How to make white bedding white again?

[spilttheteaagain]

I adore bright white bedding, but clearly me, DH and DD are sweaty buggers as the pillowcases, sheets around the neck to stomach area and tops of duvets go yellow really fast.

I am washing them at 40C with Lidl biological powder, no fabric softener, sometimes add soda crystals. Usually dry on airers inside next to dehumidifier, esp through the winter, don't have a tumble drier or outside line.

Is there some magic laundry bleach or trick that gets rid of yellow sweat marks?

Second it is grease!
DD1 had terrible cradlecap and I was told to bath it in almond oil (? or similar). She had white baby grows and vests and they looked clean when I put them away for next DC. When I got them out (6yrs later!) they were vile - really vile -big yellow patches around the neck. I tried hot washing them and it didn't shift.
With nothing to lose I actually boiled them in a pan with soda crystals and it all came out...and they were cotton jersey and they survived that...I've never know 100% cotton to shrink either...
Obviously you can't do that with sheets! But I would suggest using soda crystals ...

(And also decide if you really need white bedding! Is it worth the hassle? I have patterned duvets -DP does crosswords in bed and manages to get the odd pen mark on the duvet cover - on plain colours really obvious and a pain to get off...pattern covers it up...
Also seriously contemplating moving to coloured cotton sheets (have for DCs) when the white Irish linen ones I inherited finally give up the ghost ...it took me a good few attempt to get my white ones spotless again after a coffee and then red wine spill (looking at you DP again!) ...even a light colour would have been more forgiving!

I'm starting to replace white bedding now. It's just not worth the hassle (and I've always hot washed 100% cotton in bio powder).

Really love white bed linen . We got some that was very expensive as a wedding present but they are just starting to go. . We wil have been married twenty years next month.

Always powders always sun dry when possible.

I can't say I have ever had that problem.

I have 4 beds, I always use plain white base sheets and pillow slips. Then I have variety with coloured or patterned duvets.

My sheets are always very white- and everything gets washed on a cold wash.

You might just be lucky to not live with an oily man. My side is pristine.

Bottom sheet is $20 and I need 2. Duvet covers are $80+ each with pillowcases about $30 for each set. All in I'm looking at $260 at least once a year.

I'm obsessed with whites that are white but also obsessively lazy, so this is my hard-won experience. Use M&S washing liquid for whites (currently a scanty 2 quid, on offer), throw in a vanish tablet, does the trick.

brokenhearted because buying new bedding all the time is so bloody wasteful and a sign of how throwaway society nowadays has become. Plus if you buy good quality bedding you want it to last for years, not just chuck it away!

Far better to be get the stains out/prevent it in the first place.

Vanish here too, and bicarbonate of soda.
However I've reached the conclusion that pillowcases will probably be thrown out before the rest of the set and try to buy more if possible.
Night cream in my case and a sweaty head (sorry!) in DH's mean pillowcases receive rough washing treatment to get them clean. And they eventually have to go.

However, making a pillowcase is a cinch. Just one long rectangle 2.5 times the length of your pillow and 55/60 cm wide. Hem the short ends securely. Once you get your head around the fact that you're sewing the flap closed when it's inside-out, you sew up the long sides and you're done!
You can get loads of pillowcases from an orphaned sheet (and you can use the scraps to polish your eco-halo)!

I'd rather get rid of my DH (if I had one) than my white bedding.

All bedding (and towels) should be WHITE and 100% cotton. True fact. Kim and Aggie AND Anthea Turner say so.

Wash at 60 with BIO powder and whitener. (Non bio doesn't have enzymes and won't break down bodily fluids as well. It's just for folks with allergies, I always thought).

Dry outside whenever possible - not least because it's unhealthy to have wet washing hanging about, even with a dehumidifier.

So what is truly colour safe? I'm in the Us and find the american stuff just doesn't do it for me.

I've always grown up sorting with like colors (lights, darks, whites/undies, jeans/pants/business shirts) so they don't dull from other colors, then only washing on "warm" or "cold" except with whites. But I find "All" and "Gain Color" work really well for me.

With whites, I wash on the hottest temperature possible on a wash setting that has "soak" on it. Or if the kids are out, fill the tub about 3-4 inches with hot water, then boil some pots of water (I use about 3 large pots) and dump that in as well to soak in bleach/detergent for a while, then throw them in the wash. Bonus: it cleans your tub too.

Can you get Egyptian cotton? That stuff is so soft and doesn't shrink.

Those with fitted sheets which shrink - try buying a size up - eg kingsize if you have a double bed.

I agree with PJ. I adore white bedding, have had the same (!) sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers from JL - egyptian cotton - for the last 4 or 5 years. They are still white.
I wash at 60C, and sometimes I put the washing on, wait 15 mins and then switch it off to let it soak for a good few hours. Then continue - my machine picks up where it stopped.
Never used any aggressive stuff on it, oxiaction wouldn't be allowed near it. I do have the Ecover laundry bleach but haven't used it because a second wash with another soak sorted it. All the bedding has always gone in the tumble dryer so no sun bleaching here. We have just one set for our bed anyway so it's got to be done in a day.

Thanks Mellifera - good tip about stopping the cycle to let it soak - never thought of that.

Here in Scotland of course, we have nice soft water so we don't need vinegar.

For those in the U.S.: White Brite. $9.71 on Amazon for tiny bottle but a little bit goes a long way. I found some in Gristedes the other day, worth keeping eyes open. It's miracle stuff

This stuff is really good www.poundworldplus.co.uk/buy/wizz-oxi-powder-fabric-stain-remover-1kg_6519.htm

And these two I've had good results with before www.poundworldplus.co.uk/buy/dylon-renovator-white-4-x-25g_4857.htm

www.poundworldplus.co.uk/buy/dylon-white-n-bright-oxi-stain-removal-2-in-1-2-x-30g-60g_4682.htm

This one is good as well,with this one I spray it on what ever has a stain on it and leave it on there for 30 minutes then stick it in the machine on a normal wash(40 for 35 minutes) on it's own,washing powder in the drawer.This one has even removed paint(and there was alot of paint)of a brand new college polo shirt that is dark burgundy,first wash as well and the color of the top didn't run.
www.poundland.co.uk/wizz-oxi-fabric-stain-remover-500ml

If there's anywhere outside that you can hang a washing line up you can pick them for £1 now.

OP - you just aren't using a hot enough wash and your sheets are still dirty when they come out of your machine.

Wash them at 90 with Ariel and Vanish and they will be like new.

yes I do all whites at 60 with Dr Beckmann GloWhite in and dry outdoors. Beautiful white sheets :)

Boil wash, Persil bio, line dry.

Oh Thank God.....browsing through Active I read this as Bedding Brother rather than Bedding Bother.......wasn't quite sure what to expect when I clicked on to it but my mind is at rest now that I know its about washing

Oh and by the way I dry mine outside as the sunshine apparently keeps the whites white.

I also use Ecover laundry bleach, as mentioned by a pp. With any bleaching agent, the temperature you wash at makes a difference, so if you do a 30 or 40 degree wash, you won't get the whiteness of a 60/70/90 degree one. Ideally cotton sheets should be hot washed. If they have any stain like coffee, or blood, then cold wash first to remove the stain as heat will fix it. Then hot wash with bleaching agent. I only use bleach very occasionally as I wash my sheets at 60 or higher.

Is Napisan safe on machine washable wool?

I have ruined two hand-knitted blankets by accidentally washing them with something blue.... Aaaaaaagh! DD is very upset with me; don't blame her either.

Tried Colour Run Remover but it doesn't work like it used to doesn't stink like it used to either, probably related