White sheets pick up stains easily, and if you don’t wash them, your bedding will become yellowish and lose its freshness and welcoming scent. Use bleach to wash your sheets to prevent this from happening.
Although using bleach can help you maintain the quality of your sheets, you must use it the right way. This article explores some helpful tips for washing your white sheets with bleach.
Simple Precautions to Take When Using Bleach
Your white sheets will lose their brilliant color if you don’t use bleach correctly. Here are a few precautions to take before applying bleach to your clothes.
Check the Care Label on Your Clothes
Before using bleach on your clothes, check the “Fabric Care Label” on your whites to ensure it allows the use of bleach.
If it says “No bleach,” then avoid using bleach on the fabric, as this would cause it to lose color.
If there are stains on your white clothes and the labels, say “No Bleach,” treat them with a stain removal such as Oxiclean or a detergent with bleach alternative.
Note: Although some bleach products are marketed as “All Fabric,” they are still unsuitable for clothes that say “No bleach.”
Test the Bleach on a Hidden Area of Your Sheet
Before soaking your entire sheet in bleach, make sure the solution isn’t harsh on them. You can do this by placing a small drop on an inconspicuous place like the inside seam.
Dilute the bleach you intend to use with water, dip a cotton swab in the solution and dab it on a hidden spot. Observe the spot for some time. If no discoloration occurs, the bleach is safe to use.
Materials Needed to Wash White Sheets With Bleach
Now that you know the necessary precautions, you are ready to wash your sheets with bleachy. But first, you will need the following:
A Bowl or Bucket for Soaking the Sheets
If this is not available, use your bathtub, the tub of your washing machine, or even your kitchen sink (if it is deep enough).
Note: Many machines come with a presoak option. But the timer only allows soaking for roughly two minutes which is not enough.
If your machine can soak for more than two minutes, you don’t need a bowl or bucket.
A Fabric-friendly Detergent
The Tide 3-in-1 laundry detergent pod is an excellent option to use.
It works well with different water temperatures and has a good record with color protection.
Rubber Gloves
Bleach causes skin irritation for many people; wearing rubber gloves prevents this from happening.
A Bleach
Using the bleach you tested (as shown in the previous heading) is best.
How to Bleach Your Whites Without a Washing Machine
- Put on your rubber gloves.
- Add a small quantity of bleach to your bowl/bucket (or bathtub). The general rule is to add ¼ cup of bleach, and you can add up to a cup when soaking many fabrics.
- Add a small quantity of detergent.
- Add cold water to the bowl/bucket. Recommended water to bleach ratio is 1:90. A gallon of water is suitable for a ¼ cup of bleach.
- Stir well with your gloved hands.
- Insert your white sheets, and stir properly every few minutes to ensure the bleach solution gets to every part of the sheet.
- Submerge the sheet and allow it to soak for ten to fifteen minutes. If there are tougher stains on your sheets, soak them for an extra five minutes. Do not oversoak whites so they don’t lose color.
- Remove clothes after soaking and rinse in cold running water. Squeeze out extra water.
- Put them in your washing machine and run the regular cleaning cycle. You can use any mild detergent.
Note: Do not add bleach directly to your clothes. Bleach can remove color and destroy clothes.
How to Bleach White Sheets Using a Washing Machine
You can bleach your clothes using only your washing machine. Here is how to do it:
Step one: Add water to your laundry machine.
Step Two: Add the recommended quantity of detergent into the machine.
The amount of detergent you use will depend on how much load is in your machine. You will find the correct instructions on the detergent pack.
Step Three: Add bleach to your washing machine.
You can add bleach either directly in the washing water or inside the dispenser of your machine if you have an automatic dispenser.
Tip: Add less than ¾ cup of bleach if the machine’s load is less than ¼ full. Add more than ¾ cup of bleach if the load is more than half.
Step Four: Set the temperature of the wash cycle to hot. Turn on the machine and allow it to run for some minutes to mix the water with bleach and detergent.
Add your white sheet into the mixture and allow the machine to run for some cycles.
Step Five: Rinse the sheet with cold water, and you can air dry them or use a drying machine.
Helpful Tips to Prevent Your Whites From Fading
Now you know how to wash white sheets with bleach to prevent them from losing color. Here are some other hacks to prevent your whites from fading.
Wash White Clothings after Using them Once or Twice
Whites pick up stains quickly; some of these stains are invisible. They will soon discolor your clothes if you don’t attend to them.
Attack Sweat Stains as Soon as Possible
Sweat stains and other invisible stains are harder to remove when they build up. Rub a good liquid detergent on underarm areas and soak before washing.
Follow Detergent Instructions Carefully
Overusing detergents can cause your whites to lose their vibrant quality. Underusing detergents allows stains to build up in your fabrics.
Following the instructions on the detergent pack diligently will give you the best results in your laundry.
Dry Clothes According to Fabric Care Labels
Overdrying will make your clothes look worn out, so check the care label for the proper heat when picking a machine setting.
If you are unsure, use Auto-Cycle. Auto cycles stop your dryer when the machine senses your cloth is dry enough.