How to Keep Your White Bedspread Clean
LMents of Style uses affiliate links. By clicking on certain hyperlinks and buying a product, you may help me make a small commission from your purchase. It's links like these that keep this site going. Thank you for your support!
Whenever Nick and I moved to Los Angeles a couple months ago, we got rid of most of our furniture with the exception of our couch, mattress, and bed frame. We did keep our bedding too, but had every intention of moving it to the guest room! We did have guest furniture in Dallas, but it was a full bed, wasn’t very comfy, and the furniture was from when I was single/college. We only upgraded the guest room to a queen, but are using our old California King bedding/sheets on it, becauuuuse why not. All this to say, this apartment is our first time really buying furniture / decorating together!
Parachute Home Quilt and Pillows Shams | Houzz Nightstands | Sully Warm Brass Plug-in Wall Lamp | Faux Fur Blanket | Throw Pillows (similar here, here, here, and here) | By The Bed Bench | Bedframe | Tuft and Needle Mattress
It feels like we made the dumb decision to get a white bedspread at this time in our lives, as we have to pay for laundry and got a black dog. Sure we had Dino, before getting this quilt, but used to have a gate on our bedroom door, so he never really got to go in / get in our bed. Now he sleeps at the foot of our bed on the ground. We let him on the bed sometimes, but he can’t really sleep with us, because he is too big/moves around a lot. Don’t feel sorry for him though. He has an amazing bed!
Okay so maybe the bedspread is not dumb - maybe it’s what we wanted! I made several mood boards for Nick and I, and we were happiest with the white! It truly brightens up our space and changes the look of the room. You can’t see them here, but we have a couple dressers that are dark just like our bed frame, so it needed something lighter and brighter. The first runner up for bedspread color was navy and although it would have been better for Dino, it would have been horrible for our cats. We have two white kitties and their fur would have been ALL OVER IT ALL DAY. I will say Dino gets his drool on certain parts of it, but I guess that’s just the price to pay for super cute and cuddly Great Danes.
So anyway, we love our white bedding, but I do have to perform routine maintenance on it, for it to keep its quality. I had always admired other people’s white couches or bedding, but never thought I could have anything like that, mainnnnly because I like red wine and dark chocolate. Hah! Here’s what I do to keep our quilt, white and bright!
1) Wash Weekly. This is why I said it’s dumb that we moved to a place without in-unit an washer and dryer - I wash our bedspread weekly! It costs me $2 to wash one load and $1.25 to dry a load. These washers and dryers are way smaller than anything I had in Texas, so it’s really like half of one you might be used to. I can get everything in one wash, but often times, I have to do two dry cycles. That’s $4.50 a week, over $200 a year!! For real if you take advantage of someone’s apartment in places like SF, LA, or NYC, consider gifting them a roll of quarters for their trouble. I never washed our old bedspread weekly, though I did change the sheets weekly. It was all grey, so it didn’t show dirt really at all. I don’t know how you treat your bedding, but if you’re sitting on it in everyday clothes, you should consider washing it regularly. Sure you know where you have been, but what about the people who sat / touched where your jeans have touched… pretty gross, right?! So yeah, even though it is annoying, it’s also best practice, to consistently clean your comforter.
2) Use Branch Basics. I spoke about it in this post, but before I wash the quilt, I spot treat it with Branch Basics Oxygen boost. I sprinkle it on, then spray it with their all-purpose spray, to make sure it sticks. I do this 30 minutes - an hour before wash time! DO NOT leave it on too long, or it will eat through fabric and discolor it, if it isn’t already white. Don’t be too paranoid though. I’ve only done it once and it was because I left it on for several days. I also use Branch Basics laundry detergent and oxygen boost in the washing machine!
3) Keep a Blanket Around. Yes, I have the faux fur throw on the bed, but it doesn’t cover the entire bed. Anytime we chill on top of the bed vs getting in it or when we invite Dino up, we have a blanket that covers the entire bedspread, as to dot dirty or dull it. This keeps the Dino hairs off it too! I would suggest getting a blanket sized by mattress size and make sure it is cheaper than your nice comforter, because that’s the point! Dirty something less expensive and easier to wash.
Soooo although it is kind of high maintenance, another reason we chose white bedding, is because it doesn’t have any dyes. I had purchased Parachute bedding before, so I knew it was good quality. They also use family owned factories, where people are paid an honest wage and keep their family history / trade going strong. They are also Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, which means this quilt passes the highest criteria of testing for synthetics and harmful chemicals that are normally used decorating and softening the fabric. You want to buy from a good brand, that cares about your safety, but that also holds up with the amount you will be washing it. Some other good bedding brands that have similar practices are Huut, Boll and Branch, Coyuchi, and Ettitude.
Have a favorite conscious and clean company you like to buy from?? Let me know!! I love to check out new brands. Any tips for keeping your white bedding clean? I can use them all, so do tell!
P.S. If you liked this blog post, you’ll probably enjoy these:
Tips for Removing Every Type of Stain + Cruelty-Free and Nontoxic Laundry Detergent
Click here to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. I recap the week and share recent posts you might have missed!