The economy has forced people to cut corners and start doing new things, like doing their own laundry instead of dropping dirty laundry off at the dry cleaners. That brings us back to the need for the basic ‘how to’ of laundry 101: how to wash whites.
The main cause of whites turning dingy and gray in the wash cycle is incorrect laundry sorting. Washing whites with colors or washing a slightly soiled white blouse with heavily soiled white gym socks. Living in an area that has hard water can also cause white to become dingy.
Let’s address the main cause, sorting, and find out how to wash whites.
The best way to wash whites so they will remain bright white is to wash white clothes separately. Normally, whites are the smallest laundry load and people tend to throw a few pieces of white clothing in with the rest of the laundry, that’s where the dinginess comes from on whites. Colors fade in the wash water, dirt is in the wash water, white clothing attract both like a magnet.
Sort the laundry, putting whites in a separate pile, then sort through the pile of dirty white laundry to group like fabrics and soil levels together. Wash white towels, wash clothes, dish clothes, white socks and similar white items together in hot water. Let the washing machine begin to fill with the hot water, add your laundry detergent as the washing machine fills with the hot water so the laundry detergent will dissolve. Add a cup of diluted liquid bleach just before the wash cycle begins, 1/2 cup liquid bleach, 1/2 cup water. Allow the wash cycle run for a few seconds to mix the laundry detergent and bleach, then add the load of white laundry.
To wash whites that are more delicate like blouses, shirts and under garments, first read the manufacturer’s label for washing instructions. Use the hottest wash water temperature recommended and use dry bleach or another type of laundry booster instead of liquid bleach, adding it to the wash cycle in the same way as liquid bleach.
Pre-treat any stains on whites prior to washing. Underarm stains, food or drink stains can be pre-treated with liquid laundry detergent, dish washing liquid or colorless shampoo. Turn the white garment inside out and apply the pre-treatment and work into fabric with a small nylon bristle brush. Then wash the white garment as usual.
If you live in an area that has hard water or water with a high iron content, keeping white clothes white will take a little more effort. Laundry detergents give instructions on how to use their products in hard water areas, plus adding 1/2 cup of white vinegar to a wash load will help keep whites white. In areas with high iron content in the water, don’t use liquid bleach, the combination of iron and chlorine bleach will cause the whites to yellow. Use a powdered oxygen bleach alternative.
A return to basics is not a bad thing, I hope laundry 101, how to wash whites, will help you.
