When you first buy them, white clothes look great, providing a clean appearance. Despite this, over time, white clothes naturally lose their whiteness, meaning they end up looking more grey or yellow. Whether you’re looking for shirt or bra whitening tips, there are many things that can be employed to keep your white clothes white. These tips can be applied to all clothing types; as long as they’re white, they’ll need to be treated in a certain way to maintain this whiteness. As a result, detailed below are some of the best methods to employ when it comes to keeping your white clothes white.
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Don’t Go Overboard with Laundry Products
Naturally, we think that more product equals a deeper clean; however, this isn’t always the case. In fact, too much product can sometimes build up on the clothing, which then leads to a dingy appearance for white clothing. So, too much laundry detergent, fabric softener, scent beads or even whiteners could do your load more harm than good. If you can minimize washing as much as possible, this will help you keep your whites as white as possible. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should avoid washing in the instance that it’s needed. Cleanliness should always be placed above whiteness.
Avoid Dye Transfer
When it comes to laundry, you should always exclusively wash your whites with other whites. This is because the dye can bleed from other garments and lead to dingy-looking white clothes. This tends to be common knowledge, but even storing white clothing too closely to colored clothing could also result in the transfer of dye. Quite simply, whether it’s about washing or storing, you want to keep whites with whites. If this is unavoidable; for instance, if a piece of white clothing has colored features, you should use in-wash dye catcher sheets.
Be Mindful of the Products You Use
We all use products that, over time, will contribute to the grey or yellow appearance of white clothes. Hair products, makeup, self-tanners, sunscreens, lotions, antiperspirants, and deodorants are just some of the products that will lead to your clothing becoming less white. As a result, you should allow products to absorb completely into your body before putting your white clothes on. Similarly, you should avoid putting anything directly onto white clothing, such as perfumes, as this can lead to discoloration. The secret is to be kind to your white clothing if you want it to stand the test of time.
Spot-Treat Hems, Cuffs, and Collars
Grime on hems, cuffs, and collars is often overlooked; however, this can really hinder the appearance of white garments. These stains are commonly caused by oils from the skin, soil, or dirt, meaning they can be really quite obvious if they go untreated. Consequently, before washing a white garment, you should check the hems, cuffs, and collars and treat them accordingly. This treatment might include an enzymatic stain-removing gel, stick, or spray, each of which can be effective in keeping your whites white for longer, even in the most stubborn of places.
Treat Stains as They Happen
It goes without saying that if you don’t want stains to take hold, you should treat them as they happen. Whether they’re caused by makeup, drinks, food, or anything else, you should give stains on your white clothing a thorough scrub as they occur. The cleaning method will vary depending on the type of stain, but one thing that remains the same is that a quick response will be more effective than a delayed one. From soapy water to hand sanitizer, there are various methods that can be used to eradicate the stubbornest stains.
