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Whiter Than White
Six Laundry Tips for Keeping Your Whites Looking Great
White is always a popular color for summer. It complements tanned skin and is pleasing against a bright blue sky. But when the wattage on whites dims to a dingy yellow or gray, well, that’s a horse of a different color.
Keeping whites white is not so much a matter of what you use as how you use it. Believe it or not, chlorine bleach is not the all-purpose answer. In fact, the best way to white clothes looking their best is wash them frequently in very hot water (the hotter the better), and a little bit of elbow grease. Below, in more detail are the laundry tips for keeping summer whites crisp and bright.
Separate for Success
Don't wash whites with colors.
Separating whites from colors may take more time and create an additional load, but it is worth the effort.
Dingy whites are often caused by bleeding from darker colors within the same load.
Detergent
Another culprit is using too much detergent.
Detergent residue can behave like a magnet for dirt. So always be sure to adhere to your washer’s loading instructions to ensure proper water levels for rinsing, and follow detergent manufacturer’s instructions for the recommended amount to use.
Turn Up The Heat
Use the hottest temperature the fabric can take (always refer to the care label for this temperature range). Increasing the water temperature by 10 degrees will enhance the effectiveness of detergent.
If shrinkage is a concern, dry the garment on a low or medium setting (See Symbolic Logic, our guide to decoding fabric care symbols).
Nip Stains in the Bud
Treat stains as they happen. Even if you’re not doing a load of wash for a week, treating a fresh stain with some detergent or a stain product will help break down the cause of the stain. Letting a stain settle in will discolor and weaken the fabric.
If you opt for a stain-remover to combat a spill, remember to wet the area with water first. Most stain-removers advise you to rinse the stained area prior to application anyway, but it is always a sound practice. The addition of water helps spread the stain-remover over the surface of the stain and reach deep into the fiber when you rub to create a lather. Rinse with cool water and repeat until the stain is lighter or removed.
Spy Before You Dry
Remember to inspect garments before drying to ensure that all stains have been removed.
If you don’t, the drying process can bake the stain into the fibers, making it difficult or impossible to remove. If the stain is still visible after a single wash, wash it again.
Resist the Bleach Reach
Most of us assume that chlorine bleach, in high volumes, will keep our summer whites bright. But this is not the case.
Bleach breaks down optical brighteners (chemical additives applied to white fabrics), and can turn bright whites to dingy yellow or gray. Use judiciously and only if the garment care label advises chlorine bleach.
Follow these six laundry tips, and your whites will stay whiter much longer.
