How to remove sweat stains from sheets

After a long day at work, nothing beats going back to your bed to get that well-deserved rest. However, diving into a bed covered in sweat stains isn’t as appealing. They’re tricky to remove, but it’s not impossible.

You can remove stubborn sweat stains from your sheets using borax, dish soap, and white distilled vinegar. These ingredients, combined with patience, can eliminate sweat stains from your sheets. Read on to see how you can get rid of these stains efficiently.

Using borax and dish soap

Just regularly washing your sheets doesn’t always remove sweat stains completely as oil can penetrate the deepest fibers of your sheets. An excellent remedy that you can use to remove oil stains is a borax and dish soap solution. It helps eliminate the stains faster, and commercial borax acts as a great deodorizer.

Follow these steps to get rid of sweat stains on your sheets using borax and dish soap.

1. Soak your sheet in hot water, but make sure that it’s not boiling because it may damage your sheet’s material.
2. Let your sheet soak in the hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Doing this helps loosen the oil stains for easier removal.
3. After the allotted time, create a borax and dish soap solution. You can do this by adding two tablespoons of dish soap, one cup of borax, and one cup of water in a container.
4. Ensure that the borax dissolves completely in the water to get the best results.
5. Once the borax completely dissolves, turn on your washing machine and place the solution inside its wash compartment.
6. Let your washing machine complete a seven-minute cycle to help loosen the oil stains more, making it easier for you to remove.
7. After seven minutes, wash your sheets normally using your preferred laundry detergent.
8. When the wash cycle finishes, the sweat stains should no longer be visible.
9. Air-dry the sheets or put in your dryer for faster results. Make sure the stains are totally gone before putting the sheets in the dryer.

A simple dish soap oil-eliminating solution

Another way you can remove stubborn sweat stains is by using dish soap. You can find this standard kitchen item at your local supermarket, but you probably already have some waiting for you in your kitchen. It’s a cost-effective and straightforward method that can remove stubborn oil stains fast.

Follow these steps to remove oil stains from your sheets with the help of dish soap.

1. Pre-treat your sheet by soaking it in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Doing this can remove the dirt and oil residue from your sheet.
2. Prepare your dish soap solution. You can do this by adding three tablespoons of dish soap and three gallons of water.
3. Remove your sheet from the hot water and soak the sheet in the dish soap solution for 30 minutes.
4. After half an hour, brush the stained areas gently. Don’t put too much force when brushing because it can damage your sheets.
5. After the sweat stains visibly lighten, rinse the sheet with cold water three times for the best results.
6. At this point, there should be no stains left. But if there still are stains on your sheet, repeat the process above.
7. When there are no visible stains left on your sheet, you can dry it. You can either let it air dry outdoors or put in your dryer for faster results. If you plan on letting it dry outside, ensure the sheet doesn’t get exposed to sunlight as this can fade its colors.

If you plan on using your washing machine for this method, all you need to do is place a solution of three tablespoons of dish soap and one cup of water in its wash compartment. Then turn on the washing machine, put your sheet in it, and set your wash cycle for an hour. The stains will surely vanish with this approach.

An efficient approach with distilled white vinegar

Vinegar is an everyday kitchen product that can help eliminate all sorts of stains, including stubborn sweat stains. This method is a straightforward and cost-effective way of removing sweat stains from your favorite sheets. You can buy vinegar from your local grocery store, or you can check inside your kitchen pantry.

Here are the steps that you can do to remove sweat stains from your sheets using distilled vinegar.

1. Once again, pre-treat your sheet by soaking it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Doing this helps loosen the oil stains, making it easier for you to remove them altogether.
2. Turn on your washing machine and place one-third cup of distilled vinegar in its wash compartment.
3. Place your sheet inside the washing machine and set the washing cycle for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, fill up a pail with hot water and let your sheet soak in it for half an hour.  Doing this can help remove the stains thoroughly.
5. After 30 minutes, wash your sheets regularly, using your preferred laundry detergent.
6. After the cycle, rinse your sheet three times. At this point, the stains should no longer be visible.
7. When there are no oil stains left, let your sheets air-dry or use your dryer for quick results. After this, you can now enjoy sleeping with clean bedsheets again.

Common questions about sweat stains

Where do sweat stains come from?

Sweat stains are the product of your body’s sweat and natural oils. Your sheets can easily get stains if you sweat during the night. You can avoid sweat accumulation by cleaning your body first before going to bed. However, oil production from the body varies from person to person.

Fortunately, even if you sweat more than the average person, you don’t need to worry about getting oil stains on your sheets because you can always remove them following the processes above. It’s not only your sheets that sometimes suffer from sweat stains. Read here to learn how to get rid of sweat stains on blouses or hats.

What can I do to clean my sheets if I’m sensitive to scents?

The best remedy for this is by finding out what exactly you’re allergic or sensitive to. You can ask your doctors for advice and see which products can help you clean your sheets without triggering your sensitivity. It’s best to check the ingredients for every cleaning product you plan on using.

Luckily, there are many unscented laundry detergents these days. So, stick to one of those and avoid fabric softener. If you want the effects of fabric softener without the smell, use white vinegar. You should also use dryer balls rather than dryer sheets.

Why do sweat stains turn brown on my sheets?

Your sweat is composed of sugar, ammonia, salt, water, and urea. These compounds make your sheets turn brown because they react with your fabric, leaving unsightly stains. When the reaction occurs, and you don’t notice it immediately, it can be hard to remove. However, you can use the processes above to get rid of these stains with ease.

Final thoughts

Having stubborn sweat stains on your sheets can make your bedtime routine uncomfortable. However, you don’t have to worry about cuddling with stained sheets anymore because you can use the processes above to remove them. They’re easy to follow, making cleaning your sheet effortless.