No doubt, white clothes are hard to keep bright as they tend to lose their brightness and get dingy after a while because they easily attract stains. But do you know you don’t have to toss them? If you wish, you could get that whiteness back! How?
There are safe tricks and bleaching methods that can help you get rid of those stains and dull look without damaging your clothes. From bleaching your white clothes by hand (soaking) to using aportable ultrasonic cleanerlike Sonic Soak that is extremely powerful without damaging your clothes - and that can clean absolutely anything!
Read on to find out more about the different methods involved in bleaching your white clothes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Safety tips before bleaching clothes
- Best ways to bleach your clothes?
- How do you prevent white clothes from fading?
- Last advice on how to bleach your white clothes
Safety tips before whiten your clothes
If you use bleach wrongly, it can cause damage to your clothes by marking them because bleach can be corrosive. It is a harsh chemical, and you need to bear some things in mind so you can bleach your white clothes safely.
- Ensure the room where you are going to use the bleach is well ventilated
- Make sure your clothes can bear the strong cleaning power of the bleach before using it. You can confirm this by testing the bleach on an area of the fabric that is inconspicuous first.
- If the bleach spill, use a damp cloth to clean it up almost immediately
- The method or format you want to use should determine the type of bleach you will use. If you are going to bleach with washing machine, use liquid bleach but if it is for spot-stains, make use of pen or spray.
- Avoid contact with bleaches by wearing plastic apron on your clothes and rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- Ensure your clothes’ label does not have the phrase “do not bleach” before you bleach
- Bleach made specifically for laundry purposes should be used. Also, never mix ammonia with bleach as it can release toxic gas.
- Ensure that you do not bleach natural fibers such as leather, wool, or silk.
- You can destroy your clothes by using concentrated bleach on them directly. Ensure you dilute the chemical before you bleach your white clothes with it.
Best ways to bleach your clothes?
How do you bleach your white clothes by soaking them?
You can bleach your white clothes by soaking them in a bucket of cold water, adding bleach, leaving it for about 10 minutes, removing and rinsing the clothes in cold water, and spreading out to dry. For a better understanding, the steps to follow are:
Step 1 – get a container, pour cold water in it, and soak your clothes.
- The container can be a bowl, bucket, or other containers that are sturdy and suitable. Make sure the container you select is big enough to make stirring and agitation of your clothes easy while you soak. Typical possibilities are clean construction-grade buckets, your washing machine, or a bathtub.
- Ensure your white clothes are covered with the water. At least a few inches above the clothes
- If you like, you can wash your white shirt with other white cloths. It can make the bleaching more efficient
Step 2 – pour bleach in the container where your white shirt or clothing is soaked
- Different brand and type of bleach product have different recommendations and measurement when it comes to using because they have different concentration. You can check the directions on your bottle of bleach to know how much is needed for your clothes.
- As a general rule of thumb, about a ¼ cup of bleach is perfect for a gallon of water. Few tablespoons of bleach are recommended for a single cloth, and about 1 cup should do if you soak more than one white cloth.
- If you need some extra cleaning power because your white clothing is soiled, you can add other materials such as washing soda, borax, dish detergent, or laundry detergent.
Step 3 – Stir the clothes, bleach, water, and other materials in the container
- You need to make sure your clothes soak evenly, and you can achieve this by stirring all the content in the container every few minutes.
- Set a timer and allow the clothes to soak for about 10 minutes. Take note that bleach can weaken or damage your fabrics if you soak for too long.
Step 4 – use cold water to rinse the clothes
- After soaking the white clothes for up to 10 minutes, you will need to remove the bleach and other materials like detergent from the clothes to avoid unpleasant residues in the fabric.
- Remove the shirt or other clothes from the bucket and wash it under cold running water before drying
Step 5 – remove excess water and dry
- Squeeze the clothes to remove the excess water
- Dry the clothes by putting them on the line to air-dry or using a drying machine
How do you bleach your white clothes by using a washing machine?
There are different types of washing machines, and this includes the laundry machines and the ultrasonic cleaning machines. Both washing machine works in different ways.
The laundry machine uses a large plastic agitator to move your clothes through the water, but ultrasonic cleaner uses cavitation bubbles to remove dirt and stains. You can check our previous article for more details.
How can I bleach my white clothes with laundry machines?
You can bleach your white clothes with laundry machines by removing the staining substance immediately and use detergent to pre-treat the stains. Then pour water, add bleach, switch on the washing machine, put your clothes in it, remove after some minutes, rinse, and dry. Below are the steps to follow.
Step 1 – separate the white cloth and remove the substances staining it immediately
- Remove excess spilled substances from your clothes by using a tool you have handy. It can be a spoon or paper towel
- You can make use of a paste of baking soda and water to remove stubborn staining materials. Use a brush to scrub the baking soda into the stain. It should make the ground-in stains go away
Step 2 – use liquid laundry detergent to pre-treat the stains
- Apply the detergent directly on the stain and use a soft brush to scrub it
- Alternatively, you can make use of powdered detergent by mixing it with water and applying it on the area of the clothes affected by stains
Step 3 – check the tags on your clothing
- Not all clothes can be safely washed with a machine. So, check to ensure the clothes can be washed on the hot water setting in a laundry machine.
Step 4 – pour water and detergent into the laundry machine
- Ensure your washing machine get a water supply
- Pour detergent into the laundry machine. How much detergent you will use depends on the load.
Step 5 – measure the bleach and pour it into the washing machine dispenser
- Use a measuring cup or the cap of the bottle to measure out the bleach
- Put a bit less than a ¾ cup of bleach if the load is less than ¼ of the laundry machine. On the other hand, add a bit more than a ¾ cup of bleach if the load fills more than half of the machine.
- You can put the bleach directly in the washing machine or inside the dispenser of your washing machine has one.
Step 6 – set the temperature of the wash cycle to hot, turn on your washing machine, and put the clothes in it
- Let the laundry machine run for some minutes so that the materials (bleach, water, and detergent) can mix.
- Put your clothes in into the washing machine while the contents agitate•
- Allow it to run some cycles, and when it is complete, remove the clothes to see if you are satisfied with the bleaching. If not, run the wash cycle again.
Step 7 – rinse the clothes to remove the bleach and detergent and then spread out to dry
- Remember, you can bleach the clothe again if you are not satisfied with the result
How can I bleach my white clothes with ultrasonic washing machines?
Ultrasonic washing machines can help you bleach your white clothes with or without using bleach. Using portable ultrasonic cleaners such as Sonic Soak is the safest and most effective way to get the brilliant white of your clothing back. Put the cloth in a container or tank filled with water, turn on the machine, and watch it do its job. Here are the steps
Step 1 – pour water in the tank or a container
- If the ultrasonic washing machine has a tank pour water in it
- But if it is a sonic portable ultrasonic machine such as Sonic Soak, pour the water in a bowl
Step 2 – plug the machine and switch it on
- Allow the ultrasonic cleaning solution to heat up for some minutes, or you can pour hot water in the tank or container
Step 3 – put your clothes in the water while the ultrasonic cleaner is working
- You can remove the staining substances immediately and also pre-treat the stains before washing them with the machine for more effective cleaning.
- Also, you can add laundry detergent and a small quantity of bleach. However, this is not always important. Unless the stain adhering to your clothes is very stubborn and hard to remove.
Step 4 – allow the cycle to complete, remove, rinse, and dry the clothes out
- You can make the ultrasonic run many wash cycle until you get the best result
Take note that unlike other methods of bleaching your white clothes, the ultrasonic washing machine can wash any fabrics. It won’t damage your favorite white shirt as they can keep your clothes clean without using bleach, which can cause damage.
How to sun-bleach your white clothes?
Sun-bleaching your white clothes involve using the natural bleaching power of the sun’s rays. This was the main method people used for keeping their white clothes clean, shine, and bright before bleach was made available commercially.
How does the sun-bleaching power work?
The sun rays produce ultraviolet radiation where the bleaching power comes from. This radiation can cause the colors in stains to lighten or fade by breaking up the chemical bonds that create the stains’ colors at a molecular level.
How do you use the sun-bleaching method?
Step 1 – wash your white clothes as you used to.
Step 2 – rinse the clothes and hang them on a qdrying rack, rope, or clean, flat surface. Ensure that the weather is warm and there is no chance of rain. A lot of sunlight will work better.
Step 3 – leave your clothes outside to dry in the sun for a long time. However, don’t let the white clothes stay in the sun for days. It can weaken the fabric of the clothing and make it more susceptible to wear and damage. So, take your clothes in when they have dried.
How do you prevent white clothes from fading?
- Wash your white clothes after wearing them once or twice
- Get rid of the stain almost immediately or as soon as possible
- Don’t white clothes and colored ones together in the same load
- Use hot water when washing your clothes
- Use laundry detergents that have bleach as one of its ingredients and ensure you don’t underuse or overuse detergents
- Do not over dry your white clothes
- Wash the white clothes by using the safest methods which can include the use of ultrasonic washing machine like Sonic Soak.
Advice on how to bleach your white clothes
There is no doubt about the fact that it is hard to find perfect white clothes and it is nearly impossible to keep your clothes white forever. However, bleaching your white clothes by making use of the soaking method, washing machine method, and sun-bleach method can make a great difference.
Take note that out all the tricks mentioned above, using the ultrasonic cleaner is the easiest, fastest, safest, and most effective method. It can help brighten your white clothes back to how it looks when you first bought them.
FAQs
Chlorine bleach should never be poured directly onto clothes in a sink or washer because it can remove color completely and dissolve the fibers. Either add the bleach to an automatic dispenser or into the washer water before adding the laundry.
What is the best bleach to use to whiten clothes? ›
Sodium hypochlorite bleaches (also called chlorine or liquid household bleach) are the more powerful laundry bleaches; they disinfect, as well as clean and whiten. They work on many whites and colorfast washables - but not on wools or silks.
How do you get yellowed white clothes white again? ›
You can use hydrogen peroxide to whiten and brighten clothes, disinfect laundry, and remove stains. Pour it directly on stains such as blood. Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to whites in the washing machine to brighten them.
Do you bleach white clothes with hot or cold water? ›
Clorox® Regular Bleach2 disinfects effectively in hot, warm or cold water whether for laundry or household cleaning/disinfecting. For maximum cleaning, stain and soil removal, one should wash with hot water with detergent and Clorox® Regular Bleach2.
How do you bleach white clothes without turning yellow? ›
You can whiten dingy whites and even prevent your whites from turning yellow over time when you follow the proper laundry care instructions.
...
- Use a whitening solution. Laundry whiteners are formulated to brighten the appearance of your fabric. ...
- Use oxygen-based bleach. ...
- Use baking soda. ...
- Use vinegar.
Soak clothes in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water. Fully submerge for 5 minutes.
Can you mix vinegar and bleach for white clothes? ›
You should never clean with these two ingredients combined. Mixing chlorine bleach, which contains sodium hypochlorite, with any type of acid like vinegar creates chlorine gas, a dangerous chemical that's deadly in high volumes.
How much bleach do I use to whiten clothes? ›
Generally, about 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water is recommended. If your cloth is soiled, rather than just needing whitening, you may also want to add other cleaning agents for extra cleaning power! Just a few other materials you may want to add are: Laundry detergent.
Which is better bleach or OxiClean? ›
Chlorine bleach came in last place, cleaning 63% of stains. It also left white spots! OxiClean beat its whitening power, even without adding detergent to the laundry, which is not recommended.
How do hotels keep towels white? ›
Most hotels use peroxide-based laundry detergents to keep their sheets and towels bright. While these compounds are extremely successful at preventing white linens from greying or yellowing, they do necessitate some amount of knowledge. When used incorrectly, they might cause damage to your linens.
One of the most well-known secrets of the hotel industry in keeping their sheets enviably is peroxide-based detergents. Bleach is also added to the mix. While these chemicals are truly effective in preventing white linens from greying or turning yellow, they do require some level of expertise.
Can you soak your clothes in bleach overnight? ›
For an entire garment, make a weak solution of bleach and water and soak your items overnight. Wash as usual the next day, adding 1/2 cup vinegar to the load for extra color brightening power.
Does hydrogen peroxide yellow white clothes? ›
Will Hydrogen Peroxide Stain Clothes? As safe as hydrogen peroxide is for clothes, there are just some fibers that hydrogen peroxide can't befriend. Synthetic fibers don't react very well with hydrogen peroxide and often result in a yellow tinge or stain.
How do you whiten clothes with hydrogen peroxide? ›
Whiten Dingy Whites
Simply add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the washer drum before adding the water and clothes. The hydrogen peroxide can also be placed in the automatic bleach dispenser of the washer where it will be dispersed into the wash cycle.
Is it OK to soak white clothes in bleach? ›
A bleach soak is a great way clean your whites. Learn the optimal amount of time to soak your clothes in bleach. Tackle household messes with 10% off curated cleaning bundles or build your own.
Should you bleach clothes wet or dry? ›
When you bleach fabric that's wet/damp, you get more of watercolor look. It's not as concentrated, so you can see here that it made some really pretty textures in the fabric.
Does hot water make bleach less effective? ›
Procedures of Preparing/Using Diluted Bleach
Cold water should be used for dilution as hot water decomposes the active ingredient of bleach and renders it ineffective.
Do white clothes turn yellow after using bleach? ›
It might be a quick fix solution for stain removal, but in the long run, bleach may cause your whites to turn yellowish and will weaken the fabric, causing it to tear easily. Bleach also tends to weaken the shirt fibers and returns the synthetic polymers back to their original colour, yellow.
Why did bleach turn my white shirt yellow? ›
What Causes Yellowing of White Clothes? Chlorine bleach is great for cleaning and disinfecting but it can cause yellowing if overused or if used on white synthetic fibers like nylon, microfibers, or polyester. The bleach weakens the fibers and returns the synthetic polymers back to their original color, yellow.
Why do my white clothes look yellow after washing? ›
If you are a faithful bleach user, it is the bleach that is probably the culprit. Household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is often used as a laundry booster or whitener. However, its chemical makeup can often make white clothes turn yellow.
For some fabrics, you may want to leave the bleach on for 15 minutes, or even up to 20 minutes. Be careful, though. If you leave the bleach mixture on for too long, the bleach can damage the fabric of your sweatshirt.
How long does it take for a shirt to turn white after bleaching? ›
Leave the clothes undisturbed so the bleach can start to turn them white. After about 10 minutes, use your utensil to lift up some of the clothes so you can inspect them. If they're still not white, submerge the clothes back into the solution and wait another 5 minutes before you check them.
What happens if you mix bleach and hydrogen peroxide? ›
Bleach plus hydrogen peroxide creates oxygen gas so violently, it can cause an explosion. “One should not mix household cleaners as a general rule,” Langerman says. “You do not necessarily make a strong cleaner by mixing two cleaners together.”
Is white vinegar better than bleach for white clothes? ›
When you're washing whites or running a cycle in cold water, bleach can be a go-to disinfectant; however, it can be too harsh of a chemical to use regularly. If you're looking for an everyday disinfectant, start with vinegar.
Which vinegar is best for white clothes? ›
To prevent stains, it's best to dilute the vinegar with some water. It's also important to note that you shouldn't use red wine vinegar, brown vinegar, or balsamic vinegar on clothing, as these varieties can all stain. Stick to white vinegar and apple cider vinegar when it comes to laundry.
Why has my white top turned pink in bleach? ›
Whites Turned Pink
This error usually happens when a small colored item, like a red sock, gets stuck in your load of whites. To fix this, soak the discolored stuff in a sink filled with water and bleach (10 parts water to 1 part bleach) or OxiClean (read the label for the amount).
What cleaner is stronger than bleach? ›
When it comes to cleaning, bleach is a staple in our society. Unfortunately, most users are not aware of a safer and superior alternative with disinfecting properties. This solution is called Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl).
Is it OK to mix bleach and oxyclean? ›
Do not mix OxiClean with other chemicals. This includes ammonia, chlorine bleach, and other household chemicals.
When should you not use OxiClean? ›
Don't use OxiClean on wool, silk, or other off-limits fabrics. OxiClean's manufacturer suggests that it should not be used on the following fabrics: wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather, or on fabrics labeled dry clean only.
Does borax whiten clothes? ›
Borax is extremely alkaline (pH of around 9.1), which creates a basic solution that can help fight acidic stains (like tomato or mustard) when dissolved in water and used as a pre-treating solution. When added to a load of laundry, borax can help get white clothes whiter.
The best way to prevent germs from growing on your bath towel is to let it dry completely between each use, and wash it frequently. The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you shower every day, that means laundry almost twice a week.
What does vinegar do to white towels? ›
Washing Towels with Vinegar
Use about half the recommended amount of detergent while washing and add ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar to the water during the rinse cycle. The vinegar helps set the colors and removes excess detergent residue.
Do hotels wash sheets between guests? ›
It's probably safe to say that all major hotel chains, including Hampton, instruct their housekeepers to change sheets between guests. Yes, you'll always find some no-tell motel out in the sticks that tries to skip a guest or two, but as a general rule, the sheets are swapped out.
Does Dawn dish soap make sheets white? ›
How to Make Your Sheets White Other Than Using Bleach? Washing your white laundry in Dawn dish soap rather than tossing in bleach will not only make your whites bright white, but the soap also helps to remove those pesky stains such as the morning coffee spill or the splattered marinara sauce.
Why does my boyfriend turn the sheets yellow? ›
Why does my boyfriend turn the sheets yellow? Your bedsheets absorb everything that comes into contact with them, which can result in unsightly staining. The most common culprits behind yellow stains on white sheets are skin oils, sweat, and other bodily fluids.
How long does it take for bleach to turn fabric white? ›
Leave your clothing submerged in the bleach solution for at least five minutes. Check it every minute to see whether it has lightened to your liking. Keep in mind that the color will be a shade or two lighter when it is dry.
Can I put bleach in my washing machine to whiten clothes? ›
How to Use Bleach in Laundry to Clean, Whiten, Remove Stains and Sanitize. You can add bleach to every load of bleach-safe laundry along with your regular detergent to clean, whiten, remove stains and sanitize your clothes.
Can you leave fabric in bleach overnight? ›
For an entire garment, make a weak solution of bleach and water and soak your items overnight. Wash as usual the next day, adding 1/2 cup vinegar to the load for extra color brightening power.
Does bleach turn everything white? ›
Bleaches oxidize and break up these molecules, modifying them and making them smaller so they no longer absorb visible light. If the underlying material has no innate color (true of most textiles), you'll just see white.
What temperature do you wash white clothes with bleach? ›
Experts recommend a water temperature of between 120 and 125 degrees to prevent scalding and for washing on the 'hot' cycle for maximum whitening. You will have to play around with your water temperatures a little bit to find the optimum setting for you, but generally hotter is better for whitening.
Don't leave the garment in the bleach solution longer than 5 minutes. Prolonged contact can cause yellowing. You can always repeat the recommended treatment to remove additional color.
What can I put in the washing machine to make whites whiter? ›
Baking soda is a gentle, effective substance that eliminates hard water stains, fridge odors, and – you guessed it – washing white clothes. Turn on your washing machine, dissolve ½ cup of baking soda, then run a normal cycle. For larger loads of laundry, you can use a full cup of baking soda.
How long to soak whites in bleach? ›
Stain fighter: Chlorine bleach can remove stains such as coffee, chocolate, grass and tea on whites (again, be sure to read care labels), Cobb says. Add 1/4 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water and soak the clothes for only 5 to 10 minutes; any more, and you'll start to break down the fabric.
Do you mix bleach and laundry detergent? ›
Our standard directions are to add bleach WITH the detergent as the wash water is filling and BEFORE the clothes are added. The reason is you want to dilute the bleach concentration before you add the clothes. (NEVER pour full-strength Clorox® Regular-Bleach₂ with CLOROMAX® directly on fabrics).
