How to Whiten Clothes Without Using Bleach

Crisp, white clothing is refreshing, and we all like to keep our whites clean and bright. Harsh products like bleach may take out stains, but they do not necessarily whiten better than other alternatives. Bleach contains dangerous ingredients, and if it gets into your lungs it can do irreversible damage. Keep your family safe and your laundry room bleach-free by using other products to whiten your clothing and keep your white clothes bright.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Washing machine
• Sink basin
• Large stock pot (to boil water)
• Lemons
• White vinegar
• Dishwasher detergent
• Laundry detergent

1. Lemons are a natural way to whiten clothing and linens. Let your clothes soak in a sink basin with hot water and lots of lemon slices for an hour or two then launder as usual. Another option for more dingy clothing is to boil water, turn off the heat and add the clothes in a large pot with lemons. Then, let them soak overnight. You will not only get your garments white they will smell lemony fresh as well.

2. Dishwasher detergent is another great whitener for your laundry. Add about ¼ cup dishwasher detergent to your whites and wash them in warm water with your regular detergent. The whitening agent from the dishwasher soap will work its magic and you will have clean, bright whites as a result.

3. White vinegar is another whitening alternative. Pour ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar in your white clothes along with your detergent. The vinegar will not only whiten your clothes, it will help clean out any residue from other detergents or soaps, and it also aids in softening your fabrics. You may get a faint smell when you open your washer, but after you dry your clothes, any trace of vinegar odor will be gone.

4. One more idea that was used quite often before the invention of the washing machine and chemical cleaners is old-fashioned sunshine. While this method may not be as powerful as other whitening methods, it was used quite often by pioneers and early settlers. Sunlight helps brighten whites and keep them smelling fresh.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat any stains or flaws on your clothing before you put it in the washer. If you tackle the stain ahead of time, then the whitening agents can do their job, and you will get better results.
• If you don’t have fresh lemons, you can use lemon juice as a substitute.
• Only use white vinegar for laundry because the other vinegar formulas are not clear and may turn your clothes yellow.
• If you must use bleach, then all fabric bleach is you best choice. It is safe for all types of fabrics and it will not wash out color.
• Bleach is not recommended for household use. If you must use bleach, be sure to keep it away from children and always wear gloves when handling this product. Too much bleach can eat holes in your clothing and turn whites a yellow or gray color.

[lydiablogg]

on 3/21/2009 Very nice article. I did not know that lemons could whiten clothes -- I will have to try it. Thanks!

[MariM]

on 2/1/2009 Great idea, I don't like bleach.5*recommend

[teachme1]

on 10/2/2008 This is a great article... I've been doing laundry for years... recently hit hard times and not able to buy clothing so quickly. I will try to these suggests they sound great for kids dirty white socks... Thanks again.