How to Keep White Clothes White?

KDC Stack of folded white linens and green surgery clothes

The first thing anyone learns about laundry is the need to separate your white clothes from your colors. Why? Because washing white clothes requires a more delicate job to keep them clean and stain-free.

However, despite all your efforts and precautions, you may still find your white clothes losing their color, looking yellowish or with a hint of gray. It is truly frustrating to see that your white clothes have lost their color and are not as white as when you bought them. If you are wondering how to keep white clothes white, there are some things you can do to make sure that your white clothes remain the same color as the first time you put them on.

Here are some tips you can follow to maintain the color of your whites:

1. Separate the Colors

The biggest mistake you can ever make is to disregard the separation of your whites from your colors. Even the lightest colors can transfer their color to the whites. To avoid this, make a laundry pile that is for white clothes only and another pile for colors. That way, you will not confuse which load is which and will wash all the whites together in a separate load.

2. Maintain a Small Load

If you notice a particular grayness in your white clothes, you may be overloading your washing machine. Always remember that the more you load, the more dirt will be released on all of your clothes, causing them to look old and dingy.

During the wash, when the dust and soil get in the water, it will be redeposited back onto your clothes. If you load too much, all of the dust will end up on all of your whites and it will come out dirtier than when you put it in.

3. Use the Right Amount of Detergent

When trying to keep your white clothes white, the amount of detergent is more important than the type of detergent you use. The main purpose of the detergent is to keep the dirt from redepositing onto the fabric. If you don’t use enough, the detergent will not be able to protect the clothes from excess dirt.

In washing white clothes, it is also important to use enough detergent, but not too much. You may think that more detergent means cleaner and whiter clothes, but too much detergent can sometimes attract too much dirt even after the wash. Always make sure that your clothes are always rinsed well, no matter what type of detergent you use.

Knowing just the right amount of detergent to use may take some time to learn, but you will be glad to see the results when you start applying this knowledge to your laundry.

4. Always Dry White Clothes on Low Heat

Do you wash white clothes in hot or cold water? This question is very important if you want to take good care of your clothes. High temperatures can scorch the fabric and make it look yellowish in color. Always follow the washing and drying directions written on the label of your clothes or use a low heat setting to avoid any damage.

5. Use Bleach Only for Cotton

Knowing how to wash white clothes with bleach is the safest way to remove stains. Chlorine bleach is a very strong compound and can be very damaging to certain fabrics and even turn whites yellow or gray. Bleach is only safe for cottons such as socks, underwear, towels, and t-shirts.

6. Use Lemon Juice as an Alternative

If you want a safer way to remove stains from your white clothes, lemon juice is the perfect alternative. Considered a natural bleaching agent, it can be used on different fabrics. Simply soak the stained clothes with lemon juice extract overnight and wash them as usual the next day.

7. Use Optical Brighteners

If you are aiming to have super white clothes easily, bluing solutions are best. They deposit a small amount of blue dye in the water that makes the white clothes appear whiter than ever. In washing white clothes, your main goal is to keep any piece of clothing as white as it can be. Using optical brighteners can make clothes appear cleaner and brighter after washing.

Keeping your clothes as clean and bright as when you bought them is a real challenge. For the best quality laundry wash, Kelly’s Dry Cleaners is a reliable green Earth cleaner in Durango, CO. We take care of all kinds of clothes and fabrics, giving them back to you cleaner and whiter than ever. You don’t have to worry about keeping your white clothes white, because our staff are experienced in keeping and enhancing the color quality of your clothes to make them look as good as when you bought them. Contact us now!