Freshly washed bed sheets are one of life’s most simple joys. The feeling of crisp, clean bedding is a small detail that can make a big difference, but before getting into those cozy sheets, you have to go through the arduous process of washing your bedding.
Many people wash their sheets less often than they’d like to admit. The result? Dingy, yellowed sheets that lack that hotel-quality sparkle. You may be wondering how to whiten sheets, and with the right ingredients, you can get crisp, sparkly sheets for that amazing freshly washed sheets type of sleep.
Having dingy, yellowed sheets can make your bed seem a bit less welcoming. Even if you wash your sheets weekly, white sheets often yellow over time. If you want to renew your sheets and have crisp, white bedding, keep reading to learn how to make your sheets white again.
Most white sheets naturally start turning yellow or dingy over time due to the sweat and body oils that are released while you sleep. While the brightness of white sheets can be prolonged with regular washing, you can also turn to these methods to help make your sheets white again.
Lemon contains citric acid, a natural bleaching agent, which helps brighten your sheets without the use of chemicals. Using lemon juice is an all-natural method that’ll leave a pleasant citrus smell on your sheets. There are two methods for using lemon to whiten yellowed sheets:
Method one:
Method two:
Vinegar is a common household ingredient that has long been touted as a fix-all for many cleaning problems. Baking soda is another popular household ingredient with natural odor-neutralizing abilities. If you’re wondering how to lighten fabric with vinegar and baking soda, check out the methods below to learn how to whiten sheets with these household staples.
Method one:
Method two:
Borax is a common cleaning material with a multitude of uses, from getting rid of stains and mold to killing insects and neutralizing odors. But did you know that borax can also be used to whiten your sheets? To use borax as a whitening laundry booster, follow the steps below.
Despite being one of the most popular methods for lightening fabric, bleach is not the ideal whitening solution since the chlorine can chemically react with protein stains like sweat, vomit, sexual fluids, and body oils. However, in a pinch, bleach can still be used to remove yellow stains from sheets. If you want to lighten your linens, follow these steps for bleaching white sheets.
Another alternative is to use non-chlorine oxygen bleach to whiten your sheets. To keep your sheets looking fresh and new, use oxygen bleach with each wash and clean your sheets every one to two weeks.
Liquid bluing is a great choice for whitening yellowed sheets. The blue color neutralizes yellow undertones but slowly wears off with each wash. To use liquid bluing, follow these steps.
If you want to whiten dingy sheets, hydrogen peroxide is a great option. Hydrogen peroxide is best used in conjunction with another cleaning agent like baking soda. However, be sure not to mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar or bleach — instead, do the first load with your active cleaning solution and a second with hydrogen peroxide to counteract the odors or buildup.
Even with the right ingredients, it’s important to use the right whitening agents in the correct order to get those crisp, white sheets. Follow these tips for each stage of the washing process to make your sheets white again.
If you’re pre-soaking your sheets, be sure to use warm or hot water for at least one hour. Use the below pre-soak to ensure your sheets stay crisp and white.
Once you’re ready to start the first cycle, you have several different whitening options. However, if you’re using a whitener in this cycle, be sure to skip the fabric softener, since vinegar or lemon juice will do the trick. Use any of the below options during the first cycle.
If you notice any residual odors or buildup after the first cycle, try using a hydrogen peroxide rinse and run a second cycle without detergent. Hydrogen peroxide is safe to use on all washable, dye-stable fabrics and breaks down safely in water. You can also use diluted liquid bluing at this stage.
If possible, air-drying your sheets in the sun is another great way to keep your sheets crisp and white. The sun has natural bleaching properties and won’t set any stains as a dryer would.
If you’re looking to make your sheets white again, keep reading for answers to some common questions about whitening yellowed sheets.
Sweat stains on sheets are a pesky reality for many people. Your body naturally produces oil while you sleep, but sweat stains can also be affected by room temperature, hydration levels, and salt intake.
If possible, try to stay cool at night by setting your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees, wearing breathable clothing, and using a fan. To get sweat stains out of sheets, try using the borax and white vinegar methods.
Yellow stains on white sheets are not a welcome sight for most people. Your white sheets naturally turn yellow because of sweat and body oil, and can stain over time if you don’t take proper precautions.
To prevent yellow stains on white sheets, wash your sheets once a week or more if possible to consistently remove buildup — every four to five days is most ideal.
Yellow stains on your pillowcase occur because of natural oils from your face and hair. For many people, the culprit of yellow-stained pillowcases is an unwashed face or forgetting to remove makeup before bed.
To ensure you get your much-needed beauty sleep, be sure to use both an oil and water cleanser on your face and wash your pillowcases as often as possible, ideally once a week or more.
Dingy sheets are often caused by washing darks and lights together. While this might save time, your light clothes (and sheets) will suffer the consequences of being washed with darks.
To prevent dingy sheets, be sure to wash your lights and darks separately and reinforce with a whitening ingredient like bleach, vinegar, or borax.
Getting blood out of white sheets can be a daunting task. Bloodstains are notoriously difficult to remove, but it’s still possible to get blood out of your sheets if you’re proactive and act quickly.
To remove blood from your sheets, be sure to use cold water and don’t rub, as this will cause the blood to set further into your sheets. Once you’ve removed as much blood as possible, use a stain fighter like hydrogen peroxide to get blood out of sheets.
After some time, white sheets naturally start looking yellow or dingy. However, you can use whitening agents like lemon, vinegar, or bluing to counteract the stains and keep your sheets looking hotel-quality white. Whether you prefer crisp, light percale sheets or lucious, cozy sateen sheets, you can get your best beauty sleep with Casper sheets and a mattress today.
