Cotton Sheets in a Campervan – How Many Bacteria Are Hiding in Your Vanlife Bedding?

A campervan or motorhome often represents freedom, nature, adventure, flexible schedules, and a touch of minimalism. But one thing many people don’t think about before hitting the road is: what really happens to your bedding inside a campervan when it’s exposed to fluctuating temperatures and humidity?

If you’re using cotton sheets in a campervan, do you know how many bacteria can actually accumulate in your vanlife bedding?

Gross-out warning: this blog includes a “germ barometer” comparison. But how many bacteria are we really talking about – and is merino wool bedding any better?

Cotton Bedding in a Campervan – Same Freshness Level as a Dishcloth?

Research shows that in damp, sweaty, or dust-covered cotton textiles, bacteria counts can climb from thousands to hundreds of thousands of colonies per square centimeter – in just a few days. Sounds bad? Guess what it compares to.

Yep – a used dishcloth! Studies have found that dishcloths typically harbor between 10⁴–10⁷ bacteria/cm², sometimes even more.

So if you don’t air-dry your motorhome's cotton sheets regularly, and have the chance to wash yourself regularly, too, after a couple of adventurous nights they can reach the same bacterial density as that gross, soggy rag forgotten by the sink.



Cotton bedding + campervan climate = clammy, musty smell and unpleasant sleeping experience.

Merino Wool – Nature’s Own Moisture and Odor Regulator

Merino wool isn’t sterile, of course – it’s a natural fiber – but it behaves much smarter than cotton in a campervan environment. Wool absorbs and releases moisture in a more balanced way, slowing down bacterial growth and odor buildup. The natural lanolin in merino repels dirt, sweat, and smells, and best of all –merino wool always feels dry and comfortable against the skin, even if the van’s heating is off.

If you’ve ever used merino wool socks, you know you can air them out and they’ll smell fresh again – pretty magical for a natural material!

From our own vanlife experience: merino wool sheets and sleep sacks air out quickly, don’t turn musty even after several nights, and clearly last much longer between washes than cotton sheets. The surface never feels clammy, even with road dust or sweat on your skin, and instead remains soft, dry, and clean-feeling.

IVAN's bed linen is made with a terry loop surface, which means that the merino wool is knitted in a loop shape. This leaves an air gap between your skin and the fabric, wicking moisture away even more efficiently, and not gluing onto your skin like regular cottons sheets do. It's like a built-in ventilating and temperature controlling system that ensures you stay fresh and dry when it's warm, and warm and cozy when it's chilly.

The “air-to-fresh” feature is unbeatable on road trips, since washing and drying bedding isn’t always easy at campsites or laundromats. Merino sheets can be hung outside the campervan, over a fence, a tree branch, or a clothesline, and in winter you can even freshen them up by laying them in the snow.

Stains? Spot clean with just water and a cloth. No need to pack extra bedding – on longer (month-long) trips we usually only swap our merino wool pillowcases or wash them once.

A real-life example: in summer 2024, one of our kids got sick during an European road trip in Italy. They vomited in bed at night – but the merino wool fitted sheet was easy to rinse with just water and a cloth. The next day, a gentle wool cycle in the campsite’s washing machine made it as good as new. You can read more about this little adventure here.

Merino sheets stay so fresh that you sometimes want to crawl back into bed even midday!

When Should You Actually Worry About Bacteria in Campervan Bedding?

Most bacteria are harmless, but if your bedding stays constantly damp, is never aired out, and washing is rare, the bacteria count in cotton sheets can reach dishcloth levels. Risks increase especially if:

• there’s a stomach bug in the family 

• someone has skin infections

• the campervan ventilation is poor

• temperature and humidity inside fluctuate constantly
  
  

And let’s face it – at least the last two happen in most campervans and motorhomes.

Quick Hygiene Tips for Bedding in a Campervan

• air out every morning: open windows/roof vents for 10 minutes and take your bed linen outside for at least the same amount of time

• keep lids on pots to avoid steam filling the van

• air or change cotton sheets every 3–7 days (immediately if sick)

• wash properly: cotton at 60 °C, merino on gentle 30 °C wool cycle

• add protection: if you choose only one merino item, go with a fitted sheet – it keeps the mattress base feeling dry and warm

• control moisture: try to keep indoor humidity under 60%
  
  
  

Merino wool sleep sacks are also a great all-in-one vanlife bedding solution: compact, quick-drying, and easy to air out.

Germ Barometer: Cotton Sheets vs. Merino Wool Sheets

• cotton sheets in damp conditions: thousands to hundreds of thousands of bacteria/cm² in just a few days

• gross dishcloth: typically 10⁴–10⁷/cm², sometimes more

• merino wool: slower bacterial growth, fresher feel

Final Thoughts

If you want comfortable nights in your campervan without the dishcloth effect, invest in good ventilation – and seriously consider merino wool bedding.

Even without the germ comparison, we use merino sheets at home simply because they feel incredible. Crawling under a merino duvet at night grounds you instantly. You don’t need to wait for the bed to warm up – merino always feels soft, warm, and soothing against the skin.

That’s the magic of natural fibers: they make you feel truly supported and safe.

Wishing you sweet & fresh dreams – on the road and at home!

– Hanna