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When you first buy a crisp shirt, fresh bedsheets or a stylish t-shirt, the white always looks so bright and pristine. But after a few wears and washes, white fabric often ends up looking dull , with a grey tinge.
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If your white clothes have seen better days, we’ve tried out some methods to return them to their former glory — and to prevent new garments from fading in the first place.
Before we begin, we should clarify that turning greyed whites bright again is no easy feat. In fact, most methods are unlikely to restore your garment to like-new condition. However, we have trialled the following methods to see if any made a real difference.
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The solutions we tried
- We added half a cup of distilled white vinegar to the washing machine drum with a white load. We washed as normal using detergent and following the care label instructions. It’s not only simple, it also won’t bleach anything with colour in it. Don’t worry, your clothes will smell as fresh as a normal wash – no vinegar smell!
- We soaked some greyed whites in a solution of Vanish Oxi Action Powder and then machine washed them with a further scoop of Vanish, following the instructions on the pack.
- We added a sachet of Dr Beckmann Glowhite Ultra to a wash load, following the instructions on the pack.
- We soaked garments in a solution of OxiClean White Revive and then added a further dose into the washing machine, following the instructions on the pack.
- Lastly, we added a capful of Ace Gentle Stain Remover to the drum of a washing machine with a load and washed as normal.
Our verdict? Unfortunately, none of them were miracle workers when used on already greyed whites, but we did find that Vanish was the most effective out of the group.
Bleaching greyed whites
Another method to brighten greyed whites is to soak the items in a solution of diluted bleach. You must, however, follow the dosage instructions on pack, and wear the necessary safety equipment (gloves, goggles and a mask). You should also check the care label beforehand to avoid damage.
Avoid breathing in the fumes given off by bleach, and never combine bleach with any other chemicals or cleaning products, including distilled white vinegar. This would create a lethal chlorine gas.
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Once you’re prepared, with windows open to aid ventilation, simply dilute the bleach with cold water, following the dosing recommendations on pack, then soak your greyed whites for as long as guided, rinsing thoroughly once time is up. If the directions allow, you can soak items overnight should you choose, but the strength of bleach will need to be reduced accordingly.
We would recommend using more sustainable methods over bleach where possible. It’s dangerous in use if you don’t wear adequate protection, and it’s no friend to the environment either.
Our advice
If you really want white whites, it’s best to take measures to prevent your whites greying in the first place.
How to prevent discoloured whites
- Always wash whites separately to prevent coloured dyes running into white items and greying them. If you’re unsure, or if there are small areas of colour on some of your whites, pop a colour run prevention sheet in the wash with your garments. If you’d rather avoid the single use sheets, Dr. Beckmann’s Re-usable Colour & Dirt Collector, can be used for 30 washes and, afterwards, you can use it as a general cloth to clean up spills.
- When very soiled clothing is washed with less soiled clothing, the dirt can transfer from one to the other in the wash. Next time, split the loads to prevent this or pre-soak heavily soiled whites in a stain remover before washing.
- Avoid overloading your washing machine. This prevents clothes moving freely in the machine and dirt being removed effectively. We’d recommend not filling the drum more than three quarters full.
- Always follow the dosage instructions on your detergent to avoid using too much or too little.
GHI Tip: Hang items outside on a washing line to let UV rays work their natural magic and bleach white items.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: HOW
