Knowing how to wash white clothes presents certain challenges. That gets even trickier when you add stain causers like sweat, spaghetti, and general dinginess.
Rather than using caustics or optical brighteners, learning how to whiten clothes without bleach can absolutely be done – with the right ingredients and techniques!
How to Make White Clothes Whiter with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a gentle, effective substance that eliminates hard water stains, fridge odors, and – you guessed it – washing white clothes.
Turn on your washing machine, dissolve ½ cup of baking soda, then run a normal cycle. For larger loads of laundry, you can use a full cup of baking soda.
This Stain Remover Is the Ultimate Laundry Whitener
Puracy Natural Stain Remover's 98.95% natural formula contains 6 plant-based enzymes to literally obliterate every stain and odor from fabrics. That means grass, wine, blood, sweat, body odor, oil, cosmetics, dirt, and berries.
Not only does this enzymatic cleaner remove unwanted elements (without using caustics, sulfates, parabens, optical brighteners, and artificial fragrances), but the cellulase enzyme also refreshes and softens fabrics.
How to Get Stains out of White Clothes
Need to target a specific area like armpit stains? Spot treating is the way to go. Spray the affected area with our Natural Stain Remover, agitate with a soft laundry brush (or rub the fabric together), and wait at least 15 minutes before throwing in the washing machine. For tougher stains, you can let the spray set for several days.
Note: For wool and silk, however, you should only leave this spray on for 60 minutes
Do You Wash Whites in Hot or Cold Water?
Use the warmest water that fabric care instructions allow, then opt for an "extra rinse" cycle. Extra-stubborn stains may require another treatment but every stain should disappear within another application. Don't put clothes in the dryer until you're sure that stains are gone (or you might "bake" them into fabrics).
How to Whiten Clothes with Dishwasher Detergent
In a cleaning bind and can only use what you have on hand? Believe it or not, dishwasher detergent can whiten fabrics when used correctly. Just be sure to choose a dishwasher detergent that doesn’t have phosphates or chlorine, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies.
Take 1/4 cup of dishwasher detergent and add it to your regular detergent. If you have a high-efficiency machine, however, avoid using this option, as dishwashing detergent can produce suds and has the potential to overload your machine.
How to Whiten Clothes with Vinegar
Vinegar whitens clothes, softens fabric, and helps remove musty/mildewy smells. During the last rinse cycle, pour 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar into an already-running machine. If your clothes need a bit more attention, soak them for a few hours in a basin full of warm water and one cup of white vinegar.
Use Lemons to Whiten Clothes
If your clothes need an extra brightening boost, boil the water first, add the lemon juice, swirl in the garments, and let everything soak overnight. Be sure to check fabric care instructions to make sure items can handle hot water!
How to Whiten Clothes with Hydrogen Peroxide 
This medicine cabinet staple is an amazing method for whitening laundry. Start a load, pour 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide (3%) straight into your detergent or bleach dispenser, and proceed with your regular laundry routine.
How to Whiten Clothes with Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda
Make a paste of equal parts hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and water. Cover the affected areas with a ¼” layer and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Remove excess residue with a soft brush and throw the item in the washing machine.
Or you could just spray the area with our Natural Stain Remover, agitate, wait, and wash.
How to Whiten Whites with Sunshine
Who doesn't love the smell of sun-dried bedsheets? This is one of the most effective ways whiten white clothes that have yellowed without bleach – but the UV rays can fade fabric. Unless the items are completely white, turn them inside out and limit drying time to a couple of hours.
Did You Know? Line drying can conserve up to 4% of your electricity usage.
Use Laundry Detergent That "Suits" Everyone
Harsh detergents and bleach are tough on sensitive skin, but they also wear down thick fabrics. Prolong the lives of clothes with an effective laundry formula that cleanses, revives, and softens fabrics.
By combining our home remedies (above) with our Natural Laundry Detergent, you've got plant-based enzymes that remove stains, refresh fabrics, and remove stains. Best of all, it works beautifully without caustics, bleach, synthetic perfumes, sulfates, phosphates, dyes, petrochemicals, optical brighteners, and chlorine.
How to Wash White Clothes
Want to brighten white clothes but only have time to run a regular wash cycle? Follow these laundry tips:
- Because white fabric tend to get dingy and yellow, consider washing items every 1-2 wears.
- Notice a smudge or spot? Treat it immediately with our Natural Stain Remover.
- Separate white clothes from dark clothing. We recommend keeping two separate containers/hampers.
- Double-check to ensure there aren't any red-colored items in your white clothes.
- You need enough space for water to wash away grime and dirt (not redistribute it on your garments). Take care not to overload the washing machine.
- Choose the warmest wash cycle your items can handle (check garment tags).
- Add your detergent, but don't use more than you need: Our laundry detergent is 10X concentrated!
- Drying cycles can "bake" stains into fabric. Always ensure that discoloration has been totally removed before throwing anything into the dryer.
- Dry items on a low-heat setting or in the sunlight.
Why Should You Avoid Using Bleach?
Bleach is so often touted as the go-to product to neutralize stains and blemishes, but it's not always safe to use in your household, especially around small children and animals. Learn more about the dangers of regularly using bleach in your laundry routine.
Bleach Exposure
When you use bleach in your laundry routine, you run the risk of bleach exposure. This happens when you breathe or ingest bleach or it comes into close contact with your skin. Reactions can include anything from irritated eyes and blurry vision to coughing and sore throat, and they’re often even stronger in younger children.
Combining Bleach with Other Chemicals Can Be Dangerous
When you're doing laundry, you might also use a fabric softener or stain remover, and if you're not fully aware of what these products contain, combining them with bleach can be dangerous. (Always check the ingredient label on your cleaners and detergents to make sure you know what you’re putting in your washing machine!) When combined with ammonia, bleach creates toxic chlorine gas, and when mixed with alcohol, it may form hydrochloric acid or chloroform. Due to its highly reactive nature, bleach should always be used with caution.
Curious to learn more? Find out more about the potential dangers of bleach here.
Avoid Bleach for Other Tricky Stains, Too
You can find other solutions that don’t involve bleach when it comes to another common laundry problem: armpit stains. These tricky stains form when sweat combines with bacteria in hair follicles and aluminum found in many deodorants. The end result is a stubborn yellow stain that can often seem impossible to get out of fabrics.
In fact, using bleach on these stains often just leads to them getting even yellower. Instead, you can use our Natural Stain Remover to directly target the area. Help the product set into the fabric by gently blotting it with a laundry brush, while also loosening particles that build up stains and odors. From there you can put the item in the laundry, and with the help of the plant-based enzymes in our Natural Laundry Detergent, the stain will be further broken down.
If you do use bleach though, be sure to closely follow the product’s instructions for your safety, and never mix bleach with any other cleaners or disinfectants.
We've Created the Most Effective Laundry Whiteners
It's hard enough to find the perfect white shirt or pair of jeans. It's even harder to keep them that way. Whether you're fighting unsightly splotches, stinky armpits, or white clothes that have yellowed, Puracy laundry essentials are the best natural laundry whiteners. Guaranteed.
Whether you're doing a household's worth of laundry with our 10X Concentrated Laundry Detergent or tackling a stubborn spill on your favorite sweater with our Natural Stain Remover, Puracy is here to help on laundry day. Kick your bleach habit when it comes to laundering your whites, and instead, opt for natural, eco-friendly formulas that save your favorite white dress shirts – and the planet! Count on us for effective, plant-based cleaners that can tackle the toughest stains while also being gentle on the most sensitive skin.
