How To Keep Your Sheets Sparkling White

Freshly washed bed sheets are one of life’s simple joys. The feeling of crisp, clean bedding is a small detail that makes a big difference.
Life can get frenetic and many people wash their sheets less often than they’d like to admit. The result is yellowed sheets that lack that hotel-quality sparkle.

We often get asked how to whiten our sheets, and the answer is with the right ingredients, you can get crisp, sparkly sheets for that amazing fresh sheets feeling.

Even if you wash your sheets weekly, white sheets can yellow over time because of sweat and body oils. If you want to reenergise and brighten your bed linens, try these tried and true Reed family tips.

Lemon Fresh |

Lemon contains citric acid, a natural bleaching agent, which helps brighten your sheets without the use of harsh chemicals. Using lemon juice is an all-natural method that’ll leave a pleasant citrus smell on your sheets.

Juice a fresh lemon and pour it into the washing machine with your regular bio degradable detergent. Machine wash as usual.

Mix ½ cup of lemon juice with one gallon of hot water, please note this method shouldn’t be used with our sateen sheets. Soak your sheets in the solution for at least one hour or overnight. Remove the sheets and machine wash as usual.

The Classic V & B |

Vinegar and Baking Soda are both common household ingredients that have long been used as a fix-all for many cleaning problems. Baking soda has natural odour-neutralising properties.

Add ½ a cup of baking soda to the drum of your washing machine. Add white vinegar to the maximum line in your fabric softener dispenser. It’s important to keep the vinegar and baking soda separate. Machine wash as usual.

Mix ½ a cup of vinegar with 1 gallon of hot water. Soak your sheets for an hour. Machine wash as usual. Air dry your sheets to eliminate any hints of vinegar smell. If London weather isn’t being kind to you, you can tumble dry and lightly spritz with some homemade linen mist. I have lovely recipes on our website.

We often get asked how to whiten our sheets, and the answer is with the right ingredients, you can get crisp, sparkly sheets for that amazing fresh sheets feeling.

Oxidising |

If you want to whiten sheets that have otherwise come to the end of their life, hydrogen peroxide is an option. Hydrogen peroxide is best used in conjunction with another cleaning agent like baking soda. Don’t mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, instead, do the first load with your active cleaning solution and a second cycle with only hydrogen peroxide to counteract any odours or buildup.

Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to your drum or bleach dispenser before adding your sheets. Machine wash as usual.

Extra Reed Tips |

A good pre soak – When pre-soaking your sheets, be sure to use warm or hot water for at least one hour.
Sorting – Wash your darks and white bed linens separately. You should ideally wash your white sheets completely separate to any other laundry.
First cycle – 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 regular fabric softener which build up a coating on your linens, vinegar or lemon juice will naturally do the trick.
Second Cycle – If you notice any residual odours or buildup after the first cycle, try using a hydrogen peroxide rinse and run your second cycle without detergent. Hydrogen peroxide is safe to use on all washable, dye-stable fabrics and breaks down safely in water.
Drying – 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.

Sweat Stains?

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 and make sure your room is well ventilated. Wearing breathable natural fibre sleep clothes also helps, look out for our new sleep and lounge wear launching in the new year.

To get sweat stains out of sheets, try using white vinegar. The best defence against these stains is frequent washing and natural drying.

Yellow Stains on Pillow Cases?

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.

Blood Out of Sheets?

Removing blood spots from 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 act quickly.

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 hydrogen peroxide to remove the stain.

Do you have other whitening methods that were passed down to you? We’d love to hear all about your family’s tips and tricks.

Investing in the best quality bed linens you can afford and then washing them weekly separate from other laundry and with fresh lemon juice added in, is your best strategy for sparkling linens.

Happy whitening & brightening,

Karen Reed