It’s imperative to wash your bed sheets regularly. More importantly, they need to be kept clean and neat at all times. As you lay down to sleep, dead skin cells and microscopic insects often accumulate on your sheets; that’s why they need to be laundered consistently.
Not only that, but stains resulting from body fluids such as sweat will also leave a permanent mark if not careful. It’s basic hygiene to clean the sheets in your bedroom and keep them neat always.
If you haven’t cleaned your bed sheets for a while, you’re essentially inviting many insects and disorders into your room. The bedroom needs to be kept clean, and it all revolves around keeping your sheets clean.
Ideally, you should wash bed sheets after every three to four days. However, many people consider bed sheets dirty after a week or so, which is a bad idea. Here are 7+ effortless ways to freshen sheets without washing them.
Why Washing Sheets is Different?
However, washing the sheets is quite different because you will have to be careful to get all the stains out.
Simply dipping the sheets in water and pouring some detergent in isn’t going to be enough. You need to make sure that the sheets are properly soaked and cleaned.
Many people have difficulty cleaning their bedsheets consistently at home because they don’t have such a free supply of water. If you don’t want to use up water after every few days to clean the bedsheets, you need to take a slightly different approach.
Keeping the bedsheets clean without washing them is going to be complicated.
More importantly, you should know that no matter what technique you use, apart from a thorough dry clean, the bedsheets just won’t be as clean as they would be if you were to wash them thoroughly.
So, while it is possible to clean them slightly without using any water, this won’t be a permanent solution. For proper cleanliness reasons, you will want to clean the bedsheets after every week or so.
But, if you want to know how to clean the bedsheets to a certain degree without washing them with water, here are a few methods available to you.
7+ Effortless Ways to Freshen Sheets Without Washing Them
1. Make Good Use of Baking Soda
Baking soda is often considered a natural cleaning agent, and as such, you can use it to effectively eliminate weird smells in your bed sheets without washing them. To use this, simply lay your bed sheets on a flat surface and clean considerably.
You will also want to keep the bedsheets in a well-ventilated area, ideally under the sun, for a couple of days. This is by far the best approach to eliminate a considerable amount of smells in your sheets. It’s also a perfect deterrent for insects or any microscopic organisms that might have stuck up in the sheets.
Suspend your bedsheets under the sun for at least two days, and be sure to shake them adequately while unhanging to release all the dust that has built up inside the fabric over time. Do this using your hands or a baton for complete effectiveness.
Now that your bedsheets have been exposed to the sun for some time, consider using baking soda. Pour it on the bedsheets and let it sit for a short time. This cleaning agent is versatile, which means that you can use it on nearly all types of materials. Let the baking soda sit for a while to enable it to go in between the spaces with ease.
Once it’s set, use a conventional vacuum cleaner to eliminate all the baking soda on the bedsheets. This is one of the simplest and effective ways to clean up and freshen the bed sheets without involving any water-based agent. However, it’s worth noting that this method is only valid when eliminating odors from the bedsheets.
As for the stains, you need to deep-clean the sheets as this agent won’t help stain removal. But if you must work on colors using baking soda, try to be cautious as things might get messy.
2. Use Linen Spray
Another simple method that does not require a trip to the washroom is to use linen spray. Whether you want to spray your bedsheets before hanging or sleeping, this multifunctional spray will ensure a rejuvenating scent.
The only drawback is the pricing. Fortunately, you can DIY with a few ingredients and simple steps. To make your personalized linen spray, you’ll need the following:
- 1 ½ cups distilled water
- 3 ounces vodka or witch hazel
- 30 drops of your desired essential oil
- A spray bottle
Incorporate the ingredients mentioned above and shake to blend. Using a fine mist sprayer, transfer the mixture into a spray bottle. You can as well mix it directly in the bottle. Remember to mark the bottle for safety reasons.
3. Blot the Stains
Blotting the stains using a conventional detergent is another excellent way to eliminate stains from your bed sheets without washing them. Do this using a simple dry sheet, paying close attention to the colors.
These cleaning detergents are widely available in the market. And because you don’t want your bedsheets too wet, it’s best to dampen the stained areas to loosen the material’s stains.
After that, add a few drops of vinegar or any liquid detergent and let it sit for about twenty minutes. A microfibre cloth can come in handy to help you blot out the stains effectively.
This option is quite helpful for recent stains that have been eliminated from the bedsheets. Even so, you still need to blot the colors with some bit of force for complete effectiveness.
It also helps to know that there are minimal chances of completely getting rid of all the stains. You might be able to alleviate the stains’ color intensity, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll remove all of them entirely.
4. Leverage FIFO
FIFO (first-in, first-out) works by ensuring none of your laundries stays motionless for too long, enabling them to accumulate dust or odor. When taking out your bedding, simply rotate your storage and put the fresh laundry at the bottom stack. This ensures that older items are used first. Also, your storage space is guaranteed a new scent every time you do the washing.
For example, if you used a white bed sheet last week, consider interchanging it with a blue one the following week. The key is to alternate the sheets so that you’re not exhausting one type of sheet.
5. Use DIY Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets can help eliminate unpleasant smells if you don’t have the time to wash the bed sheet you’re about to lay on. Regardless of the brand or fragrance of your dryer sheets, rest assured to give your unwashed sheets a better scent. Ideally, you want the bedsheet mixed up with the dryer.
If you already have a dryer, toss the bed sheet you want to use and let it blend with three or four dryer sheets. The result is undeniably pleasant. What’s more, the item will come out wrinkle-free and smelling fresh.
If possible, have a stock of linen-scented dryer sheets for such emergencies. This way, you don’t have to feel embarrassed when your friends ask to sleepover at your place.
To use this, you’ll need a piece of cotton cloth, some water, and a few drops of your desired essential oils. Dampen the cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible before adding few drops of essential oils, like lavender, all over the bedsheet. Throw the sheet in the dryer during the final minutes of the drying cycles for efficiency.
6. Try Vinegar
If your bed sheets are a bit musty or damp, consider adding vinegar to the laundry. This might sound crazy, but you will surely love the outcome.
Vinegar contains acid, responsible for the breakdown of residues, making your sheets stiffer and fresh. White vinegar and fabric conditioner can be used interchangeably to enhance freshness. It’s also an excellent replacement for detergents.
Vinegar has a low acidic level, which means that you can safely use it on clothing items to remove odors. Usually, the ratio of vinegar to water is 1:1, so you don’t have to worry about weakening the fabric. Meanwhile, it’s important to note that you can only use white vinegar to eliminate odors, not dark vinegar.
Begin by turning the bedsheet inside out, working in smaller portions. Next, mix water and vinegar in equal proportions in a spray bottle. Before you spray the entire bed sheet, test the solution on an inconspicuous area such as the lower seam.
Sprinkle a small amount of the vinegar solution on the fabric and observe for color change. If the material maintains its original color, you can safely use the vinegar solution throughout the item.
That said, spray the vinegar onto the bed sheet without worrying that your bedding will smell like vinegar. The vinegar scent will disappear as it dries. Once you’re done with the spraying, hang the sheet up to dry, preferably outdoors. You can also hand it in a well-ventilated room or closet.
7. Increase Your Dry Time
Storing even slightly damp linens is a sure-fire way to have a musty-smelling closet or drawer. To avoid this nasty side effect, ensure your laundry is good and dry before storing. Consider a quick five-minute cycle in the dryer after line-drying, especially on a humid day, to expel any moisture from your linens and make them easier to store.
8. Additional Methods
There are various types of linen sprays available in the market to help freshen your bedsheets without washing them.
Because linen sprays are a temporary procedure, they are purposely meant for freshening up your sheets; you cannot use them to remove stains effectively. Again, be sure to spray the sheets correctly and allow them to rest for a while before hanging outside.
These sprays often contain a series of specifically designed chemicals to eliminate any unpleasant smells from your sheets. Once you’ve sprayed the bedsheets, aerate them for some time to incorporate air.
You can either hang them on a clothesline outdoors or lay them down on a flat surface. You will also want to give them a little time to ensure that the linen spray doesn’t soak up between the sheets.
Put the sheets back on the bed or store them accordingly once clean. However, you should understand that none of these options effectively manage stains and keep the sheets clean than a thorough laundry.
Make it a habit to clean your bed sheet more often because you’re going to use them regularly. Sleeping on dirty bed sheets is a bad idea and can cause health problems to you as well. This is essential hygiene, and as such, you should avoid implementing these options for more extended periods.
Bottom Line
Let’s face it; dirty bedsheets are uncomfortable to sleep on. Not only that, they are embarrassing to spread every time you wake up. Luckily, you can freshen your sheets with these easy peasy ways if you don’t have the time to clean them thoroughly.
While these methods will quickly get your bedsheets clean, consider deep cleaning them from time to time for complete effectiveness. Now that you’ve mastered some simple ways to freshen up your bedsheets, why not implement them to enhance your bedroom space?