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Here’s how to keep your white sheets nice and white!

Dec 15, 2019. If you enjoy the feeling of slipping between fresh white cotton sheets for a restful night’s sleep, here are tips to keep your white sheets fresh and white for years.

You’ve probably experienced the frustration of watching your favourite white Egyptian cotton sheets turn a little yellow, or even get a tinge of grey. With a little extra care, you’ll get many years or pristine enjoyment from them.

Wash your whites separately

This might be obvious to some but surprisingly many people still wash their white sheets with coloured sheets and expect them to stay white. Not the case - whites needs to be washed only with whites. No matter how old your coloured bedding is, colour will still leach after every wash and your white sheets will take on a slightly grey hue.

Wash white sheets every 10-14 days

Sheets absorb our sweat and body oils and eventually get a yellow tinge. Washing your sheets in warm to hot water every 1-2 weeks will prevent sweat and oils from setting in the fabric.

Clean make up off properly every night

Makeup has pigments that can permanently stain white cotton sheets or leave yellowish stains in the fabric. Removing makeup at night and being diligent about this will not only maintain white sheets, it was also maintain clear skin – a double benefit!

Wash out coffee and tea spills immediately

Stains are stubborn little things and can set for good if not attended to straightaway. Many of us enjoy a cup of tea in bed in the morning. But if you have a spillage, coffee, tea, wine and any other staining offender should be rinsed out and soaked in warm water with clothes detergent immediately. Hot water can set the stain permanently so soaking is always best in warm water only. For oil stains, read our blog about how to remove oil stains from your clothes. 

Don’t use bleach, soak in vinegar, bicarb and lemon instead

Surprised? Good old bleach with chorine is supposed to whiten everything right? Not so, in fact it makes white sheets turn yellow over time.

If your white sheets have already turned a little yellow, here’s a home remedy that works.

Before you wash your sheets in our state of the art washing machines, soak your sheets as follows:

• Fill a large clean bucket (or laundry sink) with warm water
• Add ¼ cup bicarb soda
• Add 1 cup white vinegar
• Add 2 tablespoons liquid dish soap
• Squeeze one whole lemon into the water
• Stir thoroughly and then submerge your sheets and pillowcases fully
• Leave to soak for 60 minutes
• Wring out excess water and put in the washing machine on a hot water cycle

Eco-friendly and non-toxic, this is an effectives remedy for turning up the white on yellowing sheets.

Don’t overload the washing machine

Our washing machines are large (19kgs) and can handle larger loads so you can easily fit at least two sets of sheets or more depending on their size. But as a general rule, remember not to overload white sheets. Overloading prevents an effective washing cycle and you’ll wonder why your white sheets remain a little grey or yellow tinged.

Hang your sheets in the sun to bleach

In most cases and especially in winter, our dryers are efficient and gentle on your clothes and bedding. However, for white sheets that have turned a little yellow, we suggest hanging them in the sun all day. The sun naturally bleaches cotton.

Get your bedding washed and dried in less than an hour at a Star Laundromat near you

Did you know we shed 10 grams of dead skin cells per week and most of this ends up on our bedding? Washing your bedding regularly – one to two weeks at the maximum is important to keep unwanted fungi and dust mites away. There is a Star Laundromat near you with state of the art washing machines and dryers to make your washing trip quick. Equipped with free WiFi and free detergent, with easy parking and accessible to shopping centres, you’ll get the laundry done while you wait or go grocery shopping!

Find a Star Laundromat near you - Aberfoyle Park, Athol Park, Blackwood, Blair Athol, Brighton, Elizabeth Downs, Hampstead Gardens, Hawthorn, Kilkenny, Magill, Morphett Vale, Munno Para, Para Vista, Plympton Park, Ridgehaven, Salisbury North, Tusmore.

What our customers are saying about us

"I thought laundromats had peaked. Which was disappointing considering how far everything else had come with the times. I felt lucky to find one that was open until late and was sort of clean, and I would keep my coins in a big heavy jar to lug around with my detergent as well as my washing.

Then a friend took me to STAR and I have never looked back. 

I can't get over the ease of doing laundry now!
I love the payment system and that the detergent adds itself. And how clean everything is! I don't feel like I have to immediately wash the clothes I visited a laundromat in!
Then I found out it was open 24hrs AND has free wifi??
Pick my jaw up off your sparkling floor! " Vicki Ferguson.

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