Cleaning guru and TikTok creator Chantel Mila has shared a simple natural ingredient that can soften bed sheets and eliminate unwanted smells. In a video from August, she recommended adding one cup of baking soda directly into the washing machine drum with the sheets.
How baking soda softens linen
After adding the baking soda, the sheets should be washed on a normal cycle. Baking soda can enhance the effectiveness of detergents, helping to brighten dull whites, and can be used to rid garments of unwanted odours.
The natural ingredient helps to soften linen by balancing water pH and removing stiff residues trapped in the fibres. As baking soda is an alkaline mineral, it helps clear out hard water minerals (like calcium and magnesium) that cling to the linen’s fibres and make them feel scratchy.
Additional benefits for laundry
It breaks down old soap, detergents, and fabric softeners so they rinse away cleanly rather than redepositing onto the fabric. Baking soda also works as a natural deodoriser, helping to remove the smells left by sweat, body oils, as well as dust which has built up on the sheets and mattresses.
Its neutralising and absorbent properties help to draw out moisture and other odour-causing particles from the fabric’s fibres. In addition to bed linen, baking soda can also be used to help soften towels and clothes.
Spot treatment for stains
If bed sheets have stains, baking soda can be used as part of a targeted spot treatment. In a previous video, Chantel adds half a cup of baking soda, along with half a cup of hydrogen peroxide, to a bowl. Hydrogen peroxide helps brighten and disinfect the clothes. Lastly, she adds one teaspoon of washing-up liquid to the mix to target any oil-based stains.
Mix the ingredients together until a loose paste forms, apply the solution to sweat stains with a stiff-bristle brush, and leave to soak in for one hour. After the hour, wash the affected clothes on a normal cycle in the washing machine.
Clean Heart Maids explained that it’s perfect for using on tough stains. It wrote: “When applied to stains, it releases oxygen, which breaks down the chemical bonds in the stain’s molecules. This reaction lifts the stain, making it easier to wipe away.”
