How to whiten whites: 5 proven ways

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 22:45

These shop-made and homemade products will restore the fabric to its original appearance.

What to consider

• Before bleaching, be sure to pay attention to the material of the product and the symbols on the label. It should indicate at what temperature the laundry can be washed. This is important because many of the methods below use boiling water. For example, synthetics cannot be cleaned in hot water, unlike linen and cotton fabrics.
• If the item is expensive and you are afraid to experiment, it is better to take it to the dry cleaner.
• If the selected method did not help the first time, then after washing, you can repeat the bleaching in the same or different way.

1. How to bleach whites with commercial bleach

• What he copes with. With almost everything: removes stains, yellowness, dullness and even helps to restore color to faded things.
• What fabrics it is suitable for. Depends on the composition.

A large number of different bleaching agents, chloro- and oxygen-containing ones, are presented on store shelves.

Chlorine products work, but they can thin the fabric and ruin the color. They are only used for linen and cotton.

Therefore, it is better to give preference to oxygen bleach. They are suitable for all fabrics, even delicate ones, and do not require high temperatures. This is important if the item cannot be washed in hot water.

The way bleach is used may vary, so follow the instructions on the package. Such products and brands as "Persol", ACE, "BOS", "Eared nanny", Vanish, Amway have proven themselves to be excellent.

Most often, things need to be soaked in water and bleach for several hours and washed. Or add the product directly to the washing machine along with the powder.

If the dirt is strong and the fabric allows, you can boil the laundry with bleach for at least 15 minutes and wash in the machine.

2. How to bleach whites with a mixture of powder, bleach, oil and baking soda

• What he copes with. This is a very effective way to combat yellowness and all kinds of stains. The product can remove even very old dirt.
• What fabrics it is suitable for. For cotton and linen.

Add 1 cup (250 ml) laundry detergent, 4 tablespoons of good bleach powder, and 1 tablespoon of baking soda to a saucepan. Pour in 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil.

Pour 10 liters of boiling water, stir and put dry things there. The number of required components can be changed, observing the proportions.

Place the saucepan over low heat for 15–20 minutes and stir the laundry periodically. Remove from heat and leave overnight or 6-8 hours. Then machine wash your clothes.

3. How to bleach white things with laundry soap and soda

• What he copes with. This method is as effective as the previous one. It works great even with old stains and yellowness.
• What fabrics it is suitable for. For cotton and linen.

Place the laundry in a container with three liters of warm water. Rub each item well with laundry soap. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda, stir and leave for a few hours.

Place the pot on low heat and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The liquid will be colored, absorbing impurities.

Rinse the laundry in warm water. Do this until it is clean.

4. How to whiten white things with boric acid

• What he copes with. Boric acid solution is not able to remove yellowness. But it will rid things of dullness and return them to their former whiteness. For example, it will refresh old washed bed linen.
• For what fabrics it is suitable. For cotton and linen, as well as synthetics, if not boiled.

Dissolve 2 tablespoons of boric acid in two liters of warm water. Leave the clothes in the mixture for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and machine wash.

If the dirt is old, boiling will help. To do this, put the container with things and the prepared solution over low heat. You do not need to soak your laundry. Boil for about 1 hour and place in the washing machine.

5. How to bleach white things with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and soda

• What he copes with. The method is similar to the previous one: it will not get rid of yellowness and strong stains, but it will refresh gray things.
• For what fabrics it is suitable. For all.

Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of peroxide and 2 tablespoons of ammonia in three liters of warm water.

Lay out the laundry and leave for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Then wash in a typewriter.

What you need to do to keep things white

• Do not wash whites together with dark and colored ones. The latter can shed and stain the fabric.
• Sort light-colored items by fabric type. This is necessary because different materials require different temperatures. For example, synthetics can turn yellow from hot water.
• Check pockets and other hard-to-reach places for something that will stain the fabric during washing. Turn the linens inside out and shake out any debris from the corners, if any.
• If before washing the white things in the machine were dark, the color of the former sometimes suffers. This happens, for example, with old appliances. For reliability, you can clean the machine before washing by running it "idle", that is, without laundry.
• Clean the machine from time to time with descaling products. You can use special purchased ones or take regular citric acid. Pour about 100 g of acid into the detergent compartment. Then you need to run the empty machine in a mode without spinning at a temperature of 90 ° C.
• Some housewives advise washing white linen with aspirin. This is believed to preserve the color of the fabric. Add a few crushed aspirin tablets straight to the drum of the machine and start the wash.