Let’s Talk About Sweaty Sheets (Again)

Hello,
I’m so lost.
I’m trying to get some sweat stains out of my cream-coloured sheets, as well as my white mattress pad, and the closest I have to remove these stains is powdered Borax and/or pre-treat Resolve Spray ‘n Wash. I was really curious if it is safe to use both Borax and Resolve in the same wash? I’m desperate and I need some help, please and thank you very much.
Signed,
Lost in the Laundry

Heather says

Thank you for sending in this question. Mixing cleaning products willy-nilly is never a good idea and can be deadly if you’re not careful.

Here at Home-Ec101, we have a safety oath:

I solemnly swear to always read the label, consult the manufacturer, test in an inconspicuous area, never feed the mogwai after midnight, and to never, ever mix chemicals without lots of research and coffee.

Looking at your email, I’m fairly confident you found Home-Ec101 through a Google Search and landed on this post on dealing with sweaty sheets. I haven’t used this particular Resolve product, but I looked it up on their website and saw that it says it works great for blood, grass, and butter stains. That’s some marketer’s way of saying this will work for protein stains, dye stains, and grease stains.

Can you use the pre-treatment and borax in the same cycle?

The Resolve Laundry Pre-Treatment is designed to be used in the laundry with other products. Borax, or sodium borate, is a common ingredient in laundry detergents.

The pre-treatment may help with the perspiration stains and borax acts as a laundry booster, so using the two items in the same load shouldn’t be an issue. Do not overload your washer, give the sheets and mattress pad plenty of water to swish around and rinse away. Check the items before placing them in the dryer to ensure the stains have been removed.

The next time you are at the store, see if you can find some oxygen bleach, it can work wonders on perspiration stains.

Remember – perspiration/sweat stains contain salts and proteins, using chlorine bleach on this kind of stain will often render it permanent stick to oxygen bleach.

A note on the mattress pad:

For what it’s worth, don’t sweat —ha!— the mattress pad, too much. Wash it well and don’t worry about the rest. Think of a mattress pad as underwear for your bed, and it doesn’t have a self-esteem problem. It won’t get same self-confidence boost we get from wearing a nice pair. As long as you are regularly and thoroughly cleaning your mattress pad, it doesn’t have to be beautiful to do its job.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com