How to get stains out of sheets and bedding
To get stains out of sheets and bedding, act fast and start with cold water, which helps keep a stain from setting. Treat the stain with the right remover for what it is: enzyme cleaner for blood and sweat, dish soap for oil and makeup, oxygen bleach for yellowing. Wash at the warmest temperature the care label allows, then air dry and check before it goes near a dryer.
Heat is the enemy of a fresh stain. Save it for the wash, after you've treated it.
What do you need?
- Cold water
- An enzyme stain remover
- Dish soap
- Oxygen bleach powder
- Hydrogen peroxide, for white cotton only
- Rubbing alcohol, for ink and makeup
- White cloths and a soft brush or old toothbrush
Read the care label first. Silk, linen and some blends need gentler handling than cotton.
How do you treat each stain?
| Stain | What to use | Water |
|---|---|---|
| Blood | Cold rinse, then enzyme remover or peroxide on white cotton | Cold |
| Sweat and body oil | Dish soap rubbed in, then oxygen bleach soak | Warm |
| Makeup and foundation | Dish soap or micellar water, worked in by hand | Warm |
| Coffee and tea | Cold rinse, then dish soap, then oxygen bleach if it stays | Cold, then warm |
| Red wine | Blot, cold rinse, then oxygen bleach | Cold |
| Ink | Dab with rubbing alcohol on a white cloth, from the outside in | Cold rinse |
| Urine | Cold rinse, then enzyme remover, then wash | Cold, then warm |
Blot, don't rub hard. Rubbing pushes the stain deeper and roughs up the fibers.
How do you get old stains out?
Set stains take patience. Soak the item in warm water with oxygen bleach, as its label directs, for a few hours. Rinse, treat the spot again, and wash. It can take two or three rounds. On white cotton, a bright sunny day on the line also helps fade what's left.
What about the duvet and comforter?
Spot-treat the cover, never the fill. Take the cover off and treat and wash it on its own. If the stain soaked into the duvet itself, follow the care label: many go to a big-drum washer at a laundromat, and some are dry clean only.
How do you stop stains in the first place?
- A mattress protector under the fitted sheet stops spills reaching the mattress.
- Take makeup off before bed, and let lotion soak in before you lie down.
- Wash sheets weekly, before sweat has a chance to yellow them.
- Keep a stain kit in the bathroom: enzyme remover, dish soap and a white cloth.
If a stain made it through to the mattress, our mattress deep-clean guide covers spot-cleaning it, and our bed-making guide covers putting it all back together.
Want a cleaning booked?
The laundry is yours. Book House Cleaning online and put your priorities in your booking notes.
FAQ
How do you get blood out of sheets? Rinse it from the back with cold water as soon as you can; hot water sets blood. Then dab on a little hydrogen peroxide on white cotton or an enzyme stain remover on colors, rinse, and wash cold.
How do you get yellow stains out of pillowcases? Yellowing is usually sweat and skin oil. Soak the pillowcases in warm water with an oxygen bleach for a few hours, as its label directs, then wash at the warmest setting the care label allows.
Should you put stained sheets in the dryer? No. Check the stain after washing and air dry until it's gone. Dryer heat can set what's left, and then it's much harder to lift.
What gets makeup off pillowcases? Work a drop of dish soap or a little micellar water into foundation with your fingers, then rinse. For mascara or lipstick, dab with rubbing alcohol on a white cloth first, then wash as usual.
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