Over time, white bed sheets can get discoloured, but there is a natural whitener that could help restore them without harsh chemicals.
Timeless, elegant and wonderfully crisp, white bedding is an ideal way to bring a hint of opulence to your bedroom by capturing the ambience of a luxury hotel suite at home. Yet with time, white bed linen can lose its brightness, something I’ve observed in my own bedding lately.
It’s unpleasant to consider, but oils and grime from your skin transfer straight onto your sheets during the night, which can cause staining.
Additionally, I sometimes make the error of washing my sheets alongside coloured garments when trying to reduce the number of wash cycles, and this leads to my white bedding becoming lacklustre.
Bleach is frequently suggested for whitening bedding, and while it seems logical, I’ve attempted this previously and it actually turned my sheets yellow. I also disliked how the bleach left my bedding feeling, as it emerged from the wash stiff instead of supple.
Rather than bleach-containing products, there’s one item I purchase from Home Bargains for merely £1.79 that works wonders on whitening bed linen as well as other white laundry, such as socks and shirts. Beyond brightening whites, this product is remarkably effective at softening rigid towels.
The product I use on my bed linen is soda crystals. Marginally stronger than baking soda, soda crystals are ideal for restoring the whiteness of laundry that has lost its brightness over time.
Soda crystals also prove effective at eliminating stubborn stains on cotton or linen when soaked in a concentrated solution of soda crystals and water for 30 minutes to an hour.
Having kept some of my bed sheets for several years, I can still restore their brightness effectively using this natural cleaning method.
As my bed sheets had no stubborn stains on this occasion and simply needed brightening up, I added the soda crystals to the washing machine on a standard cycle.
How I use soda crystals to whiten my bed sheets
To whiten my bed sheets, I simply place a scoop of soda crystals into the washing machine drum before adding my detergent and bedding. It’s essential to never include any coloured laundry when using soda crystals, as it can strip the colour from those items.
I prefer not to wash my bedding at temperatures exceeding 40C, as I find it can deteriorate the fabric. Always check the care label on your laundry before choosing your washing machine setting.
Since I’m washing at lower temperatures, I tend to use the Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Sanitiser, though any laundry sanitiser brand will work just as well.
Once the sheets have completed their wash, spin and dry cycle, the drying process itself can further help to whiten the bedding.
Rather than using a tumble dryer, whenever the weather permits, I always hang my sheets out on a clothesline.
One to two hours in direct sunlight can whiten and freshen bedding just as well, if not better, than a household dryer.
Just ensure the sheets are firmly pegged to the line to stop them dropping or being blown off. Remove the items after a couple of hours to prevent sun and heat damage.
