Snow-white things often turn yellow over time and lose their original appearance. This can happen due to many reasons: improper washing, storage, or care. We will tell you how to avoid mistakes and enjoy white things for years.
How to wash white clothing
It is recommended to wash white clothes after wearing them 1-2 times, as invisible body dirt and sweat can cause the fabric to turn yellow or gray over time. This advice is especially relevant for shirts and T-shirts – things most in contact with the body.
It is strictly forbidden to wash white and colored items together. Moreover, don’t wash them one after the other: bright clothes can leave dye particles in the washing machine, which will lead to staining of white items. To avoid this, you need to run the rinse cycle with an empty machine between washes.
Do not wash white items with light-colored ones because this can also lead to color loss.
Do not mix items from different materials and with different dirt in one wash. Each material must be washed under the conditions recommended by the manufacturer so that they please you for as long as possible.
The choice of detergent depends on how dirty the clothes are. Heavily dirty things should be pre-soaked for several hours and then washed with a “potent” product. Those things that look clean on the outside are best washed with liquid detergent, as it is the least damaging to the fabric.
There is no need to load the machine to the bursting point. White clothes need a lot of water to be washed properly. If you know your home has hard water, it’s best to use emollients because the minerals in hard water get deposited on white clothes and make them dull.
It is best to dry white items in direct sunlight, which will deepen the whiteness of the fabric.
How to wash white clothing
It is best to choose a special liquid detergent for washing white linen. If it is not possible to purchase it, use universal products with the addition of non-aggressive bleach. If the white thing is made of delicate fabric such as silk or wool, it is better to select powder for the material.
What to do so that white things do not get stained
There are many ways to help white things stay white.
Special detergents or napkins for washing will help restore whiteness.
Oxygen bleach will also help bring white items back to their original color. Before washing, it is recommended to soak things in bleach and then wash them according to the instructions.
Some fabrics can recover white color by boiling. This method will work if you are sure that clothes consist of cotton or linen without synthetics. Materials that require careful handling should not be boiled.
What bleach to use for white clothing
It is better not to use aggressive bleaches, which contain chlorine. It can ruin synthetic, woolen, silk, viscose, and other materials, leaving yellow or gray stains. Moreover, aggressive bleaches strongly affect the fabric’s fibers, making them thinner and more brittle.
It is recommended to use gentle bleaches – oxygen or optical. Oxygen bleach removes dirt well, returning whiteness to white things, and optical bleach masks the yellowish or gray shades that have appeared in the fabric.
Many use a budget folk remedy – aspirin. How to wash with aspirin? First, you need to soak clothes in water with aspirin for eight hours, and then pour this water into the washing machine. To prepare the solution, you will need five aspirin pills and seven liters of warm water. Never put aspirin pills in the washing machine – if they do not dissolve completely, they can damage the fabric or the washing machine itself.
How to remove stains from white clothing
Of course, you should pay attention to the fabric and the nature of the stain. It is recommended to adhere to the general rules.
The stain remover must be used according to the instructions. Most often, it must be applied to dirty clothes for a while and then added during washing.
Use special soap for stains to help bleach the fabric and remove fresh stains of various origins. The dirty place should be washed separately, left for an hour, and then washed completely.
Before using a stain remover, test it on an inconspicuous piece of fabric. Thus, you will understand how the fabric reacts.
Bleach destroys fabric and reduces the life of things, so you should add it only when necessary.
How to properly store white clothing
White items can easily turn yellow even when stored in the closet. This can happen for several reasons:
• The clothes were not washed and rinsed well.
• The wrong detergent was used.
• The storage conditions were violated.
Store white items in a dark place separately from colored items. It is also not recommended to hang white clothes on bright hangers, especially those covered with fabric.
When putting white items for seasonal storage after washing and drying them, use clothing covers. Thick panniers protect not only from fading, dust and moisture, but also from dirt, while transparent plastic bags retain moisture and can cause yellow spots on a white item.
