What to add to water to keep sheets snow-white: advice from laundry staff

Bleach is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about what to add to water to make your sheets snow white. However, according to professional cleaning and linen specialist Trish Duarte, this is a bad idea: “When chlorine comes into contact with sweat and skin oils, a chemical reaction can begin, leading to a yellowish discoloration,” says -she.

What ingredients for whitening sheets are safe? Certified linen care specialist Walid Sultan recommends using oxygen bleach: it does not weaken fabric fibers or cause discoloration of bed linens. “In my opinion, this remedy is one of the most reliable and effective,” he says.

When it comes to keeping your sheets snow white, you need to remember that it is very important to remove all traces of detergent from them. Blue beads, for example, are a common dye that builds up layer after layer on fabric and eventually turns it gray.

“Add half a glass of vinegar to the air conditioner compartment and get snow-white sheets, like in a hotel. Vinegar perfectly dissolves soap residue, eliminates unpleasant odors and makes the fabric soft. But don’t use it often, only when you know you need it, says Patrick Richardson, host of Laundry Guy and author of The Love of Laundry.

You may have heard of this tip before and wondered why you need to add baking soda when washing. As Richardson explains, baking soda can enhance the whitening effect of detergents and neutralize the tinting effect. Patrick recommends adding half a cup of powder directly to the drum of the washing machine, then running the standard cycle you usually use.

You can whiten sheets at home with lemon juice: the acid it contains is an excellent natural bleach that brightens the fabric, breaks down laundry residue and leaves a pleasant citrus smell. Using the juice is very simple: add half a glass to the powder compartment.

This social media hack is called laundry stripping: users use a combination of three ingredients as whitening agents for bed linen. Pour a quarter cup of sodium carbonate, a quarter cup of borax, and a half cup of powder into a bath of hot water. The laundry should be soaked in the solution until the water cools – about four to five hours, then rinsed and washed as usual.

“Strip your sheets every once in a while, and these natural linen brighteners will keep your sheets looking their best for a long time,” says Waleed.

Hanging sheets on a clothesline may seem old-fashioned (especially if you have a dryer), but housekeeper and space organizer Wendy Trunz thinks this tip is genius. “One of the best ways to get snow-white sheets is through the sun. Colorful fabrics may fade from UV exposure, but whites will look great, so let Mother Nature do the work for you,” says Wendy.

“Everyone is interested in what to add to the wash to make clothes whiter. However, the secret of white laundry sheets is not only in the powders: it’s all in the fact that professionals follow certain rules. One of the main things: never dry clothes (especially in a dryer!) if the stains have not been washed – then it will be almost impossible to remove them, “says Trunz.

“On average, our body produces 25 milliliters of sweat per hour and our skin loses up to 40,000 dead cells in the same time. Let’s not count how much it will accumulate on the bed linen in a week, but just throw it in the car. Regularly and at least once every seven days is the most important answer to the question of how to properly wash white sheets, says professional housekeeper Trish Duarte.

“Do you throw linen sheets in the machine with the rest of your dirty laundry? I understand you, it’s practical. Still, it’s best to avoid this practice: Don’t mix laundry with clothes that will stain or damage it, such as items that have buttons, Velcro, or zippers, Trish advises.

There’s no point cleaning the floors with a dirty mop, and you won’t be able to wipe stains off the windows with a dusty cloth. The same rule applies to your washing machine: “If you don’t clean it regularly, minerals, powder residue, and dirt will build up and end up on your laundry,” says Duarte.

“At-home bleaching methods must be supplemented with appropriate storage methods. Never put the leaves in a plastic container or bag as this will cause them to turn yellow. I would recommend wrapping the items with acid-free tissue paper, but there is an easier option: you can put each set in an old pillowcase – it’s the perfect cover that lets air through and prevents things from getting dirty,” advises Wendy.

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