White bedding can instantly give any bedroom the luxurious feel of a hotel, but they are a nightmare to keep clean.
They can often become yellow or discoloured thanks to make up, sweat, and body oil that's released as we sleep at night. And these unsightly stains don't always come out even after putting them through the washing machine.
However, laundry experts have lifted the lid on how you can make your white sheets look pristine once again, and using natural ingredients is said to work even better than bleach.
The Express reports that specialists at Sleep Foundation say there are five vital steps for the cleanest, freshest sheets that are simple enough for any household to follow.
Wash them at the right time
Maintaining clean white sheets and pillowcases is a balancing act, as people want to wash these items regularly in order to keep them fresh.
But doing this too often will cause the materials to break down, leading to wear and tear.
The experts said: “We recommend washing your white sheets at least once per week. Purchasing multiple sheet sets will allow you to swap out sheets and pillowcases easily when laundry day arrives.”
Avoid bleach where possible
Although chlorine bleach is cheap, it's not always particularly effective for whitening bed sheets.
The bedding experts said: “If the bedding items have traces of body oil on them, the chlorine may react with these substances and cause yellow stains to appear.”
For “best results”, they suggested first washing the items without bleach to clean away the oil, sweat, and other contaminants. If the sheets and pillowcases still need whitening, then they can be washed a second time using alternatives.
Use baking soda and white vinegar
Two of these alternatives are baking soda and white vinegar. The experts explained: “Many rely on chlorine bleach to brighten their sheets, but there are actually more effective ways than bleach to keep your sheets looking white and fresh.
“One common method involves adding about half a cup of baking soda to your laundry detergent before each load.”
Baking soda strengthens the detergent and also helps to control and eliminate any odours, while white vinegar has natural whitening and softening capabilities.
Try adding half a cup at the beginning of the wash cycle. Alternatively, households can soak the sheets and pillowcases in vinegar and warm water prior to placing them in the washing machine.
Try lemon juice
Like vinegar and baking soda, lemon juice has “whitening and odour-controlling properties” that make it “very effective for cleaning sheets” and pillowcases.
The experts advised: “Use one to two cups of lemon juice for the best results. Either pour the lemon juice directly into your washing machine at the beginning of the cycle or soak your linens overnight in hot water with half a cup of lemon juice.”
Line dry sheets
Rather than tumble drying bed sheets in a machine, try letting them dry on a clothesline if possible. One to two hours under the open sun can “whiten and freshen bedding items” as well, if not “more effectively than a household dryer”.
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