How To Whiten Your Clothes Naturally

A few simple ingredients are all you need to whiten your clothes, sans BLEACH.

This post comes from our blog intern, Emily.

No one likes a dull white, but keeping your white clothes, well, white, is super easy. We’ve got a smarter, healthier way to do so with ingredients you probably already have at home.

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High Neck Seamless Crop, We the Free Essential Tee, New Soul Poplin Top, Desperado Low Rise Skinny Jeans, Atoka High Rise Flare, Spell Boho Bella Dress, Live For Your Smile Dress, Little Wings Lace Dress, Dreamy Terry Tunic, LNA Cross Tee

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Ingredients: (Pick One)

Lemon
Vinegar
3% Hydrogen Peroxide
Borax
Washing Soda (I couldn’t find, but it’s similar to baking soda)

Gather your white clothes.

Add 1/2 cup of your choice of ingredient to your load and wash them as you usually do. This method is best for keeping your whites white.

For clothes that haven’t been their whitest in some time, take 1 lemon and make slices. Boil a large pot of water and add lemon. Transfer your lemon/hot water mixture to a tub and allow your clothes to soak in the water until it becomes cool. Then wash normally.

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And that’s it! Let those whites come clean and ditch the bleach.

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+ Do you have any other tips for naturally whitening your clothes?

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8 years ago

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this!!!!! As a student, I pretty much dump all my clothes together into the washing machine and avoid buying white clothes (even though they’re my staple!!) just because I have this problem. Will be sure to try this hack out. Thank you again!! :)

8 years ago

I usually use soda, but now I definitely will try those other ingredients!
https://www.makeandmess.com/

8 years ago

Great tips. I have a recipe for homemade bleach you may want to check out! http://www.craftylittlegnome.com/2011/08/03/homemade-bleach/

Leandro
8 years ago

Thanks for the tip! But I did not understand what amount of other ingredients to be used (Vinegar, 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, Borax, Washing Soda). I would like you to be more specific, please?

8 years ago

Check for washing soda in stores that carry Arm & Hammer and 20 Mule team. Sunlight line drying also helps but who hangs clothes nowadays?

Norma
8 years ago

Pat,I always line dry.
But better still,to whiten clothes simply spread them out on the lawn.

Rosemary
8 years ago

Great idea! Is there a possibility that you could this in a recipe format and make it “printable”?

8 years ago

Cotton. at least, does not turn a dull yellow, green, or grey because we are careless with our laundry but because the fibers revert to their more dull natural tones after some time because the manufacturing bleach breaks the fibers and at after washing and wearing, the fibers relax, and light reflects off more than their tight outer bleached areas. All methods to whiten will continue to break down and weaken the fibers so if you have an absolute favorite piece of cotton clothing, go back and get more than one or buy it in a color to keep it longer.

NW
7 years ago

I’m always looking for safe, chemical free alternatives for anything and everything. This is awesome, thanks!

7 years ago

I’m confuse. How much do you use of each item. I have many whites that would love to be white once again. Please let me know and the others with the same concerns.

7 years ago

Thanks for this useful tip. Can we use that mixture for draperies?

Amanda
7 years ago

Cheryl – as it says above the the items that can be used to “bleach” your whites, it says “Choose One” so I’m assuming from this you pick whichever item you like best or have on hand and use THAT ONE ITEM to whiten your clothes :)

Anonymous
7 years ago

My mother, a child of the depression, used to soak our white tennis shoes in salt water and let them dry in the sun, they can then be rinsed off and dried again, or run through the machine.

Anonymous
7 years ago

You can make washing soda by baking Baking Soda for 30 mins. Can’t remember temp but you can google it.

Pat
7 years ago

I did this this morning. It is amazing. Haven’t ride the lemon yet!

5 years ago

What about bleach? Does it damage the white clothes? I washed my clothes with bleach last night but as i can see, the quality of clothe got decreased.

1. Washing Soda and Bleach which one is best to use white clothes?
2. And can we use Washing Soda for color clothes also?