How to wash white clothes: the best tips
White goes well with everything, but the problem is how easily white clothes become discolored over time due to wear and washing. For this reason, we at Mr Jeff want to give you some tips to know how to wash white clothes and keeping them looking flawless.
The best way to wash white clothes is to leave them to the professionals
A lot of the time, when we wash white or colored clothes at home, they don’t end up looking how we expected. For this reason, we at Mr Jeff recommend that you leave it to the professionals, who will treat your clothes in a special way and take the necessary care when tending to your garments.
How to wash white clothes: top tips
Let’s start from the beginning. We at Mr Jeff are going to give you some basic guidelines to know how to wash white clothes, a summary of techniques which may seem so obvious that we often forget or overlook them, but there’s no harm in keeping them in mind.
- Separate clothes correctly, color and white items. Pastels and grays are not white. A white wash should only include white clothes, while pastels and grays should go in a light-colored wash. Later, Mr Jeff will analyze the best way to prepare a light wash.
- Use cold water as opposed to hot water in the wash. Cold water penetrates the fabrics differently and helps us to maintain an impeccable white color. Remember that not only will you help maintain the colour of your white clothes, but you will also be contributing to the environment.
- We must pay special attention to the fabric we’re washing and always follow the washing instructions on the garment. In this way, we will be keeping the garments in good condition for as long as possible. Cotton isn’t washed in the same way as silk or cashmere.
- Swap chemical detergent for borax. Laundry detergents, if not used correctly, can leave yellow stains on clothes. Borax is an effective, non-toxic detergent, unlike the chemical ones.
- This is a basic tip, tend to stains as soon as possible. If we don’t try to remove them as soon as they appear, we’ll have difficulties later when we put it in the washing machine. In fact, some stains will never be removed, ruining your clothes forever.
- Another tip for washing white clothes is to avoid using bleach as much as possible. This product turns white clothes yellow over time. It certainly helps with difficult stains, but don’t use it if your clothes aren’t excessively stained.
- Don’t wash sheets with towels. The lint that comes off the towels can stick to the sheets and be difficult to remove. It will also be uncomfortable at bedtime.
- Hang out clothes as soon as possible, this applies to all types of clothes. It’s essential to take clothes out of the washing machine as soon as possible to avoid that musty smell. If damp clothes are left for a long time, it produces a smell that is very difficult to get rid of.
- The sun’s ultraviolet rays help whiten clothes, so after washing, always hang them up outside during the day.
Washing white clothes: grandmother’s tips
Below are some homemade tips that were used by our mothers and grandmothers, which were often more effective. You may remember some while others may surprise you.
- Lemon is a powerful whitener. Soak clothes with a lemon juice (depending on the amount of clothes), to help whiten clothes. We can also put half a lemon in a sock and put it in the washing machine to achieve a similar result.
- Other things that help whiten clothes, although results are stronger with delicate clothes, are: oxygenated water, ammonia, vinegar and bicarbonate. We can use the same techniques, soaking the clothes or putting some in our machines. Be careful about how much is used for washing white clothes.
- Bicarbonate is especially recommended to act against specific stains. If you’re having difficulty with a stain, rub in some warm water and a teaspoon of bicarbonate to remove it easier.
- Oxygenated water is also recommended for cleaning clothes. We use it by adding it to the washing machine in washes with undergarments.
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