Are White Sheets a Bad or Good Idea

When it comes to creating the ideal sleep atmosphere, colour is more important than some people realize. Sleep experts have suggested that the colour of your sheets matters when it comes to selecting the right bedding. This is because the colours of your bedding can play a role in how well you sleep.

White bed sheets are often associated with hospitals and sterile environments. However, it’s time to get away from that mindset because there are numerous benefits to white bed sheets that many people overlook.

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of white bed sheets to see if they're really as bad as people think.

Why do people use white bed sheets?

There are so many colours people can choose from when trying to find the perfect bedding. Yet somehow, white prevails most of the time with most people.

They are a popular choice among homeowners because they have the following benefits.

They create a feeling of cleanliness and orderliness

Is there a cleaner colour than white? It’s a colour that symbolizes cleanliness and orderliness. It’s also a timeless colour and you can be sure that no matter how the seasons and trends change, white will always be in style.

White bed sheets reflect light

Do you live in a place with long summer days and you want to make sure your bedroom stays cool? If the answer is yes, white bed sheets will be your new best friend. Out of all the colours, white reflects light the most and unlike darker coloured sheets, white bed sheets won’t heat up during a hot summer’s day.

They can make a small room look larger

Perspective has a much bigger visual and psychological influence on us than most people realize. If you have a small bedroom but want it to appear bigger, colourful sheets aren’t going to help with that. Bright and bold colours make the room feel smaller while white bed sheets can help create the illusion of more space.

They have a sleek and polished look

If you’re looking for ways to give your bedroom a more sophisticated appearance, look no further than white bed sheets. And if you have a darker room, white sheets can transform how the entire room feels and provide you with a relaxed and comforting setting.

They act as a blank canvas

Your bedroom is your sanctuary, a place of self-expression, and the room where you should let your imagination run wild. There are plenty of opportunities for you to experiment with various decorations, and if you have a white sheet, it’s almost like a blank canvas.

You can add any design elements you want, whether it’s colourful throw pillows and blankets, or anything else you can think of.

White can help improve your sleep quality

According to the colour theory, each colour is associated with a different emotion and can evoke various feelings. For example, red is associated with love but also violence and can often give off a feeling of panic. If you’re going to decorate your bed according to the colour theory, white is the perfect colour.

It’s associated with calmness and goodness, and it can improve your sleep quality by putting you into a sense of relaxation more than any other colour. There is a reason why hotels often use white sheets and it’s because the colour has a calming effect on a person’s mood.

Overall, white bed sheets offer a number of benefits that make them a popular choice for both style and function.

The drawbacks of white bed sheets

While bed sheets don’t have a lot of drawbacks, they do have one that often puts people off not just white but generally light bedding. That drawback is that white can show dirt and stains more easily than other colours.

This means that you'll have to wash your sheets more often to keep them looking clean. Even if you're careful not to spill anything, the natural oils from your skin can transfer to the sheets and cause yellowing over time.

But that shouldn’t be a big concern since white bed sheets are actually easy to wash if you know all the necessary tips.

How to wash white bed sheets

White bed sheets can be a bit more high-maintenance than other colours, but it’s not as bad as it might seem. If you’ve avoided getting white sheets because you think it’s impossible to keep and maintain that pure white colour, it’s time to change that.

Use a mild detergent and warm water

Before you chuck your sheets in the washing machine, you need to realize that learning how to wash white bed sheets always starts with the right detergent and the appropriate water temperature.

First things first, avoid any harsh detergents. They’re full of chemicals that can ruin your fabric and the beautiful white colour you’re trying to preserve. Instead, stick to a mild detergent that will be gentle to your bedding but still wash it properly.

As for the right temperature, remember that warm water is best. Avoid using hot water, as it can cause the fabric to shrink or turn yellow.

Always wash your whites separately

Even though this is a tip almost everyone knows, whenever you wash laundry, you need to separate your whites from your colours. This is important because you risk colour bleeding onto the white fabric, which will ultimately ruin your sheets.

Wash your sheets often

Even if you think you’re clean before you get into bed since you’re freshly out of the shower, you still leave body oil, dead skin cells, hair, and sweat on your sheets while you sleep. All of this can stain your sheets not too long after you’ve started using them, so don’t be afraid to wash them regularly.

Know what household ingredients to add

There are a few household ingredients that you can add to your washing. They will not only help preserve the whiteness of your sheets but also bring back the original colour to yellowed sheets.

These ingredients you can find in nearly every kitchen:

●      Borax. Borax is a laundry booster available in nearly all grocery stores. It is a powdery white material and it’s known to preserve the colour of white linens. Simply add half a cup of Borax to a gallon of water, soak your sheets in this mixture overnight, and then wash as you normally would.

●      Baking soda. If you search “how to wash white bed sheets”, most of the results you get will probably recommend using baking soda, and for a good reason. Baking soda has natural whitening properties and works as an odour neutralizer.

●      Vinegar. If you want to preserve the snowy white colour of your sheets, pre-soak them in vinegar before you wash them. A mixture of half a cup of vinegar and a gallon of water is the perfect amount. Leave your sheets in the mixture for an hour and then wash as usual.

●      Lemon juice. Citric acid, like the one that is found in lemon juice, is a natural bleaching agent. If you want to use those bleaching properties, simply pour the juice of one lemon into the washing machine along with your detergent and your sheets will be clean and lemony fresh.

Hang the sheets outside to dry (if possible)

Sunlight will help keep your sheets looking sparkling white since it has natural bleaching properties. Ideally, you should hang the sheets on the clothesline to dry. However, remember that heat can damage the quality of the fabric so don’t leave the sheets in direct sunlight for more than two to three hours.

If you don’t have the option of drying your sheets in the sun and you need to put them in the dryer, use a low-heat setting. Remove them while they are still slightly damp if you want to prevent wrinkles.

Don’t be afraid to use bleach

White bedding is often avoided because stains don't look well on white. But the truth is that white bed sheets are the simplest to clean out of all different coloured sheets, thanks to a time-saving invention known as laundry bleach.

Even though bleach is often avoided because people are worried about dreaded bleach stains, that isn’t a concern with white bedding. In fact, bleach is one of the most effective cleaning agents available, but it can only be used on white surfaces due to its high strength.

However, you still need to be careful when you use bleach since it contains chlorine, which is a chemical that reacts with proteins that are found in our body oils and sweat. If you simply put bleach in your machine during regular washing, you will cause yellow spots to appear.

To whiten your sheets with bleach, you first need to wash them to eliminate all traces of body oil and sweat. And once the washing cycle is done, add half a cup of bleach into the drum and then run a regular wash cycle again.

By following these simple tips, you can keep your white bed sheets looking as good as new.

Don’t use fabric softeners

Fabric softeners are very popular because they make your laundry smell nice and feel comfortable. However, there is a downside to these softeners, and that is that they don’t rinse well. This often causes a chemical build-up on the sheets which prevents proper cleaning.

Instead of using store-bought fabric softener, substitute it with vinegar. Not only does vinegar have brightening properties but it also works as a natural fabric softener. For smaller loads of laundry, use half a cup of vinegar, and for bigger ones, use a full cup.

Are white sheets better to sleep on?

When it comes to choosing the perfect bedding, there are many factors to consider. Material, thread count, and colour are all important considerations. In fact, these are the things most people consider when choosing bedding without paying too much attention to the colour itself.

However, making the choice between white sheets and coloured sheets is just as important. If you’re not convinced yet, we’re here to remind you that white sheets have a number of advantages that make them ideal for sleeping on.

●      First of all, white sheets are extremely versatile and can be matched with any type of decor. They’re a blank canvas that opens you up to a world of decoration opportunities and different ways to style your bed.

●      Secondly, white sheets have a timeless look that never goes out of style. If you’re someone who cares about staying modern but doesn't want the headache that comes with keeping up with the newest trends, you can’t go wrong with the classic white look.

●      Finally, white sheets create a feeling of luxury and opulence that is unmatched by any other colour.

For all these reasons, and the ones we already listed above, white sheets are the perfect choice for anyone looking for the perfect bedding. And if you were worried about how to keep them white, we hope that all of our tips helped you see it’s not as hard as it seems.

White sheets vs. dark sheets

The ultimate debate – what’s better, white sheets or dark sheets? It’s important to note that this is about more than just personal preference because the type of sheets you sleep on can make a big difference in your comfort and sleep quality.

White sheets are the most common type of sheets for all the reasons we listed out. However, despite the popularity and benefits of white sheets, some people find that they sleep better on dark sheets.

There are a few reasons why people might prefer dark sheets over white ones. For one, dark colours can be more relaxing and calming for some people, which can help them fall asleep more easily. However, this really depends from person to person.

Another reason why people might opt for dark sheets is that they don’t show as many wrinkles and stains as white sheets do, so they often stay looking newer for longer.

However, this might not necessarily be a good thing. Some people find that the darker colour makes it harder to see any dirt or dust that may accumulate on the sheets, so it’s harder to tell when they need to be washed.

Ultimately, the best type of sheet usually depends on personal preference, so choose the one that makes you feel most comfortable and helps you get a good night's sleep.

If you've never tried sleeping on dark sheets before, it might be worth giving them a try to see if they work better for you than white sheets and vice versa. Don’t judge until you’ve seen both sides of the coin, so try both options for yourself and see what works best for you.

Conclusion

So, are white bed sheets really a bad idea? It depends on your personal preference! If you don't mind washing them more often, then they can be a good option for your bedroom.

White bed sheets present you with the perfect opportunity to turn your bedroom into whatever you want it to be. They can be calming, make the entire room look bigger, reflect light, and they will always provide your bedroom with a sleek and polished look.

Of course, washing white sheets is a bigger chore than washing dark sheets simply because white shows stains much more than any other colour. But that shouldn’t scare you off, because, with the right tips and tricks, your sheets will always be white as snow.