Most people only think of bleach when they need to whiten the laundry. While bleach is an effective solution, sometimes, you want to use something else.
Well, there are several alternatives that you can find out below.
Why Opt for Alternatives?
There are many reasons someone would want to use something other than bleach to whiten their clothes. The most obvious one is that you simply ran out of bleach but still need to clean clothes.
A person may not want to use bleach because it’s a harsh chemical and difficult to handle. Maybe you’re afraid it will touch your skin and irritate you. Perhaps you don’t want to use bleach because you don’t like having cleaning supplies this harsh because you’ve got pets or kids.
The truth is that many laundry cleaning supplies can be dangerous if you have kids. You must keep these things safely stored away or have people like the folks at North Ft. Myers LaundroMart clean and whiten your clothes for you.
You might want to use a more green alternative to whiten your clothes, which is possible, too.
These are some reasons folks might look for alternative ways to whiten their clothes, and now you’ll learn how you can do this yourself.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Most folks have a little hydrogen peroxide at home but may not know this liquid can be used instead of bleach. It’s a lot milder though, so you might need to use it a few times before you get your desired results.
If your laundry doesn’t need much whitening, then this should do just fine. It doesn’t just whiten your clothes. It has the power to brighten colors, too, whenever you might need that. The great thing about this solution is that it turns into a biodegradable solution given enough, which is better than bleach.
You’ll need about a cup of this solution for your clothes. Don’t pour it directly on your clothes when they’re still dry. Add it where you normally pour bleach or pour it once your clothes are submerged in water.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a magical powder that can be used for many things. You can use it to deodorize your carpet. You can use it to make your home smell fresher. You can even use it to do some cleaning.
Folks may not know that baking soda can also be used to whiten clothes if you need it. The great thing is that baking soda is cheap and one of the most natural cleaners you could use.
You’ll need to add about half a cup of baking soda to your load. To add it to your wash, you want to pour the baking soda at the bottom of the drum before you add your dirty clothes.
After that, just add the rest of the stuff you normally add and start washing. Don’t place it in the automatic dispenser because it might not dissolve well.
Vinegar
This is another one of those natural solutions that sometimes get overlooked. Vinegar is natural and can do wonders for your laundry, and it’s cheap, too. Mother Nature will thank you if you use vinegar because it’s completely harmless.
Many people don’t want to use vinegar on their clothes because of the smell, which is very strong and not so pleasant. By the time you’re done washing your clothes, that smell should go away.
You want to place your laundry in a tub or a large bucket to use it. You’ll need to mix one part vinegar with six parts warm water. You’ll want enough of this blend of liquids to cover your laundry completely.
Let the laundry sit in this solution for a day and wash as you would normally. You’ll be surprised by the results.
Lemon
All you have to do is add one cup of lemon juice to your wash to whiten your clothes. The natural acid within this citrus fruit will do wonders for your white clothes. Of course, the planet will be more than happy with you because you decided to use lemon juice as your bleaching agent.
When your whites are very soiled and dingy, you might want to try another trick with lemons that’ll do the job. You want to slice one lemon into thin slices. Don’t remove the rind.
Add these thin slices to boiling water. Be sure the pot is big enough to hold enough water for the soiled clothes.
Once you add the slices, turn off the fire, add your clothes (usually cotton socks), and let your laundry sit there for a day. After that, wash your laundry. The results will astonish you.
Now, you have some ways to whiten your clothes without relying on chlorine bleach. Just so you know, if you want to take things a step further, you might want to hang your whites outside in the sun because the sun helps whiten clothes, too.