as a valuable contributor to the evolving AI landscape. Practical Steps for Building AI Agents Developing AI agents requires a structured and iterative approach. Whether you are building a simple chatbot or a complex vertical AI system, the following steps can guide you through the process: Identify Tasks: Analyze workflows to pinpoint repetitive or time-consuming tasks that can be automated effectively. Analyze workflows to pinpoint repetitive or time-consuming tasks that can be automated effectively. Decompose Processes: Break down tasks into smaller, manageable components and map out the necessary steps for automation. Break down tasks into smaller, manageable components and map out the necessary steps for automation. Create a Prototype: Develop an initial version of the AI agent, focusing on core functionalities and testing its performance. Develop an initial version of the AI agent, focusing on core functionalities and testing its performance. Iterate and Refine: Use feedback and testing results to improve the agent's accuracy, efficiency, and reliability. AI agents offer numerous advantages, including 24/7 availability, cost efficiency, and personalized user experiences. For instance, a retail AI agent could analyze customer preferences to recommend products, enhancing both customer satisfaction and sales. By following these steps, you can create AI solutions that deliver tangible value to businesses and users alike. Emerging Trends in AI Agent Development The future of AI agents is being shaped by several fantastic trends that are expanding their capabilities and accessibility: Voice Agents: Conversational interfaces are becoming more intuitive, allowing seamless interactions in areas such as customer service. These systems reduce wait times and enhance user satisfaction by providing quick and accurate responses. Conversational interfaces are becoming more intuitive, allowing seamless interactions in areas such as customer service. These systems reduce wait times and enhance user satisfaction by providing quick and accurate responses. No-Code Tools: The rise of no-code platforms is providing widespread access to AI development, allowing domain experts to prototype and deploy solutions without extensive programming knowledge. This trend is fostering innovation by allowing a broader range of professionals to contribute to AI advancements. While coding expertise remains valuable, these trends are lowering barriers to entry, making AI development more accessible and inclusive across industries. Insights from Industry Leaders Experts predict that vertical AI agents will surpass traditional SaaS solutions in market impact, fundamentally transforming how businesses operate. To remain competitive in this rapidly evolving field, continuous learning is essential. Focus on developing skills in areas such as prompt engineering, evaluations, and coding to stay ahead of the curve. By embracing these insights and trends, you can position yourself at the forefront of AI innovation, contributing to solutions that drive efficiency, scalability, and value across industries. Media Credit: Tina Huang Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
CNET
21 hours ago
- Health
- CNET
If You Can't Remember the Last Time You Changed Your Sheets, Read This
There's nothing quite like collapsing into bed at the end of a long day. Pulling up the covers, sinking into soft pillows and finally letting go of everything that's been weighing on you can feel like pure relief. But that cozy, restful feeling only really hits when your bedding is clean. If it's been a while since you washed your sheets, that sense of calm might be hiding more than you realize. Sheets collect a lot over time. That includes sweat, dead skin cells, body oils and dust mites. Pillowcases can get even dirtier, holding onto makeup residue, hair products and facial creams. That buildup can affect your skin and your sleep quality. Experts generally recommend washing all your bedding at least once a week to keep things fresh and healthy. If you are unsure how to get started or want to make your laundry routine more effective, here are six simple tips to help you clean your sheets the right way. How often should I change or wash my sheets? The common rule of thumb is to wash sheets every other week. Ideally, sleep experts recommend changing sheets every week but agree that every two weeks is the absolute longest one should go sleeping on the same set of sheets. When to wash all bedding Bedding type Frequency Sheets Once a week or every other week Pillowcases Once a week or every other week Duvet covers Once a week or every other week Comforters Once a month or every other month (or more frequently if you sleep with pets) Duvet inserts Once or twice a year Mattress pads Every three to four months Why do we wash our sheets and bedding? Hygiene is always important, even with our bedding. If you can't see stains or smell any odor, it doesn't mean your sheets are clean. Sheets can accumulate dead skin, mites, animal dander, pollen, makeup, bodily secretions and more grime, which may cause discomfort or skin rashes. One of the biggest reasons to regularly clean sheets is because of sweat. In a May study, 41% of participants reported experiencing night sweats in a month, and generally, people tend to run hot when covered in blankets or living in warmer climates. Sweat can soak into the sheets which can clog up the fibers and make the sheets smell. You should wash your sheets more often if you tend to sleep with your pet. Elena Grigorovich/EyeEm/Getty Images You should also wash your sheets more often if: You have allergies or asthma You have sensitive skin You sweat or overheat frequently You sleep naked You sleep with a pet You eat in bed You get in bed before showering You lay in bed wearing clothes you wore out in public You have an infection or open wound that touches the bedding What's the best way to machine-wash my sheets? Most bedsheets are machine-washable and aren't much of a hassle to clean. Cotton and linen bedsheets are especially easy, while silk and satin are a bit more temperamental, requiring cold temperatures and slow spin cycles. It's best to always check the care tag on your sheets but this is the best method to machine-wash the majority of sheet sets: 1. Don't overwhelm the machine It can be tempting to just throw every pillowcase, fitted sheet and comforter right into the machine but throwing everything in at once may be too much and you may not get a good clean. I recommend washing the fitted and flat sheets together with your pillowcases and then washing any heavier comforter, quilt or throw blanket separately. Definitely don't throw in any clothing or towels with your bedding because it could leach color or have buttons and zippers that will damage delicate sheets. Bulkier items like duvet covers should be washed alone. iso_petrov/Getty Images 2. Check the label I always recommend checking the care label for the ideal washing temperature because some fabrics can shrink in the wash. It's best to use the hottest temperature the sheets can tolerate because hot water most effectively kills germs and bacteria. Colder cycles may not fully get rid of the grime. Polyester blends are best in warm water, while cotton can tolerate hot water. Silk and satin sheets should be washed on a cold, gentle cycle. 3. Separate by color Separate your sheets by color to preserve the colors and prevent dye from transferring. This means that you should make sure to put light-colored and dark-colored sheets together before washing. 4. Check bedsheets for stains Stains are better when cared for pre-wash, so take a few minutes to examine your sheets or pillowcases for stubborn blemishes. You can use a gentle dish soap and water, or baking soda and water mixture to let sit for a few minutes if you spot a dark mark or makeup stain. 5. Measure out detergent Less is usually more when using detergent. Too much detergent can lead to the machine using excess water or cause buildup in the washing machine's pipes. Most detergents are acceptable to use on cotton and linen sheets but choose a detergent for delicate fabrics to wash silk and satin sheets. There are many silk or satin-friendly detergents on the market. A good rule of thumb is to use 2 ounces (1/4 cup) or half a cap full of liquid laundry detergent for a regular-sized load of bedding. You can also use 4 ounces (1/2 cup) or 1 full cap of liquid laundry detergent for a larger load of bulkier items. I also recommend skipping the fabric softener because it can weaken the fabric. 6. Dry completely For most sheets, you can use the dryer on low to medium heat. Satin and silk sheets would do best to air dry because they can be easily damaged even on a low-heat dryer cycle. You can also throw in a few dryer balls with your bedding because they allow gaps, helping the bulkier sheets to dry more quickly and evenly (I always hate when I think I'm finally ready to make my bed and I realize one whole section is still damp from being bundled up). You can avoid cleaning your bedsheets as often by making it a habit to not eat in bed, not sleeping with your pet and only cuddling down in the sheets after a shower. It may seem like a hassle to strip your bed every week but it's well worth the extra effort, so you can sleep and relax a little easier. For more hacks, check out how to remove makeup stains from bedding and our sleep experts' favorite bed material. Can you wash sheets and clothes together? While you can wash sheets and clothes together, many experts recommend washing them separately to prevent clothes from getting caught in the sheets and not being washed thoroughly. Sheets may also have different washing instructions from clothes so washing them separately can help preserve the different fabrics and prevent damage. More cleaning and laundry tips
