Whitening Clothes: 10 Effective Home Tips and Tricks

Over time, white clothing can lose its shine. After having washed many times, it is common for it to become dull or yellowish. In fact, for some people it is frustrating when sheets, tablecloths, lace or beautiful clothing begin to lose their pristine white color.

There are many effective tips and tricks for whitening clothes. While repeated washing and bleach can damage fabrics, applying these tricks is a remedy worth applying. even before they start to turn yellow, although the remedy must be considered according to the type of fabric to be whiten.

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10 effective homemade tips and tricks

To whiten clothes there are different homemade tricks and tips that are most effective. The best way to keep fabrics white for longer is to apply one of the tricks on this list from the first washes.

You also have to be careful not to use a staining deodorant or to apply perfume directly to white clothing. These types of products penetrate deeply and leave stains, which are difficult to remove. Here is the list of tricks to whiten clothes.

1. Vinegar

Vinegar is effective in fighting yellow stains on white clothes. For this trick you have to soak the garment in ½ cup of vinegar and 1 liter of water. Afterwards wash normally.

To remove a yellow stain you have to apply white vinegar directly to the stain. Then it is left to soak for 40 minutes and then wash with soap as normal. This trick is effective for fresh sweat stains. In addition, vinegar serves as a fabric softener.

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2. Lemon and boiling water

Lemon is a highly efficient natural bleach. There are many ways to use lemon to whiten clothes depending on the type of fabric. Mixing lemon with boiling water is excellent for whites that start to look yellowish or gray.

Add lemon slices to boiling water, mix a little and wait 5 minutes. Then the white clothes can be submerged for half an hour. Finally, you have to wash your clothes in a normal way and leave and dry in the sun.

3. Milk

Milk is an effective natural bleach for worn clothes. This food can be very useful for old clothes that have been stored. Clothing that has turned yellow or gray can be given a second chance with this product.

To perform this trick, the garment must be soaked in cold milk for at least 40 minutes. Then the clothes must be washed in an ordinary way. Another advantage of this trick is that the milk penetrates and revitalizes the tissues. This achieves a soft texture for the garments, ideal for tablecloths and sheets.

4. Sodium bicarbonate

Adding baking soda to normal washing is another great solution.. This compound helps keep clothes white and it is not only a natural bleach; the to potentiate the effects of soap. It does so because it neutralizes the lime in the water.

In this way, and although it does not help to remove stains, bicarbonate can be added when a normal wash is carried out. It prevents white clothes from turning yellow, and a tablespoon is enough to see its potentiating effect.

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5. Peroxide

To whiten wool garments, hydrogen peroxide is the best option. Washing and bleaching wool requires great care not to damage and shrink the fabric. If the washing machine has a special cycle for this type of fabric, just add the hydrogen peroxide to the bleach compartment.

If you are going to wash by hand then you have to wash with the usual soap and at the end add the hydrogen peroxide, letting it soak a little before rinsing. Dry preferably horizontally.

6. Lemons

Adding lemons into the washing machine is another trick to keep clothes white. In addition to being used to remove stains, lemons can be used to prevent white clothing from turning yellow.

For this you have to add a lemon cut in half into the washing machine and wash normally. You can also put it in a sock, cut it into slices or use the juice of 5 lemons in the soap compartment.

7. Baking soda and lemon

The mixture of baking soda and lemon is useful for cotton garments. To use these ingredients, the baking soda and lemon must be mixed to form a paste. It is applied directly on the yellow spots like in the armpits.

It can be left on for about 20 minutes and then washed normally. It can also be used on other non-cotton textiles, but its effect is more effective on cotton garments.

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8. Boiled egg water

Using the water from boiled eggs is ideal for white garments that have some color. For this trick you have to boil the eggs and use the resulting water to soak the garments. The water should still be warm.

Another way to use it is when white garments have stained the color of another garment at the time of washing. For this you have to boil the egg shells and submerge the stained garment in that water.

9. Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia

Mixing hydrogen peroxide and ammonia turns out to be a very bleaching combination. This trick is not recommended for delicate garments. It is also advisable to wear gloves, as the mixture can be somewhat harsh on the skin.

You have to soak the clothes in enough water and add ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide with 4 drops of ammonia. Then it is allowed to stand for 10 to 15 minutes to finish washing in an ordinary way. If the garment is not delicate, the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia can be added directly to the stains.

10. Sun

Exposing white garments to the sun is an efficient whitening remedy. The UV rays emitted by the sun make it possible to eliminate the yellowish or gray area of ​​white clothes, as well as to hide stains well.

When you want to remove stains, you can add a little lemon directly to the affected area and leave the garment exposed in the sun for about 30 minutes. It is also recommended to spread the entire garment with pasta soap and leave it in the sun for a long time before washing it normally.

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Bibliographic references

• Fernández, M.L (2013). Garment and home clothing repair operations. IC Editorial.

• Marchal, R.G.E., Ropero, G.R. and Hidalgo, M.A. (2013). Laundry in accommodation. MAD Editorial.

• Maxwell, L. (2003). Save womens lives: history of washing machines. Eaton, CO: Oldewash