Easy Ways To Bring Yellow Stained Pillows Back To Life

It might be the color of sunshine, but there's nothing cheerful about noticing yellow stains on your once-pristine white pillows. Pillows turn yellow for a number of reasons. It's also a common problem, so there's no need to feel gross if you spot some yellowing starting to creep in. Yellowness can be caused by sweat (you probably sweat a lot more at night than you realize), makeup transfer, saliva from drooling in your sleep, oil stains from your hair and skin, including from lying down with wet hair on the regular.

You should be washing your bed pillows thoroughly twice a year to keep on top of stains, but even then, yellow marks can sometimes make themselves known. If your pillows have already turned yellow, there are several ways you can try and get rid of the unsightly marks. Whether you use only natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar or have heard about unconventional hacks like using shaving cream, the below methods should banish pesky yellow stains from your pillows for good.

Baking soda works wonders when it comes to making all your baked goods turn out tall and fluffy, but its uses don't end in the kitchen. The staple kitchen ingredient is a great option to use as a pre-treatment prior to washing if the stain you're trying to get rid of is particularly severe. Another great thing about baking soda is that it's a natural alternative to harsher chemical solutions you may not want to use. 

To use baking soda on a yellowed pillow, you'll need to carve out some time before washing. Jackie Shepherd, homeware expert, told Ideal Home that she recommends putting the pillow "in cold water for 30 minutes, then apply baking soda to the yellow stain for another 30 minutes." Though Shepherd didn't specify how much baking soda to apply to the stain, we recommend using just enough to cover it so that you don't end up with a lot of excess mess. Additionally, make sure to sweep all of the baking soda away when the 30 minutes is up to avoid a big mess in your washing machine or bedroom.

For this trick, baking soda comes into play once again. However, this time, it's paired with vinegar to really drive away deeply ingrained stains. Note that these natural ingredients should be used before you throw your pillow in the washing machine to really get it clean. The addition of vinegar is thought to help to get rid of any discoloration that has crept in, and experts agree. Emily Attwood, founder of bedding specialists Scooms, shared with Woman & Home how best to utilize this powerful combination.

"Create a paste by mixing baking soda with a small amount of water, and start by doing a spot test in an inconspicuous area. When you're happy, apply the paste directly to the stained area and allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes," Attwood advised. "Once the paste has sat, dampen a clean cloth with white vinegar and blot the stained area to help lift the stain and the paste. Rinse the pillow thoroughly with water." If the stains haven't disappeared completely, you might want to repeat the method. However, if they are mostly faded, simply wash the pillow as you usually would. Any remaining stain should vanish in the wash.

As mentioned, yellow stains on your pillows are often caused by sweat which seeps in and leaves a visible mark over time. This is natural and nothing to wrinkle your nose at (if you wash your pillows regularly), but it can definitely look unsightly. Luckily, pantry staple salt comes to the rescue. Though this trick hasn't been proven scientifically, it's thought that salt will get rid of sweat stains on your clothes, so it makes sense that the trick would carry over to bedding.

All you need to do is dissolve four tablespoons of salt in one liter of water, making sure to stir thoroughly until all of the salt is dissolved (this could take a while). When it's dissolved, grab a clean cloth or sponge. Gently dab at the stains on your pillow with the saltwater solution, making sure that the cloth or sponge is clean as you dab for best results. After the stain has either disappeared entirely or visibly faded, rinse away any remaining salty water and wash your pillow as usual.

You may be looking at this ingredient with confusion — after all, shaving cream typically has nothing to do with pillows, washing, or laundry in general. However, just like the above salt hack is likely to get rid of yellow stains caused by sweat, shaving cream is thought to have a similar effect — but with makeup. Cleaning experts swear by it, too.

If you think your yellow stain could have been caused by makeup rubbing off on your pillow (no judgement), follow these steps to get your pillow looking fresh and clean again. Cover the stain completely with shaving cream and then leave it to sit for approximately two minutes. This gives the cream time to settle down. Then, work the cream into the stain with your fingers or a clean brush. When it has been worked in thoroughly, check if the stain has disappeared. If so, rinse with water and wash as usual. If not, either repeat or try one of the methods below.

So far, we've covered a lot of stain-removing ingredients, but when it comes to regular, purposeful stain removers, avoid the ones with a chlorine bleach base and reach for one with an enzyme base instead. Laundry expert Lori Williamson explained to Reader's Digest how the science behind a non-bleach based stain remover works. "When it comes to washing your pillow, resist the urge to use chlorine bleach to whiten them. Sweat stains are protein-based, and bleach isn't the ideal solution, as it can cause further yellowing," Williamson stated.

This is where enzyme-based cleaners come in. Per Homes & Gardens, cleaning expert Kathleen Bell revealed, "Most stain removers simply bleach your clothes clean by using high concentrations of harsh chemicals that can damage fabrics and even irritate the skin." You want your pillow to actually be clean, and cleaners containing enzymes will not only neutralize any smells coming from your pillow, but also break down the molecules of stains that have caused your pillow to yellow. They do this by triggering chemical reactions nd speeding up the overall molecule removal cycle.

If your pillow can't be washed — for example, it's made from a delicate material like silk — you may feel stuck about how to get rid of yellow stains. Don't worry, though, as you can simply hand wash the pillow in a way that's gentle enough to get rid of stains without ruining the material. For this method, you'll need hot water, some laundry detergent, a clean toothbrush, and a laundry pre-treater. The detergent you use should be mild, as regular detergent could be too harsh for delicate materials.

Spray the pre-treater directly onto the stains and leave it for as long as indicated per the instructions. Next, mix together one to three tablespoons of detergent to each gallon of hot water. Grab the toothbrush, and, dipping it in the water solution, scrub at the stain. Make sure to be gentle when doing this so that you don't damage the fabric. If you don't have a toothbrush, a clean sponge will also work. When you think the stain has vanished, use fresh water to wash away any detergent residue. If needed, you can repeat the method until the stain has mostly faded. Let the pillow dry naturally once done.