Old School Bedding Care Rituals We’re Bringing Back

We've learnt so much about  bed linen care over the years. Modern washing machines and detergents help to keep our sheets fresh and clean while adding convenience and ease to our lives. At the same time, some of the old school washing tips from decades past still hold strong. Now, we're not saying to wash your  bedding in a river, but we'd be lying if we said the homemakers of the past didn't know their stuff. So, can we combine vintage laundry hacks with our modern techniques for the freshest sheets of all?

Keeping your bedding's fillings evenly distributed keeps it comfier for longer, and a handy way to do this is by turning things around every once in a while. Rotate your mattress every six months to switch up which side you lie on.  Pillows can be rotated every night, while we recommend rotating your  duvet weekly. 

Your parents likely told you to always make your bed growing up. And, would you believe it, they knew what they were talking about. When your bed is made, dust and dirt can’t gather on your  mattress sheets, and your bed linens don’t get wrinkled, making it perfect for clambering into at the end of a long day. 

Now we hate to contradict ourselves, but sometimes, every now and again, you shouldn’t make your bed. Once a week or so you should instead air your bedding out. Lay our  duvet over your door and let your mattress breathe for a day. This combats any gathering of moisture and dust mites and keeps things smelling, and feeling, fresher for longer. 

Storing bedding with care in a dedicated place is always better than scrunching it up and putting it just anywhere. Now, you might not have the classic linen closet of the 1950s, but make sure you do have somewhere dark and dry to put your linen so mould and mildew won’t thrive. 

Keeping a  duvet dry and safe doesn’t need high-tech solutions or plastic packing. Simply placing it in a  cotton bag or covering it with a cotton sheet keeps it dry and smelling lovely. 

One modern invention we love is the trusty washing machine, and a good 40-degree wash generally can’t be beat when it comes to clean sheets. Plus, we love modern detergents such as the ones made by our friends at  Wilton London, which are oxygen-based rather than using harsh bleach.

If you do need to wash your sheets without a washing machine, try giving your sheets a bath. Simply soak in warm water and detergent for an hour, giving a stir every ten minutes. Then, rinse with cold water until the water runs clean. 

Stubborn stains are the worst, aren’t they? Sometimes, stained areas need a little more TLC than a standard wash can provide, and there are some fab old-school remedies for staining.

Do you like to indulge in a glass of wine in bed? We don’t blame you, but sometimes treating yourself leads to a tricky stain. Did you know that a sprinkling of salt or baking soda can help to lift the mark? Just blot the stain before adding your salt or soda. Then, pour boiling water on the back of the stain before spritzing with a white vinegar and water solution. 

Nail polish stains are also a common trouble following in-bed pedicures, but they can be dealt with. Once you’ve scraped off the blot, rubbing alcohol on a cotton bud can often handle the rest. Just remember to wash as usual afterwards to remove the rubbing alcohol.

Not forgetting one of our favourite stain removers, sunshine, which bleaches marks right away. That’s right, sunbathing is good for your sheet’s complexion, too. 

Need more home remedies for staining? We’ve got a blog full of them. 

It’s a true tragedy when lovely, bright bedding fades or when fresh  white sheets discolour, but the old school homemakers knew how to handle it.

The old rule of separating whites from colours, and lights from darks, still holds today to prevent transference. Yes, we know it’s an extra effort, but it’ll always feel worth it when you climb into a beautiful bed each night.

Remember how we said that the sun bleaches stains? Unfortunately, the same is true for colours, too. So, if you're line-drying your bright bedding, one fantastic old-school hack is to line-dry your bedding inside out to protect those lovely hues.

Want to keep your  white bedding white? Well, let us introduce you to the vinegar hack. Simply add a half cup of white vinegar to your white wash for a beautiful brightening. (Don’t worry, it won’t smell.) 

Want some tried and tested  pillow cleaning tips? Our co-founder Molly has a blend of old school and modern tricks she swears by.

Struggling with smells and stains? Molly’s advice is:

“The best way to remove odours from your pillow is to air it out regularly. This will help to lift any moisture and allow the filling to re-loft and breathe, ready to be put back on your bed. For small stains, gently move the filling away from the affected area and dab with cool water. Ensure thorough drying either with a cool hair dryer or by air drying naturally outdoors.”

Our  care guide for duvets, pillows and toppers has more advice on tending to the plusher parts of the bed. 

We’re big fans of line drying here at our Secret Linen Store. It saves on electricity and helps your home to be kinder to the environment, plus it has the added bonus of airing out odours. Just remember to turn your bedding inside out, like we’ve mentioned above.

Often, though, the UK weather isn’t the most line-dry friendly. Plus, a trusty dryer can get the job done wonderfully quickly. 

Adding old school dryer balls to your dryer helps to soften up your bedding so it’s comfy as can be to cuddle up in. Don’t have dryer balls? Tennis balls are a brilliant alternative. Your serve…

If you like to iron your bedding, a cornstarch spray could make your life (well, the ironing part of it at least) much easier. It will give your fabrics a nice crisp structure, which helps you iron them lovely and neatly. 

Of course,  linen bedding doesn’t have to be ironed. The wrinkles are all part of the charm, we think.

For more of our best bed linen care advice, we have a whole  laundry tips article and specific care guides for  linen and  cotton.