How To Clean Yellowed Pillowcases

Inside: Dealing with a greasy, yellowed pillowcase? Check out these simple tips on how to clean yellowed pillowcases. You will be amazed at the difference! Find out how to whiten pillow cases without bleach.

About 6 months ago we made the move from khaki sheets to white sheets at our house. I decided to go with white sheets to brighten the room and so I could bleach them from time to time.

If you have been a reader for long you know I have a schedule that I follow and every Wednesday I wash our sheets.

I was surprised that even though I was washing the sheets and pillowcases every Wednesday the pillowcases always came out dirty looking.

My husband's pillowcase would be very yellow. Even if I soaked them in bleach I still noticed it was yellow and dirty looking.

I did some reading in a couple of different cleaning forums and found a surprising way to clean the pillowcases.

If you are dealing with greasy, grimy pillowcases check out how to clean yellowed pillowcases without bleach.

How To Clean Yellowed Pillowcases

To clean your yellowed pillowcases you will need a few things. Plus, of course, some time to wash the pillowcases. Luckily, this trick easily works washing the pillowcases in the laundry.

Things you will need:

• Shampoo (I recommend just a cheap one)
• Laundry Soap
• Laundry Brush or toothbrush (I really like The Laundress Brush)

What Causes the Yellow Stains?

You may wonder what even causes the yellow stains on pillowcases? Well as gross as it is, our body oils that come from our hair and face get on to the pillowcases and turn them a yellow color.

Using bleach won't lighten the yellow stain because it doesn't remove grease. Laundry detergent may lighten the yellowing, but it isn't strong enough to remove all of the body oil.

The best way to remove the yellow stains on pillow cases and whiten them is by using shampoo to clean the pillowcase.

You also may get the yellow stains on pillows too! You can see here how to machine wash pillows to get them clean.

Removing the Yellow Stains

One of the suggestions I read suggested using hair shampoo to clean the pillowcase. It said that the yellowing was from greasy hair. Both my husband and I shower in the morning so we would tend to have greasier hair than those that showered at night.

I tested that theory by using hair shampoo on the pillowcase. I used Suave Daily Clarifying because that is the shampoo that we use most often and is really cheap so I didn't mind using a bunch of it.

You can see below the yellow stain on the pillow case. I added a bunch of the shampoo to the pillowcase and used a small brush to rub it in.

It's hard to see the yellowing in the pillow in the pictures, but when you look at the edge of the pillowcase you can tell a difference in the colors.

I let the shampoo soak in the pillowcase for about 10 minutes. Then I washed the pillowcase on hot water with soap. I was amazed at the difference it made.

You can see in the pictures below the stripe where I put the shampoo. Again, it was much easier to see the color difference in person than in the pictures. The pictures don't do it justice.

To get your yellowed pillowcase completely clean I recommend using about a tablespoon or two of the suave shampoo and rub it into the pillowcase.

You can use a brush or just rub the fabric together, but make sure that all of the yellowed areas of the pillowcase are covered in the shampoo.

Then let it sit for about 10 minutes. Wash it in the hottest water for the fabric and then dry the pillowcase. You will be shocked at the difference it makes. It really is the easiest way to clean yellowed pillowcases.

Keeping Pillow Cases From Yellowing

I have found that I don't need to clean the pillowcase every time like this. Usually, I just clean it with the shampoo about once a month. It keeps our yellowed pillowcases white.

I also often add a squirt or two of Dawn soap to the load of sheets. It will help remove any body grease that is in the sheets and pillowcases.

So if you are tired of greasy, grimy pillowcases follow these easy tips on how to clean yellowed pillowcases. Your pillowcases will be bright white again.

You can also check out this simple tip on how to get sweat stains out of sheets. It works great!

Want some other laundry tips? Check out how to get deodorant build up out of shirts. It helps you fight those dark deodorant stains in shirts.