Laundry Hacks: How to Keep Whites Bright

Fill your basin with hot water and 1-2 sliced lemons (depending on how soiled your clothes are). Add your laundry, let it soak for one to two hours, and wash as normal in your washing machine. If your clothes need an extra brightening boost, boil the water first, add the lemons and clothing, and let it sit overnight. Be sure to check the fabric care instructions for each garment to ensure that it can handle hot water. Never use this method on fabrics that require washing in cold water.

Continual washing with harsh detergents will wear down even the strongest materials. Prolong the life of your wardrobe and household linens with a gentler formula. Better choose detergent with plant-based enzymes and natural minerals to clean just as effectively as synthetic brands – without harsh residues. For the best way to whiten clothes, use it with any of the natural methods listed above.

In addition to brightening white clothes, distilled white vinegar softens fabric while neutralizing odors. Simply pour 1/4 cup of vinegar to an already-running machine during the last rinse cycle. For clothes that need a bit more attention, soak them for a few hours in a basin full of water and one cup of white vinegar.

Will hydrogen peroxide bleach clothes? Not only does this medicine-cabinet staple disinfect mild cuts and wounds, but it’s also an excellent laundry whitener. When starting a load, simply pour 1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide straight into your detergent or bleach dispenser. Proceed with your regular laundry routine. Hydrogen peroxide also does wonders on embarrassing underarm stains. Make a paste of equal parts hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and water. Cover stains with a ¼” layer and allow it to sit for about 30 to 60 minutes. Lightly remove any extra residue with a soft brush and throw the item in the washer.

For daily laundry, add one cup of baking soda or white distilled vinegar to your wash water each time you wash exercise clothes. The baking soda or white distilled vinegar will help neutralize odor and make your detergent work more efficiently.

There's something comforting about the smell of crisp, sun-dried linens, and hanging laundry out to dry is another natural laundry whitener. In fact, the longer you leave them in the sun, the greater the brightening effect. There are plenty of other reasons to switch to line drying. Not only does tumble-drying shrink and fade your clothing, but the Department of Energy determined that switching to line drying could conserve up to 4% of your electricity usage.

Let's all take a moment of silence for all of the lost socks in the world and do through some useful tips to never get them lost again.
1) Buy only white socks. This is exactly the way that we combat having to pair all the socks by only buying white socks! I usually grab a giant package of tall and ankle white socks. There's no more matching pairs of socks this way, try this hack!
2) If colored socks are a must-have in your house, but you're still tired of always matching them, don't worry! Leave a small safety pin attached to the side of a sock and train your family to pin them together before throwing them in the dirty clothes. You'll never have to worry about sorting and matching socks again.
3) Check the lining of the washer for lost socks. Well, there's no clarity how long those puppies have been hiding in there, so make sure that you check it regularly, especially after you wash socks.