It’s spring cleaning time, so let’s get a move to make our homes clean and cozy! However, this time, let’s go one step beyond. Even if you scrub your house meticulously, dust mites, fungal elements, feces, pollen, dander, and dead human cells can still be found in some areas. It’s revolting! Worse, one of those germ-infested hotspots is where you’ll be resting for a sweet slumber. Your room, to be precise.
Dust tends to settle into the nooks and crannies of your bed linen if it isn’t washed often enough, and your bedding can become irreversibly dirty or even smelly. We often refrain from cleaning bulky items such as comforters, bedspreads, blankets, pillows, jackets, and coats, as they tend to be a challenging task.
However, if you follow the tips below, the task will be much simpler, and you’ll be able to wash these bed items more often, preventing the accumulation of dust mites and other allergens.
Check The Care Label
Many people disregard care labels, but they are there for a reason. If the label says “dry clean only,” you should follow it or risk damaging your bulky items and will have to replace them. Similarly, if the care label specifies that the item should not be washed in hot water and should only be dried on low to medium heat, you should follow these guidelines. That being said, there are some common practices for different types of bedding that might help you launder your bed linen better. We’ve provided some specific tips for some of the most common types of bedding:
Duvets
Before washing your duvet, check the label to see if it needs to be dry-cleaned, as some duvets filled with feathers or down do. We suggest washing your duvet in warm (but not hot) water on a gentle cycle at 30°C.
Pillows
The majority of cotton, feather and synthetic pillows can be washed, but always consult the care label before doing so for the first time. It’s also important to inspect your pillows for damage as if they’re not in good shape, some of the fillings can escape while they’re being washed.
Cotton Bed Sheets
Unless the care label specifies otherwise, cotton bed sheets should be washed at 40°C. If there are any stains, you may want to try a hotter setting in conjunction with a stain-removal product.
White Bed Sheets
If white sheets aren’t properly cared for, they may develop a grey or yellow tint. When it comes to keeping your bed sheets whiter than white, it’s important to adhere to a weekly cleaning schedule, as this will prevent stains from forming. It’s also a good idea to use a special whitening detergent but stay away from bleach, which can cause sweat stains to turn yellow. Moreover, it’s important to put your white bed sheets through an extra rinse cycle to get rid of any detergent residue.
Use a Mild Detergent
Many popular laundry detergents contain bleach and/or other harsh chemicals that should not be used to wash bulky bedding. When you use standard laundry detergent, the fillings in large bedding products, in particular, are frequently harmed. This is particularly true when it comes to down filling. Hence, you should consider using a mild detergent. When you visit a Scrubs Laundry laundromat, we offer multiple detergents that you can choose from that suit your products best.
Consider Pretreating Stains While Still At Home
Pretreating any stains is critical because bulky items do not shift around as much as smaller items during the washing process. It’s easier to do this before you go to the laundromat, as it will give your stain-fighting solutions time to soak before you begin the wash. A solution of one part baking soda and one part pure white vinegar is a very powerful natural and inexpensive stain remover that will not damage your bedding. After mixing, generously add the solution to the stain and let it sit for at least thirty minutes before washing it at the laundromat.
Select “Extra Rinse Cycle” and Use Less Soap
When washing bulky items, several people encounter the issue of the bed linen remaining soapy at the end of the cycle. Adding an additional rinse cycle to your bulky products will help remove the soap. It also aids in the use of less soap. A single teaspoon of soap is all that is needed to clean your bulky products, particularly if stains are pretreated.
Use the Biggest Washing Machines Available
The availability of larger machines is a major benefit of washing bulky products at the laundromat rather than at home! Your bed linen will be able to move around more easily in larger washing machines, allowing the soap and water to be spread more equally. This also allows for more washing force, resulting in cleaner products. Since smaller machines compress the filling, the filling would be fluffier in larger machines.
Repair Any Holes In Your Larger Items Before You Wash Them
Small holes are common in larger products like comforters and blankets. This may be caused by a sharp toenail sticking through as you sleep or a loose thread at the seam. If you wash a bulky object with a small opening, it’s possible that the washing and drying process will enlarge the hole. As a result, it’s a good idea to inspect your larger pieces before taking them to the laundromat and use a needle and thread to repair any holes you find.
Load Your Bulky Items Evenly
It’s important to load your washer and dryer uniformly to ensure that your bulky products come out clean and undamaged. When loading bedding, one way to ensure this is to grip all four corners with one hand before loading it. It’s a good idea to pause the drying process every 15-20 minutes, temporarily remove the bulky products, and then reload them in a different angle.
Be Absolutely Sure To Dry Thoroughly
Mould can easily grow if you leave bulky objects damp for even a short period of time before they dry out naturally! On the other hand, when it comes to bulky products, do not take this risk and err on the side of “over-drying,” particularly if you intend to fold them and store them at home, as this will make it much more difficult for them to dry naturally.
Now that you know how to launder your bed linen effectively, consider heading to Scrubs Laundry’s laundromat to access industry-grade washing machines and quality services to ensure your bedding is spotless and germ free!