- Keep white clothing, sheets and towels separate from colored laundry when washing. Mixing the fabrics together may cause the colored fabrics to bleed and fade onto the white laundry. Washing red items with whites may cause a pink hue to appear. Make loads the appropriate size for the washing machine. Overloading the machine will not allow clothes to move around easily. This will decrease the cleaning ability of the washer.
- Wash white clothing items in hot water. The hotter the temperature, the better it releases the dirt and grime from the fabric. The fibers in the fabric open with the hot water and allow grease stains to dissolve. Be sure to read the clothing labels before increasing the water temperature. Some fabrics may shrink in hot water. Detergents are more effective in warmer temperatures also. If it is not feasible to wash each time in hot water, try washing every third time in hot.
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Avoid using bleach too often. Many fabrics appear dull, yellowed and dingy after adding bleach to the wash cycle. The chemicals in bleach break down the brighteners added to many white clothing items.
Treat stains immediately. Apply stain treatment before placing in the laundry. Wet the stained area before applying treatment.
After washing the clothing, inspect it before placing in dryer. Look to see if the stain is gone. The heat from the dryer will set the stain in and make removal difficult. -
Add a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. The vinegar helps to soften hard water and brighten white clothing. Hard water tends to turn white clothing a shade of gray.
Soak soiled clothing vinegar overnight for an extra boost of help. Lemon juice works to brighten clothing.
Add a half cup of lemon juice to the washer.
Hang whites in the sun to dry. The sunshine will help naturally brighten white clothing.
Sprinkle baking soda in the wash to naturally whiten clothes and trap any colors released into the water during washing. - Clean the inside of the washer and the clothes iron. Rust, mold and mildew can grow inside of the washer and in an iron. These stains transfer to white clothing.
