With the passage of time and repeated washing, linen tends to turn gray. White linen is particularly affected by this phenomenon.
The dazzling whiteness of early textiles gives way to a dull white, sometimes even graying, or even yellowing. Let’s face it, we’d all like to get back to pure white, a sign of cleanliness and freshness.
Fortunately, there are many ways to bleach laundry, without necessarily having to use industrial bleaching products, which are often very harmful and can cause allergic reactions. You can opt for much more natural solutions. Bleach and chlorine-based products are not recommended.
Here’s how to whiten your laundry in a healthier, more natural way, so that you can enjoy brilliant white textiles.
The best bleaching techniques
Thanks to a few simple tricks, you can bleach your laundry without the risk of irritating your skin with overly aggressive products.
Here are the best techniques for whitening laundry.
3% hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide, also known as hydrogen peroxide, is highly effective for whitening laundry such as clothes, towels, sheets and so on. To do this, hydrogen peroxide is poured directly into the detergent dispenser when washing at very high temperatures. The ideal dose is around half a cup.
However, it’s important to check that the fabric in question can withstand this type of washing. In general, materials such as linen and cotton pose no problem.
This solution is one of the most effective for de-yellowing and soothing clothes.
White vinegar
White vinegar is a magical product that can be used in a thousand and one ways. Correctly used, vinegar can not only whiten your laundry, but also soften it.
To do this, mix 120 ml of white vinegar (about 1 cup) with 30 ml of your usual detergent. Then simply pour the mixture into the washing machine’s usual compartment. It’s that simple.
For those who only want to whiten certain areas of their laundry, vinegar spray can be used directly on the problem area.
Lemon
Lemon is an effective, 100% natural bleaching agent that restores the shine of white linen. It can be used in two ways.
- The first is to put a large quantity of lemon juice in very hot water and soak the laundry overnight. The next day, simply machine-wash the clothes in the usual cycle. It’s an old-fashioned solution that won’t affect the quality of your laundry in any way. It can be used on all kinds of textiles.
- The second tip is to add a cup of lemon juice to the rinse water in the washing machine. Once the cycle is complete, lay your laundry out in the sun for best results. This tip is highly effective, dejaunizing clothes and removing stubborn stains such as perspiration rings that sometimes persist on clothes.
Baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate is a natural product which, like vinegar, has a thousand and one uses. Used in addition to your usual detergent, baking soda enhances the action of the cleaning agents in your product.
The results are often impressive, as bicarbonate acts not only as a stain remover, but also as a bleach, bleach remover and degreaser.
As a reminder, bicarbonate is a 100% biodegradable white powder that can be used in cooking and cosmetics (edible bicarbonate), as well as for household cleaning (household bicarbonate). It’s also an excellent deodorizer, capable of absorbing unpleasant odors. When used for laundry, you can be sure of fresher, cleaner, perfectly sanitized textiles.
Tip: to reinforce the action of bicarbonate, you can combine it with the power of lemon. To do this, mix 60 ml lemon juice and 100 g baking soda in a large volume of water. Simply immerse the linen in the water for about 1 hour before laying it out to dry in the sun.
Sodium percarbonate
Sodium percarbonate is a highly effective bleach and stain remover. To use it, simply add 2 tablespoons to your usual detergent in the compartment of your washing machine.
Milk
Yes, milk is an unexpected ally, effectively whitening white linen and restoring its shine. This grandmotherly trick is very easy to implement and requires just one ingredient, which everyone is bound to have at home.
Place 250 ml water, 500 ml milk and 6 ice cubes in a small basin. Soak the yellowed or graying linen for 1 hour. These quantities can, of course, be adjusted to suit the laundry to be bleached.
Then simply machine-wash on the usual cycle.
Marseille soap
Marseille soap is an excellent detergent that also has a whitening effect on laundry.
Marseille soap is therefore an all-in-one product, which can be used as a detergent and acts as a bleaching agent wash after wash.
The sun
Drying your laundry in the sun preserves its brilliant whiteness by exposing textile fibers to ultraviolet rays. These rays are capable of destroying the molecules responsible for graying clothes.
And here’s how to whiten your laundry with no less than 9 ultra-practical tips that are easy to implement at home!
