- It is not uncommon for white clothes to lose their luster. From hard water deposits to detergent build-up, white clothes can dull after repeated wear and eventually gray over time. According to the Tip King, vinegar may be an easy solution. In most cases, you simply need to soak your whites in 1 gallon of warm water mixed with 8 oz. of white vinegar. If you don't want to wash your whites by hand, use your washing machine. Include about 1/3 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Once the cycle finishes, dry the clothes in a dryer or hang them on a line outdoors to dry naturally. Drying clothes outside removes any vinegar odor that remains in the clothing.
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When laundering white clothes, always want to treat stains before they set. There are a number of ways to treat stains, including stain fighters like oxygen bleaches and stain sprays or wipes. Regardless of which method you use, it is important to treat the stain, allow the preferred product to break the stain down and then follow by hand washing the fabric or running it into through a washing machine. According to the ShoutItOut.com, it is important to treat the stain without rubbing it too harshly.
The key with white clothes is to treat all stains as early as possible. If a detergent or stain fighter is not available, ShoutItOut.com recommends dousing the spill with cold water and then blotting it dry.
When removing the stain, do so layer-by-layer, meaning rub the stain gently until it lifts. Put the item in a washing machine when possible. - The best tip for laundering white clothes is to turn up the heat. Always check the label to determine the hottest temperature the fabric can stand. If white clothes shrink, yellow or appear dull, use a cool/warm or warm/warm temperature setting instead of a hot/hot setting the next time you wash them. This generally will not happen if the label's instructions are followed correctly. However, sometimes new white garments may shrink when washed for the first time. In this case, use a slightly lower temperature than recommended for the first few washes. To keep your white colors from becoming too overheated, use a low setting when drying.
