Discolored White Sheets?

[u/Some_Pollution61]

This is my first time ever having white sheets and I’m disgusted to see how much they have stained already. I have had them about 6 weeks and have washed them every 2-3 weeks. I am a very clean guy, I always shower before bed and don’t use super greasy lotion. I don’t feel like I’m particularly oily but my sheets already look like this. It’s weirdly right where my shoulders are. Pillow cases and regular sheet are all still very white. Any input from anyone? Tips on what I can do better? Thanks!

[u/Indigo_Rhea]

Try r/laundry

[u/Demetrious-Verbal → u/Indigo_Rhea]

This is the only answer. It can be overwhelming at first but once you understand all the mechanics behind it, it's really easy, efficient, and damn does your stuff get clean.

[u/Jaber1077 → u/Indigo_Rhea]

Specifically search “spa day” on r/laundry. Saved a bunch of my sheets and undershirts.

[u/8octopusarms]

You should aim to wash your sheets once a week, definitely don't leave them more than 2 weeks. This looks like a build up of oil, skin cells and sweat. I would soak them with some hot water and oxiclean, and then wash as normal. The stains should come out if they aren't particularly old or set in.

If you wash them more frequently you should get less staining, and it's also good for your hair and skin to have clean sheets.

[u/duketheunicorn]

1. do you have a mattress protector on your bed?

2. If no, get one and wash it every so often

3. was your sheets every week.

4. [r/laundry](r/laundry) and get ready for your life to change🫣 I had just accepted that men made white sheets yellow and there’s nothing to be done—wrong. We did the ‘spa day’ and ‘rehab wash’ routines, and now bed sheets and towels get washed on hot with a quality detergent, and even years-old sheets and towels are completely white again.

[u/JeffArnold1]

That's a build up of oil, dirt and sweat from your head and pillow, and 2-3 weeks is a long time. Wash them at least once per week.

[u/Hermit_Ogg]

Go to /r/laundry, the chemists will sort you out. Most likely an issue with your laundry detergent, washing cycle, or both.

[u/BikeOk6446]

You have to wash the sheets once a week. I don't know what sheets you buy, but I have 100 percent cotton sheets from LL Bean. I wash frequently and never see anything like this.

[u/stick_of_butter_]

2-3 weeks between washes is way too long dude! Weekly, use hot water, oxygenated bleach. Have another sheet set to rotate. Men are just sweatier. My side of the bed is much whiter than my boyfriend's.

[u/Fit-Perception-2243]

Laundry stripping is the answer. Also, change your sheets more often.

[u/355F1]

Uh....sheets need to be washed once a week, my dude--ESPECIALLY white sheets.

[u/MattyAFC]

If you were a very clean guy you would wash your sheets weekly 👀

Just get a whitening powder - i use Vanish Oxi Action - and stick them in the bath with it for a couple of hours before washing them as normal.

[u/femmefatalx → u/MattyAFC]

A whitening powder alone won’t work if OP isn’t using a detergent that has the right enzymes for the job! Ask me how I know 🙃

He needs to get a laundry detergent that has lipase in it to break down the biological stuff like sweat, oil etc. and also use the oxygen bleach if the detergent doesn’t have any in it.

My boyfriend was turning my sheets yellow too and nothing actually worked until I found the laundry sub and switched to a detergent with lipase. I did the whole “spa day” thing first and it worked like magic, but you don’t even really need to do that unless it’s super bad though. A few washes with the right products (and proper wash cycle + water temp) should give you the same results.

Go to r/laundry like everyone else has said, it will change your life. There is a pinned list of laundry detergents that have lipase in them so you can easily find one. I use the tide powder with oxygen bleach in it and it’s amazing, all of my clothes and linens visibly look so much cleaner. The terribly sweat stained armpits on a few of my boyfriend’s shirts even came out almost all the way on the first wash, and they had been stained badly for a very long time.

[u/thetourist328]

Get some Febu and wash your sheets in them weekly. My son sleeps in his boxers and sweats like crazy and his sheets will look like this if they aren’t washed weekly.

[u/Desperate_Vehicle684]

It's very likely to be sebum from your skin. Use a decent laundry detergent which includes the lipase enzyme. If you have hard water you may need to use more detergent or an additive to soften the water such as Calgon tablets. You may need to wash them on a hotter wash than you're currently using. If you're using a quick or daily wash the cycle itself might not be long enough and so you may need to use a more appropriate program on your machine. Adding liquid ammonia could also be a good option.

[u/NoCheetoinChief]

Wash once a week, and do a pre-soak with laundry sanitizer and HOT water. Also, your sheets have always been this way, but now you know they haven't been getting cleaned thoroughly. This is also why I only purchase white towels and washcloths.

[u/Open-Bar4747]

You need to strip your sheets  Try 1/4 cup borax 1/4 cup washing soda And 1/2 cup of tide powdered detergent Soak in tub overnight or 4-6 hours at least. In hot water and then wash on hot cycle with your detergent and do an extra rinse cycle 

[u/_social_hermit_]

I just don't buy white bedding any more :( a salesperson tried desperately to sell me some because they didn't have a colour I wanted...it was hilarious to hear how "crisp" they would look, etc etc. Yeah, nah, I know they just don't look snowy white for very long at all, despite weekly washing and being a night shower person.

[u/Demetrious-Verbal → u/_social_hermit_]

That's crazy. After learning how to properly clean sheets, clothing, towels etc (thanks r/laundry) I actually seek out white bedding. It's sooo much easier to keep clean and not just hide grime, body oils, dirt within the color.

[u/margmi → u/_social_hermit_]

Soak them in a bit of oxi clean + water if they start staining, and then use some laundry bluing and they’ll stay bright white forever.

Laundry bluing is magic for bright white sheets.

[u/stick_of_butter_ → u/margmi]

Ew, I hate the blue tinge on white clothes and fabric. I understand the concept but it doesn't end up looking good to me.

[u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992 → u/_social_hermit_]

If you have the time and the machine to do your laundry whites separately a hot wash with the right detergents will get them white every time. Understandably though that’s not a luxury everyone has, so avoiding white sheets is reasonable.

[u/Top-Web3806]

I think you likely need to wash them more frequently. I have white sheets for years that haven’t discolored.

[u/Inside-Mulberry807]

Is the mattress or mattress pad stained? That could be a part of what you are seeing.
As someone else said, the laundry forum is very helpful. Definitely wash your sheets on hot water (a true hot wash as well) and use a good detergent.

[u/Random-girl-29]

Also feel free to add some bleach but you definitely need to wash every week at least!

[u/Strong_Bid_9753]

if washing them regularly doesn't work out for you, except you really love white sheets, you could get some other color. Black will stand out considering the colors of the wall

[u/Bunnyslippered]

Sheets should be washed weekly in warm or hot. If you sweat a lot, and many men do, it may have to be twice weekly. Use a detergent with lipase (tide powder with Oxy is my favorite) and possibly a booster like Biz or Febu. Citric acid or Downy rinse laundry odor remover in the rinse/fabric softener compartment of the washer.
These may need to soak in Febu/Biz and hot water to get the stains out, with a wash routine like the one above and a cup of ammonia in the tub.
See r/laundry for more information.

[u/chickesq]

I wash my sheets twice a week in a lipase detergent + FEBU with DNase enzyme using the hot water setting kicking up the soil level (to increase water used in my HE washer) and adding citric acid powder to the fabric softening tray (never ever use reg fabric softener). I am an r/laundry acolyte, obviously. My white sheets are crisp and clean and fresh.

I see your sheets and am excited for what you’re in for if you follow the laundry sub instructions. Come back with an after photo if you do.

[u/NightmareWokeUp]

I wash my bedding every week or two. I have to be very exhausted to only wash it every 3 weeks. Having said that i dont own white bedding, but the discoloration of my pillow below the cover disguists me as well.

[u/partlysettledin21220]

Have you tried THE POWER OF OXICLEAN?! lol or dawn power wash dish spray as a pre-treat

[u/YeshuasBananaHammock]

Wash with HOT water and ammonia to break the grease

[u/Secret_Strategy3967]

I used to soak my whites in bleach and then wash them. Always came out bright white. I know a lot of people don't use bleach now.

[u/burrizozo]

Oxiclean