Bedding gets dirty quite frequently, so it’s important to keep them clean and learn how to wash a blanket the right way. They need regular cleaning maintenance to keep them clean, healthy and to promote peaceful, beneficial sleep. You want to follow specific steps that allow yourself to be sure that your new bedding or existing sheets are being washed and dried properly.
And before you wash pillows and blankets, understand that your washing machine and what size load it can actually handle. Sheets generally need to be washed in hot water to properly kill germs and bacteria.
Learn everything you need to know about how to wash pillows, how to wash a blanket, and how to keep your linens as fresh as can be!
When Washing Your Sheets
Before you wash your sheets, you need to check for special instructions for any special materials or regarding removing stains. Just as you would before washing new clothes, you want to take the same time prepping yourself to wash your sheets. This is the first step to know how to wash a blanket without ruining them!
Before the process of washing and drying, you should be taking care of having all of the products that you need prior to cleaning your bedsheets. Choose a detergent that adheres to your scent preferences and sensitivity to dyes. Make sure that you have a good prewash stain remover to add more power to the detergent if you want to get a good cleaning.
And it never hurts to ditch the fabric softener and use dryer sheets instead to really boost your softness.
Pre-Washing Brand New Sheets
Once you purchase new bedsheets, you should prepare to wash them before putting them on your bed. Then your bedding should be cleaned on a regular basis at least once a week. But there are more keys to knowing how to wash blankets when they’re brand-spanking-new.
Sheets fresh out of the package tend to feel rougher because of the chemicals added during its manufacturing process. Normal detergents can keep those harsh chemicals locked in and prevent bed sheets from ever feeling super soft. To fight this, you should pre-wash your new sheets with baking soda and vinegar before you use them.
Add one cup of baking soda to start the wash. Next, add one cup of white vinegar into the rinse cycle. Once you do this pre-wash, your bedsheets are officially ready for use.
A quarter cup of lemon juice added into the wash cycle will also help brighten your sheets (old or new). Lemon juice is a great alternative to using harsh bleach or other brightening chemicals. You can also add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to make sure that any trace of detergent gets totally removed.
Washing Special Fabric Sheets
There are detergents specially designed for delicate fabrics such as silk or satin bed sheets. For these types of materials, you want to wash them on a delicate wash cycle and with cold water. You shouldn’t mix heavier fabrics with silk sheets.
Avoid using any kind of bleach or chemical additives because they will damage delicate fabrics. When finished washing, do not put your silk sheets into a hot dryer. Instead, hang the sheets on clothes or dry your sheets on a no-heat setting.
The same applies to washing linen sheets. Their fibers are weaker and require extra attention. Take care of your linen sheets by using natural detergents at a colder temperature during the wash cycle.
Removing Stains
Stains on bedsheets can be difficult to get rid of but luckily, it doesn’t have to be.
Once you get stains on your bedsheets, you want to get to it as soon as possible to strengthen your odds of removing it. For a fresh stain, remove the affected sheet or pillowcase and spot clean it with cool or cold water and wash your entire set of bed sheets. And for silk or other special fabrics, use a stain remover product that is designed for the delicate material.
Coldwater is very efficient for cleaning bloodstains. If the water alone doesn’t work, then add a spot of detergent or shampoo, scrub the area. Then you can rinse the stain out with ease.
For body oils stains, presoak your sheets in the washing machine using a quarter cup borax and three pumps of dishwashing liquid. Then use one-third cup of white vinegar added to water. Soak your sheets in the mixture for thirty minutes and then wash the sheets on a hot water cycle.
Avoiding Common Washing Mistakes
Everyone is guilty of not misusing their washing machines at one point or another. Not all washing machines can fit oversize loads and a set of King size sheets will surely take up most of the machine. Avoid overloading your washer so that your sheets can get washed properly and prevent tearing that can easily happen when the washer is overloaded.
It is common to not know the difference between full load with heavy-duty. Typically, the heavy-duty setting is designed for fabrics that are extremely dirty — such as clothes from work. Unless your sheets are excessively dirty, they should be placed on the normal or regular wash cycle to avoid excessive wrinkling.
Another big mistake is washing your bed sheets with your towels. Towels are generally thicker and heavier than bed sheets and require more time to dry. When you toss towels in the dryer with sheets, you’ll be waiting for your towels to catch up.
Drying Bedsheets and Pillows
One of the best methods for drying pillows and blankets is by leaving them out for fresh air to dry them. White sheets and pillows work best in direct sunlight. Colored sheets and pillows work better in a shady spot to avoid fading the fabric.
If drying outside isn’t an option for you, then you want to make sure your dryer settings work with the kind of sheets you have. Shake your sheets out before tossing them into the dryer and keep the setting on medium or low. Doing so will preserve the softness of your sheets and won’t add too much wear to them.
As for pillows, tumble dry them on low or no-heat settings only and, if possible, remove the sleeve of the pillow and leave the insert out to air dry.
Now You Know How to Wash a Blanket and Pillow
If you truly want to take care of your beautiful bed sheets, these are the steps to follow. You won’t need to cough up money for the dry cleaner when you know how to wash a blanket and pillow entirely from home.
And for more tips and tricks to taking care of your home products, check out more on our blog!