How to Wash White Towels

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Things You'll Need

  • Washing machine

  • Chlorine bleach

  • Laundry detergent

  • Dryer

  • Clothesline (optional)

  • Clothespins (optional)

  • Oxygen bleach (optional)

  • Baking soda (optional)

Wash white towels with bleach to keep them clean.

Wet towels can quickly develop odorous bacteria and mildew, smells you don't want on your towels or on your clean body after a shower. Select a laundering product that fits your needs and wash white towels in hot water to eliminate harmful bacteria and mildew. Chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach and baking soda will all help keep your white towels fresh and bright, even after repeated washing.

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Step 1

Put the white towels in the washing machine.

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Step 2

Add the chlorine bleach to the bleach dispenser of the washing machine. Add 1 cup chlorine bleach to a top-loading machine and 1/2 cup chlorine bleach to a front-loading machine. Add the appropriate amount of laundry detergent to the machine.

Step 3

Set the water temperature to hot and set the wash cycle to regular. Start the washing machine and allow it to progress through the entire cycle.

Step 4

Remove the towels from the washing machine when the cycle finishes. Dry the towels in the dryer or hang them outside on a clothesline.

Tip

If you do not have a bleach dispenser in your top-loading washing machine, fill the washing machine first with water, then add the bleach. Allow the washing machine to agitate for about 20 seconds, then add the laundry detergent and the towels and start the washing machine again, allowing it to progress through the entire cycle. Because bleach can damage fabric fibers over time, you may decide to bleach your white towels every other time you wash them instead of every time. If you use this washing schedule, add 1 ounce of oxygen bleach or 1/2 cup of baking soda to the loads when you do not use bleach. Use oxygen bleach instead of chlorine bleach if you have bleach sensitivities. Add 1 ounce of oxygen bleach to the washing machine along with the laundry detergent and wash the towels normally. You can also use baking soda instead of bleach. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the washing machine with the laundry detergent and wash the towels in a regular wash cycle.

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