Keeping white clothes looking bright and fresh can be a challenge. Over time, whites lose their vibrancy and take on a dingy, yellowish cast. Fortunately, there are several effective techniques for bleaching and whitening white fabrics to restore their original brightness. Understanding the best practices for washing, drying, bleaching, and storing white garments will help you keep them looking their absolute best for longer.
Sort Clothes by Color Before Washing
The first step in keeping whites bright is to separate them from colored clothing before washing. Washing whites with colors can cause dye from the darker fabrics to transfer onto the white items. This gives them a faded, greyish appearance over time.
Always wash white garments separately from colors to prevent cross-contamination of dyes. Sort them into lights and darks to get them as bright as possible. The highest level of whiteness will be achieved by washing only white items together.
Segregating laundry loads by color is an easy way to help whites retain their original vibrancy. This simple step of sorting by color each time you do laundry will ensure colors don’t bleed onto white fabrics and cause them to become dingy. It’s a quick, practical practice that pays off in the long run.
Wash Whites in Hot Water
Washing white garments in hot water is one of the best ways to maximize whiteness and brightness. Hot water helps dissolve soils and sweat that cause stains and yellowing on white fabrics. It provides the heat and agitation needed to remove embedded dirt and grime thoroughly.
Aim to wash white laundry loads in the hottest water, setting safe for the fabric. Most white clothing items can be safely washed in hot 120°F water. This high heat sanitizes them and removes many stains and discoloration issues. Avoid washing delicate whites like silk or lace in extremely hot temperatures that could damage fibers.
When washing in hot, be sure to use a laundry detergent containing bleaching agents to lift stains and whiten fabrics. The pairing of hot water with an oxygen-based detergent provides a one-two punch to really brighten whites and remove set-in stains. Make hot water washing a regular habit for white laundry loads.
Add Bleach or Whitening Agents
For boosted whitening power, add bleach or specialty whitening agents to your white loads. Liquid chlorine bleach is the most effective product for brightening dingy whites and removing stubborn yellow stains. Be sure to pretreat heavily stained areas before washing.
Follow garment care instructions, as some fabrics, like wool or silk, should not be bleached. Oxygen bleach powders are gentler alternatives and safe for most washable white fabrics. Products like OxiClean help lift stains and return whites to a like-new appearance.
Whitening detergents containing optical brighteners are another option for enhancing the white color. While they don’t bleach, these additives attach to fabric fibers to reflect more light and make whites appear whiter. Using these occasionally will help keep clothes looking their brightest between more rigorous bleaching treatments.
Dry Whites in the Sun
Harnessing the natural power of sunlight is one of the most effective natural ways to whiten and brighten laundry. The ultraviolet rays in sunshine have a mild bleaching effect on fabrics. Line-drying white laundry outdoors allows the sun to whiten and disinfect them naturally.
Try to dry whites in direct sunlight when possible for maximum brightening benefits. The sun both bleaches and disinfects, killing bacteria that cause odors and stains. Extended exposure to sunlight can damage fabrics over time, so avoid over-drying. But occasional sun-drying provides an easy, eco-friendly boost for dingy whites.
If line drying outdoors isn’t possible, you can replicate the benefits of sunlight inside. Place wet laundry in front of a sunny window. Or use a clothes drying rack designed for indoors to allow sunshine to stream through the garments. Harnessing natural light is an easy way to keep whites fresh and bright.
Use Whitening Detergent Booster
For an extra whitening kick, use a detergent booster in washes to get clothes their absolute brightest. Whitening boosters are used in addition to regular liquid detergent or laundry detergent sheets to brighten fabrics further and remove embedded stains.
Look for boosters that contain sodium percarbonate, a highly effective whitening agent. Optical brighteners, enzymes, and oxygen bleaches are other good ingredients to boost whiteness. Add the recommended booster and detergent to wash cycles for dingy white laundry.
While not required for every wash, whitening boosters provide added cleaning power when you need to get whites their brightest. They help restore a like-new freshness to clothes that have become dull and yellowed over time. Use them periodically as is necessary to re-brighten laundry.
Give White Fabrics a Bleach Soak
Try giving heavily soiled white garments a bleach soak for a deep, intensive whitening treatment. This involves soaking clothes in a diluted bleach to draw out embedded stains and whiten fibers. Use this method sparingly for laundry that has poorly become yellowed or stained.
Make a soak solution by adding 1⁄2 cup of chlorine bleach to a gallon of cool water in a plastic tub or bucket. Give each stained white item a soak for up to 30 minutes, less for delicate fabrics. Rinse thoroughly after soaking to remove all bleach.
This bleach bath technique can occasionally revitalize dingy white laundry like shirts, sheets or towels. But take care, as over-bleaching with chlorine can damage and weaken fibers over time. Use oxygen bleach as a gentler alternative if needed. A periodic bleach soak restores brightness to faded whites.
Conclusion
Keeping your collection of white garments looking their best requires some added effort and attention. However, implementing these tips for sorting, washing, drying, and bleaching whites will help maintain their original vibrancy. Preventing dye transfer and yellowing will ensure your bright whites stay that way. Follow proper laundry care techniques, and your white clothes will maintain fresh, clean brightness for longer.
