Sweat stains can change the color of your sheets and make them look dull. While these stains can't be removed using regular detergent or chlorine bleach, you can remove them with other cleaning agents. If you have plenty of time, the best method for removing the stain is to soak the sheets before washing them. To remove stains quickly, wash sheets in the washing machine using oxygen bleach, borax, or baking soda and vinegar. If your white sheets are stained with sweat, try "blueing" the sheets by adding a blue cleaning agent (e.g., deodorant) which can lift the yellow stains and make the fabric appear whiter.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Soaking the Sheets
Step 1. Fill a bucket or sink with hot water
You can use a bucket, soaking tub, kitchen sink (which has been cleaned), or another container large enough to hold the sheets. Make sure you fill it with enough water so that the sheets are completely submerged.
Step 2. Add a spoonful of oxygen bleach or borax to the water
Read the instructions on the side of the package to find out the exact dosage. Put on gloves and stir the water to make sure the bleach or borax dissolves.
You can also use 240 ml of vinegar for a set of washed sheets. While not as effective as borax or oxygen bleach, vinegar is a more appropriate ingredient if you want to remove odors from your sheets
Step 3. Soak the sheets in water thoroughly
You can soak as many sheets as you have in the bucket or sink. A smaller bucket or container may only fit one sheet. Use your hands to push the sheets into the water.
Step 4. Rub the sheets by hand occasionally
Do the rubbing 3-4 times during the soaking process. Stir the water, push the sheets under the container, and squeeze to clean them. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from hot water. Your work area or clothes may get wet if water overflows the sides of the bucket and spills over.
Rub the sheets at least once the first time you soak them, and once at the end of the soaking process. You can rub the sheets 1-3 more times at regular intervals, depending on the length of the soaking process
Step 5. Let the sheets soak for 1 hour or overnight
If the stain persists, let the sheets sit longer. If your sheets still look dirty after you've left them for the right amount of time, you can soak them longer. Soak the sheets for as long as needed.
Step 6. Squeeze the sheets over the soaking tub or sink
Make sure you remove as much of the remaining water as possible. Sheets should feel damp, but not soggy or muddy.
Step 7. Wash the sheets in the washing machine
Use regular laundry detergent. Set the washing machine to the same setting you normally use when washing your sheets. For washing instructions, refer to the labels that are usually sewn to the seams of the sheets.
Step 8. Dry the sheets in a tumble dryer or clothesline
A tumble dryer can dry your sheets quickly, but make any stains that remain deeper and more difficult to remove later on. Sheets take longer to dry in the sun. However, this may be a better choice for white sheets as exposure to the sun can naturally fade stains and whiten the fabric. You can hang colored sheets in the sun to dry them, but they may lighten a bit when the fabric is exposed to the sun.
Method 2 of 4: Using Oxygen Bleach or Borax
Step 1. Wash the sheets in the washing machine separately
Usually, just one sheet can fill a washing machine tub completely. In addition, it will be easier for you to remove the stains if the washing is focused on the sheets only.
Step 2. Add borax or oxygen bleach with your regular laundry detergent
Read the instructions on the side of the package to find out the amount that needs to be added based on the load of the laundry. You can buy borax and oxygen bleach (eg Oxi Clean) from supermarkets.
Do not use chlorine bleach (eg Bayclin) to wash sheets. This product can react with other body fluids so that the stain becomes more visible
Step 3. Wash new sweat stains with cold water, and old stains with hot water
If the stain is fresh, use the cold water setting. Hot water can make the stain harden and stick deeper. For old stains, use the hottest water setting, according to the resistance of the fabric. Since old stains are usually stuck, hot water can remove the stain more thoroughly. Washing instructions labels on the seams of sheets usually contain information about the hottest temperature at which you can wash your sheets.
Step 4. Run the washing machine on a normal cycle
This setting may be labeled “normal”, “regular”, “whites”, or “cotton cycle”, depending on the machine being used. If you have a prewash setting on the machine, turn on the setting so that the sheets can be soaked before the wash cycle begins. Soaking helps remove stubborn stains.
Step 5. Put the sheets in the dryer once the stain is removed
Only dry the sheets in the dryer after the stain is completely removed. If there are still sweat stains on the sheets, wash them again in the washing machine. The heat from the dryer makes the remaining stains even more stubborn.
You can also dry the sheets on a clothesline to prevent any stains from sticking more firmly to the fabric
Method 3 of 4: Cleaning Sheets with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Step 1. Put the sheets in the washing machine
Remove sweat-stained sheets. You can wash your sheets in the washing machine using baking soda and vinegar. Do not wash sheets with other clothes or linen clothes.
Step 2. Add your regular laundry detergent and 90g of baking soda
Read the instructions on the side of the detergent package to determine the amount needed. After adding the detergent, add the baking soda.
This amount of baking soda is usually enough to wash the sheets. Because baking soda can foam and react with other ingredients, try not to add more than 120g of baking soda to the washing machine tub
Step 3. Use cold water to remove new stains, and hot water to remove old stains
Use the dial on the washing machine to set the water temperature to the right level. If you are using hot water, check the label on the sheets for the hottest temperature that can be used, depending on the resistance of the sheets.
For fresh stains, cold water prevents the stain from becoming stubborn and sticking more firmly to the fabric. Meanwhile, the old stain has stuck to the fabric. Therefore, hot water is more effective at removing old stains from sheets
Step 4. Run the washing machine on a normal or regular spin
Activate the normal wash cycle using the rotary dial or machine button. If your sheets have special care instructions (usually listed on the label on the hem), make sure you follow those directions.
Step 5. Add 120 ml of vinegar when the rinse cycle begins
On most washing machines, you can tell the rinse cycle when the knob moves to the “rinse” option or the “rinse” option light comes on. The vinegar smell will disappear and be carried away at the end of the rinse.
- If you are using a top load washing machine, open the door of the machine and pour the vinegar into the tub.
- For front loading washing machines, open the dispenser on the top of the machine and add vinegar.
- On some machines, the door or dispenser may lock while the machine is running. In this situation, add vinegar at the beginning of the rinse cycle or use another method.
- The aforementioned amount of vinegar is usually sufficient to clean sheets. However, you may need to double the amount of vinegar for a larger load of laundry with multiple sets of sheets.
Step 6. Check the color of the sheets before drying them in the dryer
Sheets should return to their original color. Once the original color of the sheets is visible, you can dry them in the dryer. If the stain is still visible, wash the sheets again.
If you have white sheets, dry them by drying them in the sun. Naturally, sunlight can whiten the sheets and remove any remaining sweat stains. You can also dry colored sheets if you wish, but the colors may fade slightly when exposed to sunlight
Method 4 of 4: Blueing White Sheets
Step 1. Buy belau from a supermarket or internet
Some of the most popular belau brands are Fine Washing Blue, Blau Tjutji Tjap Kembang, and Blau Tjap Kuda Terbang. However, there are various brands of belau that you can get from supermarkets and the internet. Belau makes sheets appear whiter by lifting yellowish stains.
Step 2. Dissolve the belau in cold water according to the instructions on the product packaging
Since the concentration required is different for each brand, make sure you always read the instructions for use before adding the perfume. Combine water and mustard in a small bowl or measuring cup.
Step 3. Wash the sheets in the washing machine with regular detergent
Use the cold water setting on the machine. At this stage, do not immediately add the dazzle. Wash the sheets as usual. For washing instructions, check the labels sewn to the seams of the sheets.
Step 4. Add dust to the rinse cycle
If you are using a top-loading washing machine, open the lid and pour the dust into the tub. If you are using a front loading washing machine, put the dust into the dispenser at the top of the machine.
If the dispenser or door locks while the machine is running, you will need to add dust before the wash cycle starts
Step 5. Dry the sheets in a tumble dryer or clothesline
A tumble dryer can dry your sheets quickly, but they can make any stains that remain deeper and harder to remove. Meanwhile, naturally the sheets can be bleached when dried. However, the drying process takes longer.
