How to Wash White Clothes

By now, you’ve washed hundreds or even thousands of loads of laundry, and you may be on autopilot in the laundry room.

However, some laundry routines can contribute to discolored whites as well as damage to fabrics. How should you wash white clothes?

Step 1: Sorting Your Whites

Your colored clothing can gradually lose their vibrant colors in the washing machine.

As this happens, your white clothes in the same load can absorb these colors. To prevent this from happening, sort your white clothes from your other clothes, and wash them separately.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Detergent

The best detergent for white clothes is one with whitening and brightening properties. An enzyme detergent has these properties. If your white clothes are very dirty, soak them in oxygen bleach for several minutes before washing them.

Borax, white vinegar, baking soda or washing soda can also be added to the washing machine to boost the whitening power of your enzyme detergent.

Step 3: Selecting the Appropriate Water Temperature

If you separate your white clothes from the colored clothes, the best water temperature setting is hot. Some washing machines have a “whites” setting, which takes the guesswork out of water temperature control.

However, always read the garment label first when determining the appropriate temperature for the fabric.

Step 4: Pre-treating Stains

You can pre-treat a stain on white clothing using a stain stick. An alternative is to rub a small amount of liquid laundry detergent on the stain. After 20 minutes, wash the stained garment with your other whites as usual.

Step 5: Washing White Clothes

The washing machine setting that you use also impacts the cleanliness and brightness of your clothing. Always defer to the garment labels when selecting the right setting. If a setting is not specified, choose the regular or permanent-press setting.

Step 6: Drying White Clothes Properly

While you can dry your clothes in the dryer, a better option is to air dry them outdoors. One reason for this is that excess heat can cause clothes washed with chlorine bleach to yellow.

In addition, you may be aware that UV rays from the sun will fade colored clothing. For white clothing, however, the UV rays remove discoloration and assist with stain removal. Consider leaving your white clothes out in the sun to air dry after each wash.

Step 7: Special Care for Delicate Whites

Your delicates generally need to be washed by hand rather than in the washing machine.

To care for white delicates, fill a sink or bucket with cold water and a half-cup of your regular laundry detergent. Gently wash the clothing by hand.

Once the clothing is clean, rinse it thoroughly. The water should run clear. Squeeze as much of the water out as possible. Then, hang the garment or lay it flat until it is completely dry.