A Delicate Process: How to Wash and Care for Your Bamboo Bedding

It’s been a long day. You snuggle into your warm sheets, ready for sleep’s warm embrace when you feel an unpleasant sensation near your feet. Your sheets are peeling again.

This is the second time in a month that this has happened to you. To put an end to this once and for all, you decide to go the extra mile this time by getting high-quality bamboo sheets. While bamboo sheets will last you a long time, they come with their own unique set of care instructions.

To keep your bedding around for a while to come, here is a quick guide on how to care for your bamboo bedding from washing out those problem stains, to storing them when they aren’t in use.

Washing the Sheets 

• Wash in cold water:

Always wash bamboo sheets in COLD water. Hot water can cause the sheets to shrink and damage the bamboo fiber structure. Also, cold water helps save energy which means you can help save the environment and your money!

• Use a gentle detergent:

Avoid using harsh detergents or fabric softeners on your bamboo bed sheets, as they can break down the fibers and cause them to lose their softness over time. Instead, use a gentle, eco-friendly detergent that is free from harsh chemicals.

• Wash with similar fabrics:

To avoid pilling or damage, wash your bamboo bed sheets with similar fabrics, such as other bamboo or cotton bedding. Avoid washing them with heavier items like towels, or with your jeans or any items with zipper or Velcro as this can cause friction and damage the delicate fibers.

• Don't use bleach:

Never use bleach on your bamboo bed sheets, as it can damage the fibers and cause them to become discolored.

• Air dry if possible:

The best way to dry bamboo sheets is to hang them outside when the weather is nice. If that is not possible, you can simply tumble dry at regular cycle.

By following these simple tips, you can keep your bamboo bed sheets looking and feeling great for years to come. With proper care, they will continue to provide a comfortable and luxurious sleeping experience every night.

Getting Out Problem Stains 

Unlike most other synthetic bed sheets you can't use chlorine bleach to get problem stains out of the bamboo ones. The abrasive chemicals will completely ruin them. There are other methods that you can use though. 

The two most common stains that you'll have to deal with come from bodily fluids like blood and sweat. Sweat turns a nasty yellow color after it's been exposed to bacteria. You can avoid this by simply washing your sheets regularly.

Blood will be a little harder to get out of your sheets then sweat. If you bleed on your sheets, follow these easy steps.

• Treat the stain as soon as possible:

The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove the stain. So, try to treat it as soon as possible.

• Use cold water:

Soak the affected area in cold water for at least 15 minutes. Avoid using hot water as it can set the stain.

• Apply a stain remover:

Apply a small amount of a stain remover, such as hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar, to the stain. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

• Wash the sheets:

Wash the bamboo sheets in cold water with a gentle detergent. Avoid using chlorine bleach or fabric softeners as they can damage the bamboo fibers.

• Check the stain:

Before drying the sheets, check if the stain has been completely removed. If not, repeat the process.

• Dry the sheets:

Sunlight is a natural “bleach”. So ideally, if you deal with stains on your bamboo sheets, the best would be to air dry them during a sunny day. If not possible, tumble dry them at regular cycle, avoid using high heat.

For stubborn stain, try this DIY recipe!

DIY Blood stain remover

Create your own natural solution for blood (or any stubborn) stain remover and use it as needed. Mix the ingredients and keep the solution in your laundry room to use on stain, as needed.

• a cup of hydrogen peroxide
• 12 cups of water
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice

Drying the Sheets

• Hang your bamboo sheets in the fresh air
  

The best way to dry bamboo sheets is to hang them outside when the weather is nice. This may not be a realistic option for you depending on the climate that you live in. If this is the case then you will have to throw them into the dryer.

• Tumble dry a low heat or regular cycle

When putting them in the dryer be sure to use the low heat or regular setting and don't use dryer sheets at all. Trust us, this material won't need them. Make sure that you remove the sheets as soon as the cycle ends or else you'll have to deal with wrinkles. 

Caring for Wrinkles

It's very easy for bamboo sheets to wrinkle due to the lightweight nature of the fabric. That's why you need to retrieve them as soon as the dryer buzzer goes off. If you can't get to the dryer when it goes off then no worries.

Most of the time the wrinkles won't be that deep so they will work themselves out after you put them on your bed and sleep in them once or twice. If you're really worried about it though, you can iron them on a low heat setting. 

Can You Whiten the Sheets?

After a while, your sheets can become a little dingy especially if they're white. This is the case for all sheets, not just bamboo ones. Don't worry though, you can whiten them without having to use a single drop of bleach. 

• Lemon of vinegar

Citrus juice is great for whitening clothes. All you have to do is add a the juice of one lemon to your wash cycle. White vinegar is another natural whitener that you can add to the wash cycle instead of lemon juice.

• Baking soda

Soak your sheets in this baking soda solution until the color starts looking better:

• mix up four liters of water
• one cup of baking soda
• let your sheets soak in this solution until they start looking a little less dingy. 

How to Store Them When Not in Use 

After you wash your sheets there comes the time for you to store them. Most people either put them back on their bed or store them away for safe keeping. Storing them usually happens if you have more than one set of sheets and you regularly rotate them. 

Two things that you want to avoid are plastic bags and cardboard. Plastic will yellow the sheets because it allows moisture to get in and cardboard lets harmful acids get to them. Where ever you do decide to store the sheets, make sure it's dry and out of direct sunlight. 

Your Guide to Taking Care of Your Bamboo Bedding

When it comes to sheets, bamboo is the best. It's a soft material that won't peel easily if you take proper care of it. Use these care tips for bamboo bedding to keep yours around for as long as possible. 

Ready to pick up a set of all natural bamboo sheets? We may have exactly what you need.