How to make clothes whiter

White clothes are classic, chic and never out of style, but they are very difficult to keep clean and as white as when they are bought. There are some tips so that white clothes are always perfect, without yellowing or grimy stains.

Textile engineer Magna Guedes once owned a laundry room and used her knowledge of fabric to work better for her customers. “The first valuable information about the process of washing white clothes is that you should never use bleaches that contain chlorine, they really have the power to remove stains, but due to the chemical components, the fabric can yellow and get worn. Go for the oxygenated products,” she explains.

Another important tip is to always check the information on the clothing label, the manufacturer leaves everything necessary so that the piece can be preserved, washed and ironed correctly.

In all recipes and tips on how to whiten clothes it is possible to use products that most people have at home, for example, baking soda works as a detergent, it helps to eliminate stubborn stains and even dilute the fat that It stays on the fabric and ends up getting grimy over time.

Water is usually used hot or warm, as it makes the soap and baking soda work easier by softening the fabric fibers and making the dirt come off more easily.

Another widely used item is vinegar, which is used to whiten, soften, remove odors from clothes, among many other things.

An excellent natural bleach is the sun, there is nothing better to remove stains or “de-yellowing” than lathering the garment with mild soap or coconut soap and placing it in the sun. It does lighten, but over time the sun can damage the fibers of the fabric, so you have to be very careful not to make this practice a habit.

Magna warns that indigo has been used a lot to clean white clothes, but that it only creates an illusion of white, creating a bluish nuance in the color, therefore, the use of this product is not advisable.

Check out the step-by-step tips that the textile engineer gives to help wash white clothes and keep them always vibrant and beautiful:

1. Separate the clothes

The first step to start washing clothes is to separate the whites from the colored ones. Colored items can bleed paint and stain white items, so they need to be washed separately.

2. Remove stains

Before leaving the clothes to soak, it is good to check that there are no stains, if any, remove them before soaking. The right thing is to remove the stain as soon as it is done, dry stains become more resistant and more difficult to remove.

There are several prewash products that remove stains, but in some cases even specialized products are not enough to clean perfectly.

As most people who wear white every day are health professionals, blood stains are common and in this case 10 volume hydrogen peroxide is excellent for removing these stains, just put a little on the stain and leave it for a few minutes.

Another good product to remove stains in general is alcohol, solvent and disinfectant, this product removes any type of dirt.

3. Let it soak

It is not good to rub any item of clothing a lot, with use and the frequency of washing the fiber of the fabric begins to wear out. So, before scrubbing your white clothes, soak them. There are several tricks on how to leave it to soak so that the piece does not turn yellow or grimy.

Cotton and linen: Place the garment in a bucket and cover with hot water. Add a cup of rubbing alcohol, two tablespoons of baking soda, and a cup of powdered or grated coconut soap. Soak for 2 hours and wash normally.

Silk: Soak in milk and then wash with coconut or neutral soap, rinsing well. Avoid putting delicate fabrics like silk in the washing machine.

4. Wash clothes normally

There is a tip for washing white clothes in the washing machine that is very valid: For every five liters of water in the machine, put a glass of alcohol, two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and the usual measure of soap. This recipe ensures that your pieces keep longer with “new faces”.

Never wash your white clothes with too much fabric softener and always rinse very well, if there are residues of the product, the clothes may be stained or yellowed.

And finally, to ensure the cleanliness of the white clothes, place each piece to dry inside out. This way you prevent the clotheslines or any dirt from the air from staining the fabric.