How to Make White Clothes Bright Once Again

Making white clothes shine again without spoiling the fabric is not an easy task. It is nearly impossible to whiten clothes made of wool and silk at home (at the very least, you’ll need special detergents). However, when it comes to cotton and synthetic products, you can use simple boiling — along with things like lemon, baking soda, and even... hairspray!

Today, 5-Minute Crafts shares a selection of tips on how to restore snowy-whiteness to a wide range of items — from shirts and T-shirts to socks, towels, and your favorite rug!

Preparations

• Read the fabric treatment guidelines on the clothing tag. Some fabrics may be damaged by contact with hot or warm water, while in other cases only dry cleaning is allowed.

• To restore whiteness to things made of delicate fabrics (like natural silk, wool, cashmere, nylon, microfiber, polyester, and lace), it is better to use special cleaning agents or take the clothes to a professional dry cleaner.

How to whiten clothes using lemon

Here’s a universal option for whitening various materials: add half a cup of lemon juice or 1-2 sliced lemons to 4 liters of hot water. Stir the ingredients and soak your clothes in the mixture for at least an hour (in case of heavy staining, soak overnight).

Afterward, don’t forget to wash your clothes as usual. Citric acid gently cleanses fabric and is suitable for regular use — just add 1 cup of lemon juice during a normal machine wash.

To get rid of sweat stains, take half a lemon and rub it on the stain. Alternatively, mix lemon juice with water and apply the mixture to the fabric using a brush, while scrubbing away the dirt. Then wash as usual.

Whitening things with boiling water and baking soda

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 of the way full with water, cover it with a lid, and place it over medium heat. Then add baking soda at a ratio of 2 tablespoons for every 4 liters of water and stir until the soda dissolves. Immerse the clothes in this solution so that they float freely in the pan. Leave on medium heat for 30-40 minutes.

After that, remove the saucepan from the stove and let it cool. Take the clothes out and rinse them in warm water. Repeat the whole procedure if necessary.

How to return whiteness to things that were washed together with clothes of other colors.

Add grated household soap to a bowl of warm water at a ratio of 3.5 oz of soap per 5 liters of water. Stir thoroughly, then add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to make the water turn pink. Immerse the items in the solution and cover the bowl with a plastic bag. Leave for 4-5 hours.

Following that, rinse and dry as usual.

How to remove lipstick and marker stains using hairspray

Apply hairspray to the stain, leave it on for 10-15 minutes, then dab the area with a damp sponge, and let the fabric dry. This should get rid of the stain in no time at all! The brand and the price range of the hairspray aren’t important — what matters most is that the product contains alcohol, which removes traces of marker and lipstick!

If the stain doesn’t come off the first time, try dabbing it with a swab soaked in medical alcohol before re-applying the hairspray.

Removing grease, grass, and ink stains from a white shirt

First, wet the stains liberally with warm water.

Rub greasy stains with ordinary white chalk. To remove grass stains, pour a little vinegar over them. To get rid of ink traces, moisten the fabric with milk.

Finally, thoroughly clean the stained areas with a brush and dry the fabric with a hairdryer!