How to Keep White Bedding Fresh and Clean

There’s something special about white bedding. It feels crisp and clean, provides light in a room and can be accessorised by any other colour of throws, blankets or cushions. But whilst white bedding may look nice, sometimes it may seem more difficult to keep clean and after multiple washes, it may start to look less than sparkling white.

Nothing beats getting into a freshly made bed and that feeling and aroma of clean sheets can be calming and comforting. Ideally, to keep that fresh, clean feeling when you get into bed, you should be aiming to be washing your sheets and bedding once a week and to keep it clean and in tip-top condition, you’ll need to take note of any special washing care instructions.

But does everyone abide by this advice? Luxury bedding brand DUSK recently carried out a Big Clean Survey to discover how people in the UK are keeping their homes clean. When it came to the bedroom, they had some interesting results. Over half of people admitted to not taking note of cleaning instructions when washing their bedding, with 11% admitting to just ‘hoping for the best’ when they stuck their bedding in their machine.

Nearly a quarter of people admitted to never having washed their pillows and nearly one in five were surprised to discover that some duvets can be washed in a washing machine.

Top tips for keeping white bedding fresh and white

For white bedding in particular, here our top tips to keep it fresh and white, wash after wash.

1. Always wash white bedding separately from other items – even items of clothing that are white. Any items that are a slightly off-white could affect the pure whiteness of your bedding.
2. Avoid over-loading your washing machine. The more space there is, the better the washing liquid or powder will be able to circulate and get to all areas of your bedding.
3. Treat any stains or marks ASAP. Ideally as soon after they’ve occurred as possible or use a stain remover product before you wash your bedding.
4. Check the care information on your bedding before you just bung it in the machine. Different bedding may have varying instructions for washing. For optimum bedding care, wash it on the recommended heat.
5. Ensure you choose the right detergent too and consider whether your water is soft or hard. If you use too much detergent, it could end up leaving marks on your bedding, but too little won’t effectively wash it.
6. Avoid using detergents with bleach in them, as they can cause problems for some types of white fabric.
7. Air dry your bedding for a fresh, clean finish. To make it crisp and crease-free, iron it.
8. If you need to dry your bedding on a tumble dry cycle, opt for a low temperature to help maintain the softness of your bedding.

Depending on the drum size of your washing machine and the type of duvet you have, you may be able to successfully wash your duvet at home. Check the care instructions for details of whether your duvet can be machine washed. If it can, as a rough guide, DUSK advise that:

• A 6kg drum should hold a single duvet
• A 7kg drum should hold a double duvet
• An 8kg drum should be suitable for a queen or lightweight duvet
• A 9kg drum should be suitable for a king-size duvet.

If you’re not able to wash your duvet though, you could always hang it outside on the washing line to air whilst you’re putting your bedding through the wash. Pillows can be aired on a line too to help freshen them up.

Do you have any tried and tested tips for white bedding care? Let us know in the comments below.

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