Gross Pillow Stains Are No Match For An Unexpected Shaving Cream Trick

Bodily fluids: need we say more? These are often the guilty factors that turn pillows yellow. The yellow stains are most likely caused by drool or perspiration. Other culprits could be oil-based makeup or naturally occuring hair and body oils, and it can often be difficult to get oily hair stains out of pillowcases.

Whatever the source of the issue might be, yellow pillow stains are unsightly and can even emit an unpleasant odor due to bacteria. Restoring this bedding item to its original hygienic condition should be a priority. If you decide that today is the right time to clean your bed pillows, but you've run out of traditional (and convenient) store-bought cleaning materials, then foam shaving cream in the bathroom cabinet might just be a solution to removing the stains.

How can that possibly work? Foam shaving cream and cleaning agents have several of the same components that make them potentially good options for removing stains. Surfactants (detergents or sodium lauryl sulfate), humectants like glycerin, emulsifiers, and neutralizers like triethanolamine are just some of the similar types of ingredients that go into making these products. In other words, if you've run out of conventional cleaning products, foam-based shaving cream is a possible substitute in a pinch. After all, some many people use it to clean upholstery and carpets, so why not pillows, right?

Spray the shaving cream generously onto a small portion of the pillow to determine how the fabric reacts. Leave it for 20 minutes. If the fabric is okay, then apply the shaving foam over the entire stained area. Gently rub the foam into the stain, ensuring it reaches deep into the fibers for maximum effect. Let the cream sink into the pillows' fabric for 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, take a clean cloth and a solution of warm water and dab the area. If the stains remain, repeat the previous steps. After treating your yellow pillow stains, keep a good routine for bed cleaning and know what to do to keep things healthy. For instance, lemon juice can remove stains on fabric as well.

Shaving cream is designed for direct application to the skin, whereas cleaning agents are not. So, while they may share similar types of ingredients, these may not all be the same or of the same strength. Consequently, using shaving cream to treat yellow stains on pillows may not get the results you expect. But if you enjoy experimenting, then try this hack. At best, you can expect it to remove light stains. At worst, this hack may at least partially remove yellow stains. If all else fails, wait until you have time to go to the store to buy a strong stain remover and follow this method up by tossing the pillow into the washing machine with a good enzymatic detergent , such as All Free Clear, that is made to reduce fabric stains.