Keep white clothes bright with little-known hack which only takes one hour
White clothes may dull and become grey over time - especially if they've spent a lot of time in and out of the washing machine. But with this hack, you can ensure they stay bright.
Whether it be white tops, trainers or bedding - most people know how hard it is to keep these items bright.
Over time, from many uses and washes, the colour can start to dull and become a boring shade of grey. It's really sad - particularly if your favourite clothing item starts to lose its bright shine - but it's inevitable. White clothes are often coated in optical brighteners, which wash off over time, leaving them looking grey.
But you don't just have to leave your favourite items to fade away - there are things you can do to bring them back to their former glory. And it doesn't involve splashing out on expensive whiteners.
Instead, TikTok cleaning account @homeaglow_ says the "secret to keeping your white clothes bright all summer" is an ingredient you probably already have in your cupboard. All you need is baking soda - a staple of any baking cupboard.
According to the savvy cleaner, the 'secret' is to let your white items soak in boiling water with baking soda for around an hour. She explained: "This is the best way to keep your white clothes white and bright. You want to start off by soaking your white pieces in boiling water and baking soda. Overnight is great, but 30 minutes to an hour is good enough. Next, you're going to want to go ahead and throw it in the washer as you usually would."
But the content creator has another hack up her sleeve to make sure the items stay as bright as the day you purchased them - let them dry in the sun. She explained: "Our sun is a natural bleacher, so I do like to set my whites out in the sun to sunbathe."
And if that hasn't quite sorted out some of the stains, the content creator uses another item which is usually in the fridge - a lemon. She explained: "I squirt lemon on the hard stains that didn't come out in the washer. And you want to keep them out there for about two to three hours."
Other cleaning enthusiasts have found that an item you can pick up from the supermarket is great at keeping white items looking bright - Vanish. Taking to a fanpage for cleaning influencer Mrs Hinch, one person shared: "Bleach breaks down the fabric, so they won't last long at all and do go yellow. Vanish is best," while another added: "Put in a bucket with warm water [and] white vanish powder tub."
You can pick up Vanish from most supermarkets.
