Every housewife must possess the ability to return darkened things to their original freshness.
What could be prettier than snow-white bedding, your husband’s perfect white shirt, or a dazzling white tablecloth that will decorate your holiday table, but if your family has a small child or teenager, you just can’t do without this skill in everyday life.
We bring to your attention a few simple ways that will make your life easier.
How to whiten white at home: tools and step-by-step instructions
There are a huge number of different methods for whitening things from white fabric, ranging from ordinary washing with bleach to soaking in various specific solutions.
But one must understand that for each material it is necessary to use an individual method and certain means, otherwise the thing will deteriorate and become unusable.
The main proven tools are:
- baking soda;
- salt;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- potassium permanganate;
- ammonia, etc.
Baking Soda Whitening
The main method, which has clear advantages over all others, has always been a method using baking soda. For about 7 liters of water, about 40 degrees, you need to take 6-7 tablespoons of baking soda and stir until completely dissolved. You can also pour in one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, this will give the solution more whitening effect. Soak a contaminated item in this solution and do not touch for two hours. Apply a small amount of soda to heavily contaminated areas and rub well. With severe yellowing, it is allowed to boil things in the used solution for a short time. It is worth remembering that it is not advisable to use boiling on wardrobe items, as well as on synthetic fabrics and wool products. It is best to boil bedding, kitchen and bath towels and socks.
Salt Whitening
And the most common table salt can do us a tremendous service in whitening darkened things. It is only necessary to soak the thing for a few hours in warm water with the addition of 3 tablespoons of salt and the usual washing powder that you add with each wash. To enhance the effect in the solution, you can add a couple of tablespoons of ammonia and mix well. This method is great for cotton and wool.
Manganese Crystal Whitening
White things that have faded and lost their original brightness can be saved by using crystals of potassium permanganate. To do this, add 10 crystals of potassium permanganate to 10 liters of hot water and mix well. For the best effect, it is recommended to add a couple of tablespoons of laundry detergent and laundry soap grated on a fine grater to the resulting solution. Things must be immersed in the resulting composition only after the complete dissolution of all its components, especially for potassium permanganate itself. Yellowed and grayed things must be left in this solution overnight, after which everything should be rinsed well and washed with the addition of washing powder in the washing machine or manually. This method is quite delicate, since potassium permanganate does not thin the material.
How to whiten white at home: cotton and linen
Since cotton is less picky, unlike other materials, ordinary whiteness is most often used to bleach it. After dissolving it in cool water in a bathtub or any other convenient place for a couple of hours, soak things for several hours in the resulting solution. After which, rinsing thoroughly, send them to be washed in the washing machine with the addition of washing powder. A little salt can be added to the powder. The amount of whiteness needed should be considered based on the information on the label. For added effect, heavily soiled areas can be washed with a simple laundry soap.
For high-quality bleaching of products, the main material of which is flax, use conventional washing in a washing machine with the addition of soda ash to the washing powder. Washing must be done in hot water, from 65 to 70 degrees. Soaking in solution with the addition of persal and washing powder is also well suited. Soak linen items for at least 12 hours.
How to whiten white at home: synthetics and lace
If it is necessary to bleach tulle, a lace blouse, linen or any other synthetic thing in the house, then a solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide will be an indispensable tool here. To do this, soak the contaminated thing in 10 liters of hot water with the addition of 2 tablespoons of each of the available ingredients. Soaking must be carried out for half an hour. After that, things must be rinsed and washed in the usual way for you.
How to whiten white at home and not ruin it
In order not to spoil the laundry when washing or bleaching, always pay attention to the label on which detailed instructions are given. And in order to avoid the need to resort to whitening, remember the following recommendations:
- If possible, always wash white items separately from others.
- Linen and white cotton cannot be washed with wool and synthetics. This will cause them to darken. It is necessary to wash at a temperature of 60 degrees
- When washing in a washing machine, powder bleach must be used to preserve white color. If the material consists of cotton or linen, a little salt can be added to the powder to enhance the effect.
Almost all things can be returned to their original whiteness. But just do not forget that the frequent use of bleaching agents will greatly thin the fabric and render it unusable. To avoid this, use these tips.
