How to Whiten T-Shirts

White T-Shirts require special attention to keep them snowy white.

Colored or patterned fabrics camouflage dinginess, but white T-shirts tend to show every little shadow and stain. Luckily, these casual shirts are usually made of materials that withstand vigorous washing. This will get out most dirt, grime and stains, but sometimes more than just a good washing is needed to get white T-shirts back to the snowy appearance they had when they were first bought.

Things You'll Need

• Bleach

Instructions

1. Load your washing machine with detergent and T-shirts according to the washer manufacturer's directions or the directions on the detergent box.

2. Set the water for a hot-water wash and begin the cycle.

3. Dilute a cup of liquid chlorine bleach into a quart of water.

4. Pour the diluted bleach into the wash water five minutes after the wash has begun.

5. Allow the wash cycle to complete.

Tips & Warnings

• If your washing machine has a bleach dispenser, pour the bleach into the designated receptacle without diluting it. The machine will dispense the bleach after the T-shirts have washed for a short period of time.

• You may opt to turn the washing machine off after the bleach has thoroughly incorporated into the wash water and let the T-shirts soak for about half an hour. After this time, turn the machine back on and allow it to complete the wash cycle.

• Oxygen bleach is an alternative to chlorine bleach.

• Sunshine helps to whiten T-shirts. Consider hanging your washed shirts on a clothesline on a sunshiny day.

• Don't over bleach. This can weaken fabrics over time. Use the amount recommended on the bleach package.

• Never pour or spill concentrated bleach straight from the bottle onto your clothes. If straight, undiluted bleach gets on your T-shirts, it can cause holes to form.

References

• New Mexico State University; Getting Clothes Clean; April 2001
• Housekeeping Channel: Braving the Bleach
• Oregon State University Pacific Northwest Extension: Stain Remomval Guide; Ernestine Porter; June 1993

Resources

• Good Housekeeping: Clothing and Laundry
• Apartment Therapy: Five Ways to Naturally Clean Whites