One of the main problems with white clothes is that, over time, they acquire a yellowish colour which makes them look old. While many people prefer them because they go well with many other colors and almost any style, it’s important to know how to whiten your clothes so that they can be kept in good condition. And although we not realise it, sweat, dust, and detergents attack the fibres until they finally look damaged and worn. Because of this, it’s good to know some homemade tricks with natural ingredients that help keep them white without the need for aggressive chemicals or anything environmentally unfriendly. Discover them below!
How To Whiten Clothes Without Using Bleach
By
Editorial Staff in
Facts
On 21st December 2017
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#1 Break Out the Aspirin
Aspirin, a great aid for headaches and all other aches, breaks down the gunk that's yellowed your whites. Dissolve five white aspirin pills in water, and add your clothes to the mix. Let them soak a while, and then toss them into your washer. Be sure to stay away from the colored varieties of aspirin, though, or your whites could come out with a colorful tinge.
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#2 White vinegar
Aside from being a useful product for removing stains and dirt, white vinegar is very easy on fabrics and helps soften them naturally to keep you from having to resort to chemical-based fabric softeners. Add ½ to 1 cup of distilled white vinegar to your regular detergent for your washing machine, and run the wash cycle as you normally would. If your clothing has stains around the neck, underarms, or other areas, rub a little white vinegar into the affected areas and let it sit for an hour before washing.
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#3 Use sunshine as a whitener
Wash cotton and linen sheets, tablecloths and other white laundry items. Afterward, allow them to dry in direct sunlight. Hang them on a clothesline or lay them on the lawn to let the sunshine help whiten them. The sun's UV rays will brighten your items right up.
#4 Hydrogen peroxide
This oxidizer is a natural cleaning powerhouse and has many uses, including whitening your laundry. Add half a cup before washing.
#5 Don't use too much detergent
We all think the more detergent we use, the cleaner it will get clothes. But that isn’t the case at all. Too much detergent and fabric softener coats fabrics. When there is a lot of residue on clothes it acts like a magnet and sticks to dirt. You read that right: Too much detergent can actually make clothes dirtier. And no matter how much detergent you use, make sure that the load is always rinsed well.
#6 Baking soda
Baking soda whitens, freshens, and softens fabrics. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda along with your regular laundry detergent. For spot stains, make a paste of baking soda and water and apply directly to the fabric.
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#7 Lemon slices
Lemon belongs to the family of citrus and is very effective cleansing agent. Take a vessel full of water and allow it to boil. Add several lemon slices to it. Let the water boil to its maximum and then take it off from the stove. Pour the mixture to a tub or bucket and soak the white clothes or delicate clothes. Let the clothes be soaked for few hours. Wash it afterwards as you follow the normal procedure. Dry the clothes in the presence of the sunlight. It will naturally bleach the whites, making it more clear and bright.
#8 Dishwasher detergent
Turn to the kitchen cupboards for an unexpected whitener. Add about 1/4 cup of dishwasher detergent to a bucket of hot water. Slosh whites around in the mixture and let soak for 30 minutes – or over night. Dump the bucket and clothes in the washer and finish the load as with your usual laundry detergent.
#9 Salt
The salt that you use in the kitchen can be a great tool for removing grime that dulls your whites. Its power to absorb allows it to remove sweat marks and other substances from the fabric. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of salt to a bucket of warm water and submerge your white clothing for 2 to 3 hours. After this time, rinse them with detergent and leave them to dry in the sun. For sweat stains on the armpit or neck areas, rub the salt directly onto the fabric and leave it for 30 minutes.
