How to Remove Sweat and Body Oil From Pillow Cases

by DoItYourself Staff

Pillow cases often get stained by sweat and natural body oils. These can be difficult to clean out but there are some tried and trusted remedies.

Popular Remedies

Five easily obtained products that work well on sweat stains complicated by make up stains are hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, white vinegar, ammonia and baking soda. You simply mix 1 of these products with water and soak the stain for at 30 minutes. Before the solution dries, wash the pillow case in cool water. If you are using an ammonia mix, dab the mixture onto the stain and launder after a few minutes. All the mixes should contain equal amounts of the product and water.

Aspirin

There are claims for good results using 3 aspirin tablets dissolved in water. The stain is soaked in the solution for several hours before rubbing detergent into the stained area. Wash the pillow case in cool water.

Lemon Juice

Add the juice of 1 lemon to an equal amount of water. Apply this to the stain and scrub it lightly with a brush before washing.

Meat Tenderizer

This is one of the more unusual solutions--but it does work. Moisten the stain with water and rub in a little meat tenderizer before washing the item in cool water.

Salt

Make up a very strong salt and hot water solution. Sponge the stain with the solution repeatedly until the stain has disappeared.

Pre-Soak Detergents

Some pre-wash detergents have enzymes that can handle stubborn stains. Soak the pillow case in the pre-wash for several hours and wash it as normal.

Stubborn Stains

Stubborn stains probably cannot be removed without damage to the fabric.

Early Treatment

Remove the pillow case each time you see a stain and soak it to prevent the stain from setting.

Prevention

Try to identify the cause of the staining. If staining is caused by make up or creams applied to the face before retiring, try to reduced use of the creams at night.

Is the Pillow the Right One?

If the stains show a face pattern, then perhaps the pillow's fabric and your skin are not compatible. It might be a good idea to check the fabric content of the pillow to see if the pillow should be changed.

Sweating is perfectly normal and there are ways of getting rid of stains but an unusual sweating pattern like ‘face only’ needs to be investigated.