We’ve all seen our white clothes lose their brilliance over time. This can come from repeated washing, or because they’re particularly susceptible to picking up stains. The good news is that it’s easy to keep whites looking bright. Check out these tips to help you know how to bleach white clothes, remove stains, or even brighten up a regular wash, restoring your garments to a fresh original white and looking sharp.
If the garment is predominately white but with coloured detailing, it can be even more tricky to wash. Make sure you check the care label before you wash it.
How to Wash Whites
Step 1: Sort Your Laundry
Make sure you separate your whites from the darker colours in your wash, because most discolouration comes from the seepage of other darker clothes. Also, separate your whites from heavily soiled clothing because the dirt from these garments will easily transfer into them throughout the wash – no matter how much detergent you use.
Step 2: Divide and conquer
White clothes can pick up plenty of fibres and fluff, so it’s important to divide all of your whites into separate piles according to the type of fabric. Towels and sheets can go in one load and cotton and linen items can go in another – that way the correct water temperature can be used.
How to Get Stains Out of White Clothes
It’s always tricky removing stains from white clothes, and you’re never guaranteed to have them completely banished. It all depends on the stain and the material. Timing is always a massive factor in removing stains from white clothing: the quicker you treat it, the better the end result will be. Need to know how to get yellow stains out of white shirts, or dirty stains from white tees? Here’s four simple steps to treat stains on white clothing:
Scrape off visible dirt. You’ll need to blot liquid using a cloth, beginning on the outside of the fabric, then moving to the inside.
Apply Omo liquid detergent straight onto the stain, then blot with a light-coloured cloth.
Soak it in cold water for at least 15 minutes.
Wash as normal using Omo Powder.
How to Wash Whites with Stubborn Stains.
If the stain is stubborn, it might need a little extra work to make it disappear. Try soaking it in hot water before you wash the garment, and also try one of these tricks using a good quality laundry detergent:
Put baking soda straight onto the stain then blot it with a wet, light-coloured cloth.
Swab the stain with hydrogen peroxide using a cotton bud.
Grab some white vinegar and blot the stain again before washing as normal.
