How To Bleach Clothes That Have Lost Their Shine?

Synonym par excellence of purity, white finds its place in everyone's wardrobe. We like to wear clothes in all shades of white or, at least, we have a set of white bed sheets, of a higher quality. White has several advantages (bringing a modern look to an outfit, accentuating the brightness of a room, easily matching all colors, etc.) but it has a significant drawback and it is in particular its tendency to become gray or to turn yellow. But how do you keep the bright white? Or how to whiten clothes that have yellowed and restore their shine? Discover our ingenious tips and preserve your clothes and linens against tarnishing and yellowing!

Regarding the household, do you find yourself pedantic? Whether the answer is yes or no, having clean, white laundry and clothes is a priority. Why ? Because in addition to complimenting our skills in housework, immaculate clothing gives us a certain confidence in ourselves and leaves a deep positive impression in others. So how do you bleach clothes and linens that have unfortunately lost their shine? Our tips are presented to you as clearly as possible in the following lines.

How To Bleach Clothes: Grandma's Tips

“Prevention is better than cure”, according to the well-known proverb. So, there are certain rules for washing white clothes, which must be followed to prevent them from turning gray or yellow. It's easy to remember and do: you never wash laundry and white clothes with colored clothes. This sorting makes it possible to prolong the new appearance of our white clothes.

In addition, to preserve the whiteness of linen and white clothes, it is strongly recommended to separate them by material. And that makes sense! Take a moment to think about it: Synthetics and natural materials don't wash at the same temperature. A crucial factor for the quality of washing and for the life of our clothes.

Organic products that bleach white clothes

Lemon is the essential ally of any grandma's cleaning tip. A few small slices of lemon are enough to remove stains, enhance the dishes and make the whole house shine. But the list of benefits doesn't end here. It turns out that citrus also helps us whiten clothes and linens. Believe it or not, lemon heals the whiteness of our clothes in the most natural way. Do you want to know how to use lemon to bleach clothes? The principle is quite simple: just soak the dull parts in a basin filled with a quarter of boiling water and the juice of two lemons, for 40 to 60 minutes. It is important to remember that this preparation is used only for cotton clothes. Once this time is up,you can continue with the machine washing as usual.

White vinegar is the other powerful product that makes the whites of our clothes and linens brighter. With white vinegar, there are two ways to proceed: hand bleaching or machine bleaching.

• For manual cleaning, just add a glass of white vinegar to a basin of water and let the clothes to be bleached soak for about twenty minutes. The acids in the natural cleanser will work without damaging your clothes. Once this time has elapsed, rinse the clothes by soaking them in cold water and hang them out in the open air.

• As for the second variant, just add a glass of white vinegar to the detergent compartment of your washing machine. It's as easy as saying hello.

Some tips promising unsuspected remarkable results

Did you know that milk can whiten yellowed clothes? This tip promises remarkable results that you didn't expect. Just soak the pieces in milk for 60 minutes, then let them dry in the sun. Once the laundry is dry, it is normally washed in a washing machine. A little tip to improve the effectiveness of the milk bleaching method: add a little baking soda to the milk.

As you have probably already noticed, there is a range of organic products that can whiten white clothes. Apart from lemon, white vinegar and milk, Marseille soap is among our trusted allies when it comes to bleaching our textiles. The good news is that this type of soap works well with all kinds of fabrics. Very practical and effective for bleaching clothes and household linen, it is used for washing by hand or in the machine. How to proceed ? First, you have to soap the textiles to be bleached with Marseille soap, then soak them in warm soapy water for 60 minutes. Finally, all you have to do is rinse the laundry and let it dry in the sun.

The most effective products for bleaching clothes and other home textiles

Have you ever used potassium permanganate? If the answer is negative, this error must be corrected immediately! Why ? It turns out that this product, accessible to everyone and available in the vast majority of pharmacies, is among the most effective for bleaching clothes and other home textiles. Just add a small amount to a basin of water. We wait until the potassium permanganate is completely dissolved. The water will take on a pink color. Now is the time to add the detergent you usually use. Finally, the laundry to be bleached is immersed in the solution. Leave to act for at least 5 hours or overnight. Finally, all you have to do is wash the laundry in the lifting machine.

Another great way to bleach clothes and linens is baking soda. Just add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the white powder to the washing powder you usually use. This mixture is poured into a basin of lukewarm water and the laundry to be bleached is immersed in it. For best results, it is recommended to leave the preparation to act for a few hours. Once the scheduled time is over, all that remains is to rinse. Here !

The list of cleaners continues with:

Soda crystals are among the most effective and at the same time powerful methods of removing stains from white clothes. This natural alternative also allows you to revive the white of your textiles and make it even more radiant. What to do: pour 1 cup of soda crystals in 2 liters of hot water, then soak the textiles in the preparation for 1 hour.

If your clothes have lost their whiteness and shine, urgent action needs to be taken to win the fight against grayish or yellowish hues. Now, you are given a simple and very economical tip that will help you deal with this problem. A few tablets of aspirin diluted in lukewarm water will restore the shine to your white clothes. Make a preparation of 2 liters of lukewarm water and 300mg of aspirin. Wait until the medicine dissolves completely and submerge your clothes in the solution. Leave on overnight. The difference will be apparent the next day.

A tip for bleaching delicate textiles

Hydrogen peroxide, on the other hand, will help you bleach delicate clothes and textiles. Colorless and odorless, this type of water is also appreciated for its disinfectant properties. How to use it ? Generally, the recommended preparation is composed of 30 volumes of hydrogen peroxide with 7 times its volume in water. The laundry is soaked for a maximum of 3 hours. Once this time is over, you can wash it, either by hand or in the machine.

If you are not afraid of bleach and any other whitening product sold on the market, then, do not hesitate to use it. However, there are some potential risks that are well hidden behind the labels to be aware of. Be aware that despite the effectiveness of these chemicals, very often they only damage delicate fabrics, especially if they are used several times. It should be remembered that they are also a source of allergies and can cause other serious health problems. Taking into account what we have just listed, it would be more prudent to favor a natural alternative, which allows us to avoid any health risk and not to damage our clothes and textiles.

The sun is still the most natural way to bleach yellowish white clothes. In fact, it is ultraviolet radiation that whitens textiles. This method is generally practiced in countries where the sun is almost always shining and is recommended in particular for linen made of natural fibers.