Lyndsey Get my simple and cheap method on how I like to keep my whites white.
I recently decided to post a video on my Instagram and Facebook about how to keep your whites white. I hadn’t created a post for this. I was changing my baby girl’s bedding and I noticed her boppy pillow cover was DISGUSTING. I was going to do my regular routine to get out the grime and stains, and I thought, hmm… maybe I’ll do a reel on this.
It turns out, a lot of people would like to know about how to keep whites, white. My reel quickly got over 15K views, and I received 105 new followers from it. Thank you for all the support, by the way!
Anyways, the video became so popular (compared to my other content) that I decided I should probably share this in a blog post, for those that don’t follow me on social media. This one should be very simple and quick. I will also embed my video for a quick overview.
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Supplies Needed
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Dawn Dish Soap (if you don’t use this kind, you need to start: check it out here)
- Washer & Dryer
- Some dingy whites!
How To Keep Your Whites White
Vinegar and baking soda are magical for keeping your whites fresh and clean. If you are washing a regular load of whites that aren’t heavily soiled or very dingy, you can just use these ingredients in your washer.
Regular Soil Loads
Top load washers:
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda over your load of clothes, allow the machine to fill, add 1 cup vinegar after the water has filled. Use your regular laundry soap amount and wash as normal. You can also allow these items to soak in the baking soda and vinegar water to release even more stains.
Front load washers:
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda over your load of clothes. Add your soap as normal, and add as much vinegar as you can between the bleach and softener compartments. Run your load as normal. You can opt in for the pre-soak for extra stain releasing.
Don’t worry, your clothes won’t smell anything like vinegar after you dry them. Plus vinegar is a natural fabric softener, so say goodbye to those softener chemicals!
Heavily Soiled Loads & Bedding
Before washing in a machine:
For small garments, you can use a sink. For larger loads or bedding you will want to use a bathtub for this pre-soak.
Sink:
Add hot water just over the top of the garment/laundry.
Add 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 tsp dawn dish soap into the sink.
Once the water is covering the laundry, add 1/2 cup vinegar. You can use a little more baking soda and vinegar if needed.
Agitate and mix the water and laundry by hand in the sink.
Allow this to soak for at least 1 hour.
Wring it out and wash as normal. You can also wash with the methods above for stronger cleaning power.
Bathtub:
Add hot water just over the top of the garment/laundry.
Add 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 TBSP dawn dish soap into the sink.
Once the water is covering the laundry, add 2 cups vinegar. You can use a little more baking soda and vinegar if needed.
Agitate and mix the water and laundry by hand in the bathtub.
Allow this to soak for at least 1 hour, turn and agitate as necessary to soak all areas.
Wring it out and wash as normal. You can also wash with the methods above for stronger cleaning power. I use a plastic tote to carry the items to the washer without getting water all over the floor.
Check out the video below for a quick overview!
You may also enjoy
How To Clean Your Washer and Dryer
How To Wash Throw Blankets and Pillows
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments below!
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I hate when whites aren’t white. My hubby’s athletic socks look dingy after a while, I wonder if this would work for them?
I use this for socks and tank tops all the time! I think that if they have already gotten too dingy, it may not bring them back. I just put the baking soda and vinegar in the wash machine as general keep up of all my whites, and it helps to stop the dingy-ness from starting.
Great!!
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I love this solution using natural and easily found components! Thanks for linking at Is This Mutton
Thank you so much! It’s the only thing I have found that will really keep my bedding and whites nice and new looking.
I’ve used vinegar and my laundry turned out okay, definitely better smelling than with detergent alone. I really appreciate your laundry recipe for keeping whites white. Bookmarked so I can reference and try this soon.
I love using vinegar in my laundry for the fresh smell, odor neutralization and the natural fabric softening!
Thanks so much for the great tips….I have when my white towels – especially the hand towels – get looking dingy. Going to try this soon!
Awesome, I hope it turns your towels around! If you have items that get dingy quickly, it works very well to just do a whole load with baking soda and vinegar each time you wash them. It works like a charm to keep them from getting dingy.
Great tip. I use not only vinegar in my laundry, but peroxide for cleaning a lot. I have asthma and can’t stand smelly detergent or cleaners.
I am going to ask the question for some who haven’t. White or cider vinegar ?
Hi Myrna, thanks for stopping by! Peroxide is a great cleaner as well, I just don’t like how it starts to break down your skin when you use it frequently. Peroxide is great for getting blood stains out of clothes though! 🙂 I use white distilled vinegar for my laundry and for cleaning. Which do you use?
I use white, but I have used cider vinegar for laundry. Vinegar also removes soap residue from laundry in the rinse cycle. eHow is a great source for cleaning tips.
Hi Myrna, thank you for the tip, it’s much appreciated! I do also use vinegar when cleaning my washer. 🙂
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Thank you so much!