How to Keep Your White Clothes White - Without Toxic Bleach

There’s nothing more frustrating than pulling out your favorite white shirt from your closet, only to find it has a yellow tinge to it.

And if that’s happened to you, you’re not alone! Keeping your whites bright and clean isn’t difficult but it does require a few simple hacks to ensure they don’t turn yellow and dingy over time

But before we get to the tips, we are going to address the big white elephant in the room - chlorine bleach - and why we don’t recommend using it.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T USE CHLORINE BLEACH

Many of us grew up hearing that using bleach is how you get your white clothes white. Which can be true, but the damaging effects of bleach far outweigh the positive effects.

Can bleach remove stains? Yes - due to the proess of oxidation, bleach breaks down stain molecules. Which is great, but when used too much, it can cause your clothes to appear yellow and stained.

In addition to possibly ruining your clothes, bleach has damaging effects on your health. Inhaling bleach can cause irritation in the eyes, mouth, lungs, on skin, and even cause damage to your organs. Excessive exposure to detergents with bleach can weaken the immune system and cause skin and breathing issues.

And then there is the effect it has on animals and the environment. Bleach washes out into the ocean, killing sea life, poisoning our food supply, and contributing to climate change.

But if you don’t use bleach, how do you get your white clothes white?

HOW TO KEEP YOUR WHITE CLOTHES WHITE WITHOUT CHLORINE BLEACH

Here is a short list of things you will need:

• A quality washer

• Non-toxic laundry detergent

• Chlorine-free bleach

• Baking soda (optional)

• Distilled white vinegar (optional)

SEPARATE CLOTHING

To start, separate white clothes from colors. Washing white clothes separately will prevent color bleeding and transfer from colored clothes, which leaves white fabric looking dull.

AVOID OVERLOADING THE MACHINE

Keep loads manageable so there is plenty of room for the dirt to wash off the clothes. Overloading the washer can cause dingy, dull whites.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT DETERGENT

Choose a non-toxic free and clear detergent. Many conventional detergents use optical brighteners -- chemicals added to keep clothing brighter -- which can ironically cause colors (including darks) to fade over time. Toxic chemicals can also act as residue on your clothing, causing them to look dingy and grey over time.

REMOVE STAINS PROMPTLY

Stains happen, but they don’t have to ruin your bright whites. By addressing them as soon as possible after they occur, there is less of a possibility they will become permanent.

And removing them is easy! We recommend using our handy Natural Stain Remover Guide to find the right natural products to use on any type of stain. Using products you probably already have in your kitchen, makes removing stains a breeze.

USE A CHLORINE FREE BLEACH

We’ve already covered why we don’t recommend chlorine bleach. That said, a non-chlorine bleach - otherwise known as an oxygen bleach - can be helpful to lift stains and brighten dulled colors.

Non-chlorine bleach is made of hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine. It is gentler on fabrics, non-toxic to humans and animals, and still packs a powerful punch to combat stains and brighten whites. (This is what we use at OrangeBag).

Non-chlorine bleach is safe to use on nearly all types and colors of fabrics. Generally, anything that's safe to wash with laundry detergent can be bleached with non-chlorine bleach.

For white clothing that is already yellowed, try soaking it overnight in a mixture of non-chlorine bleach and water.

SKIP THE SOFTENER

Fabric softener sounds good, but the reality is it can leave a residue on white fabrics. Instead, add 1 cup distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle to ensure that all the detergent is washed away from fabrics.

BRIGHT, WHITE, AND CLEAN

And that’s it! With these simple laundry hacks, your white clothes will be looking like new again.

Seem like a lot of work? No problem - we’ve got you covered. We didn’t get that 5 star rating on both Google and Yelp by accident! As LA’s premium mobile laundry service, we know what it takes to get your whites white, keep your colors bright, and help our clients optimize their time by taking laundry off their to do list.

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