Do Massage Oils Stain Microfiber Sheets? (Care Tips for Beauty Professionals)

Okay, so let’s get real. The most common question regarding massage table sheets is, “Do oils stain sheets?”. However, there is much more to this question than just a couple of sentences, so I decided to answer all your questions in this blog. Plus, I show you an experiment of testing different massage oils and lotions, to see how much or how little they stain.

Do Massage Oils Stain Microfiber Sheets?

Truthfully, there is no fabric out there that is completely oil and stain-resistant. There are added chemicals into some fabrics that claim to make them more oil and stain-resistant. However, these come with their own issues. People don’t want added teflon-like chemicals into the sheets they use in their health and beauty businesses. Microfiber is more stain-resistant compared to other fabrics like cotton or flannel, which is why it is more widely used. Microfiber is very water-resistant, which is why using a water-based oil or lotion will stain the least.

Why does oil stain, and why is it so hard to remove?

I think we all can relate to washing our clothes in general, and trying to get those small, pesky oil stains out of our shirts that happen to splash on us when we are eating or cooking. There is a reason oil is much more difficult to remove, and it is because oil is hydrophobic, which means that it repels water. (Have you ever tried to clean a water spill with a microfiber cloth? Yeah… it doesn’t work that well.) Oil also doesn’t evaporate like water does, so it gets embedded in fibers and will stay there if not treated promptly and properly. It is recommended to treat an oil stain within 24 hours for the best outcomes in removing the stain.

Which oils and lotions are the best to use to avoid stains in microfiber sheets? An Experiment.

Okay, so I am not a scientist and I am not a pro at running experiments, but I do wash a TON of sheets and laundry as a solo esthetician, so I know a thing or two about what works with proper care of massage table bedding. And I also tried to make it as close as possible to what might happen in real life.

I use the following products in this experiment:

• Avocado oil - This oil is THICK, and I figured it would be a good example to compare it to lighter oils and lotions.

• Rosehip oil - a favorite of mine, especially for facial massage.

• Jojoba oil - something that is commonly used by both estheticians and massage therapists. It is also most likely our skin's natural oils.

• Biotone Clear Results Massage Oil - a massage oil that claims to wash out more easily than other oils and still gives a great glide for massage.

• Biotone Advanced Therapy Massage Gel - This is my personal favorite for massage, because I use so little and it leaves my clients hydrated without being greasy.

• Biotone Advanced Therapy Massage Lotion - This is a water-based lotion and contains oils as well.

So I poured a bit of each onto the dusty rose fitted sheet for this trial and wrote with a black sharpie to keep track of which is which. I also rubbed the oil or lotion into the fabric.

I let the oils set in for 2.5 hours. I figured this would be an average time the sheets might sit with oils before they can be treated with a stain treatment spray before being thrown into a laundry basket.

After 2.5 hours, I sprayed the sheets with Dawn Power Wash (it is my personal favorite way to treat oil stains, and it was also the most cost-effective for me). I then let the sheets set overnight because most likely, the sheets might not be washed and dried the same day, or at least it might be 8-12 hours post-treatment before the sheets hit the wash.

I washed the sheets with warm water (not hot) and with a slow spin cycle. I also threw in the fitted sheet with 5 other sheets, which would also be similar to what would be washed together.

I then dried the sheets in the dryer for 35 minutes on medium heat. When I removed the sheets from the dryer, I took a photo of what the oil stains looked like:

As you can see, the rosehip oil, Biotone Clear Results Massage Oil, and Biotone Advanced Therapy Massage Lotion were easily removed from the sheets. 

So, to post in full transparency, and ethically as I can, I will say that there are no sheets or fibers that are 100% oil resistant. If sheets are not treated properly, they will stain, and oils will set. Spa Threads never claims 100% stain and oil resistance, and cannot guarantee that the lotions and oils you use will not stain the sheets. 

So what are we doing about it? 

Spa Threads was created because I saw a gap in the market for colorful and fun spa bedding for beauty professionals. So my way of addressing the issues with oil stains is not to add chemicals to make them more “oil-resistant”, but to offer fun and colorful prints that actually HIDE oil stains more easily. So you can worry a bit less about some stains that are left behind (even after being appropriately treated). Patterns and colors can hide imperfections more easily than plain colored sheets. 

We started with four solid colors, but we are finalizing the prints we want to offer. So make sure you stay tuned to see what Spa Threads will be launching here soon.