Now that the weather is getting warmer, many people are doing some spring cleaning and washing their bed sheets. However, if your sheets are looking a little dingy and discoloured, there is a simple way to brighten them up.
Bedding often turns yellow as sweat and oil build up in the fabric over time, which often happens in the winter if you have your heating on while sleeping. Luckily, Nisa Shah, the co-founder of Sleep Organic, has shared that you can brighten sheets and get them white again using a handful of natural ingredients.
Nisa said: “You can use Castile soap, bicarbonate of soda and salt recipes, or soap nuts, which are great natural alternatives to chemical commercial detergents on the market – better for your own health and of course better for the environment too.
“Adding essential oils means you can make your bedding smell lovely – just as you wish and in a more natural way.
“Making your own eco-friendly natural detergents also means that you can avoid buying commercial products in plastic and reduce waste.”
Castile soap is a natural soap often made from vegetable oil. It can break down the proteins in sweat into tiny droplets and make them easier to rinse away.
Baking soda is a gentle alkaline cleaner that lifts yellow sweat stains out of fabric, while salt has antiseptic properties that scrub away dirt to make bed sheets whiter.
How to naturally whiten bed sheets
In a small bowl, mix together a little baking soda and a few drops of water until it forms a paste. Apply the paste to any stains on your sheet and leave it alone for at least 30 minutes.
When the time is up, fill a bathtub or basin with cold water, then add a few tablespoons of table salt. Submerge the sheets in the cold water and let them soak for another 30 minutes.
Place your bedsheets in the washing machine and add one tablespoon of Castile soap to where you would normally add your laundry detergent. Then, place your sheets on a low-temperature wash cycle.
Once the sheets are fully washed, hang them up to dry, either outside or near a window. The ultraviolet rays in sunlight can also naturally bleach fabric and help brighten your bed sheets.
Nisa said: “Where possible, when trying to live in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way, you should line dry your sheets on a washing line outside.
“Where this is not possible, hang them on a rack to dry inside your home. Drying outside in the sun is best, if possible because the UV helps kill off micro-organisms.”
If you cannot hang up your bed sheets, place them in the tumble dryer on low or medium heat. Try to avoid washing or drying bed sheets on high heat, as it can bind organic stains like sweat to the fabric and make them more difficult to remove.
Once your bed sheets are fully dry, they should be completely clean, stain-free and look whiter than ever so you can enjoy a more comfortable sleep in fresh bedding.
