How to wash white sheets and bed linen

1. Read all the labels to be sure that you don't have any specific cleaning requirements to follow. Most sheets can be washed at home in your washing machine, but specialty fabrics may require careful consideration.

2. The longer a stain sits, the harder it is to remove, so use the pre-treat cap with Ariel Automatic Power Gel Original and soak before washing. That way your stains will lift right off before they get a chance to set.

3. Use the hottest water setting on your washing machine that’s safe for the material. Polyester blends are best washed using warm water, while cotton can tolerate hot water. Hotter water kills the most germs and also takes care of dust mites that thrive in bedding.

4. Wash at least once every other week. Although it is sometimes easy to forget to wash your sheets, think of it this way: Some people spend more time in bed than they do in their clothing. We wash our clothing regularly, so bed sheets shouldn't be any different.

5. Separate by colour. Just like clothing, dark colours or reds can dull or bleed onto lighter colours.

6. Hang sheets to dry outside, if possible. Sunshine is a natural disinfectant and helps brighten whites. If you can, do this every couple months. If weather or time doesn't permit, tumble dry your sheets with a sheet of fabric softener. 

7. Always iron bed linen, because it helps to kill the last of the germs and dust mites that might remain after the wash. Ironing also helps you easily store bed linens.

For fully automatic washing machines, try Ariel Automatic Powder Original on your whites for outstanding and bright results at all temperatures. Or try Ariel Powder Original for regular machine or hand wash.