March is here. And if you live in Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, or Nagpur, you already know what is coming. The mornings are still pleasant but the afternoons are starting to bite. By the time April arrives, temperatures will cross 38°C in most North Indian cities and touch 42°C or more in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Most Indian families wait until they are already sweating through their sheets before they make the switch. Do not be that family. Getting your bedding ready in March, before the real heat hits, means better sleep, fewer rushed purchases, and money saved.
Here is your complete pre-summer bedding checklist for Indian homes.
Step 1: Pull Out Your Winter Bedding and Wash It Before Storing
Before you put away your winter razais, quilts, and heavy bed sheets, wash them first. Storing unwashed bedding means you are locking in sweat, dust, and body oils for six months. When you pull them out next October, they will smell and may have attracted mites or mould, especially in humid cities like Mumbai and Kolkata.
Wash your winter bedding in warm water. Dry it fully in the sun, which kills bacteria naturally. Fold it and store it in a clean cotton bag or a zip-lock storage bag. Keep it in a dry, cool place away from moisture. Avoid storing in plastic bags that trap humidity.
Step 2: Switch to 100% Pure Cotton Bed Sheets
This is the single most important change you can make in March.
If you are still sleeping on microfiber, polyester blend, or flannel sheets from winter, switch immediately. These fabrics trap heat and hold moisture against your skin. In a non-AC room in Delhi or Hyderabad, they make warm nights genuinely miserable.
100% pure cotton bed sheets breathe. They absorb sweat and release it, keeping you cooler through the night. For Indian summers, especially between March and June, a 100% cotton percale sheet in the 200 to 300 thread count range is your best option. It is lightweight, breathable, and gets softer with every wash.
What to look for when buying: the label must clearly say 100% Cotton. The thread count should be between 200 and 300 for non-AC rooms. Percale weave is better than sateen for summer because it is more open and breathable. Price should be between ₹1,200 and ₹3,500 for a good quality set. Anything under ₹600 is almost certainly a cotton blend, not pure cotton.
Step 3: Check Your Pillow Covers
Most Indian households change their bed sheets but forget the pillow covers. In summer, your face and neck are pressed against the pillow for 6 to 8 hours every night. A synthetic pillow cover will feel warm and sticky and can cause skin breakouts, especially in humid cities like Mumbai and Chennai.
Switch to 100% cotton pillow covers in March. If your current covers are faded, pilling, or feel rough, replace them. A good cotton pillow cover costs between ₹200 and ₹600 and makes a real difference to how comfortable your pillow feels in the heat.
Step 4: Assess Your Mattress Protector
A mattress protector is something most Indian homes either do not have or completely forget about. In summer it becomes important because sweat soaks through your bed sheet and into the mattress. Over time this causes stains, odour, and even mould growth inside the mattress, which is a significant health concern.
If you do not have a mattress protector, March is the right time to buy one. Look for a breathable cotton or cotton-blend mattress protector, not a thick waterproof one that traps heat. It should be washable and fit your mattress size correctly.
If you already have one, wash it before summer begins. Air it in the sun for a full day before putting it back on.
Step 5: Do a Quick Mattress Check
While you have everything off the bed, take 10 minutes to inspect your mattress. Flip or rotate it if it has not been done in the last 6 months. Most Indian foam and spring mattresses benefit from being rotated to prevent uneven sagging.
Vacuum the surface to remove dust and dust mites, which are more active in warm weather. If there are any stains, spot clean with a mild detergent and let it dry completely in the sun before making the bed again.
Step 6: Lighten Up Your Pillows
Heavy winter pillows filled with thick polyester fibre trap heat around your head and neck. In March, consider switching to thinner, more breathable pillows or simply removing one extra pillow from the bed.
If your pillows are more than 2 years old and have gone flat or lumpy, summer is a good time to replace them. Look for pillows with cotton covers and a medium-firm fill. Avoid memory foam pillows for summer in non-AC rooms as they tend to retain body heat.
Step 7: Wash All Your Summer Bed Sheets Before First Use
If you stored summer sheets from last year, do not put them straight on the bed. Wash them first. Stored sheets collect dust and may smell musty. A good wash and a full day of drying in the March sun will freshen them up completely and make them feel soft again.
If you are buying new 100% cotton bed sheets for this summer, wash them before the first use. New cotton sheets often have a light sizing or starch finish from manufacturing. Washing removes this and makes the sheet softer, more absorbent, and more comfortable from night one.
Step 8: Set Up a Summer Washing Routine
In Indian summers, especially in cities like Delhi and Jaipur where dust is constant and sweating increases, bed sheets should be washed every 7 days. Set a day each week for this, Sunday works well for most households, and stick to it through the summer.
Use a gentle liquid detergent. Avoid harsh powders that can roughen cotton fibres over time. If you have hard water at home, which is common in Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune, add a small amount of fabric softener to keep your cotton sheets feeling soft wash after wash.
Dry your sheets in direct sunlight whenever possible. The sun naturally kills bacteria and freshens fabric far better than any dryer or indoor drying can.
Your March Bedding Checklist at a Glance
Work through this list before the end of March and you will be fully ready for the Indian summer ahead.
Wash and store all winter bedding before putting it away. Switch to 100% pure cotton bed sheets in 200 to 300 thread count. Replace or wash all pillow covers and switch to 100% cotton. Check, wash, and air your mattress protector or buy one if you do not have it. Flip or rotate your mattress and vacuum the surface. Switch to lighter pillows or remove extra pillows from the bed. Wash all stored summer sheets before using them. Set a weekly washing schedule for summer and stick to it.
A Note on Buying in March
March is actually a smart time to buy summer bedding in India. You avoid the last-minute rush in April and May when prices on good quality cotton sheets tend to rise. Sales on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra often run in March ahead of summer, giving you better deals on quality 100% cotton bed sheets.
Whether you are in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, or Pune, getting your bedding sorted in March means you sleep well from the very first hot night, not after two weeks of waking up sweaty and uncomfortable.
At Belong India, all our bed sheets are 100% pure cotton, made for the Indian climate and built to last through many Indian summers. If you are ready to make the switch this March, our range starts at ₹1,299 with free shipping across India.
Sleep cool. Start early. Sort your bedding in March
written by Shivangi Singh