Bleach can refresh your white clothes and take away the grey glow

It can be difficult to find the perfect white T-shirt; there’s no doubt about that. That’s why it’s even more of a shame when you realise your favourite shirt has seen better days. However, before you throw it out or donate it to a charity shop, try these tips on how to use bleach to make sure your faded clothes are pearly white again.

It’s not difficult, you just need to know how to do it right..

Using bleach to whiten clothes

• Always check the care label before treating clothes with bleach. If the label clearly says ‘no bleach’, this means (you guessed it) you shouldn’t use bleach on it. Not even if other detergents are safe.
• Before you use bleach on a particular item of clothing for the first time, you should test it on a small piece of fabric to test whether it’s safe. It’s best to choose a spot that’s hidden, like the inside of a collar.
• Once you’ve determined that the item of clothing is safe to be bleached, run a washing cycle like you normally would. If you use an all-fabric or oxygen bleach, you can add it at the start of the cycle as instructed by the manufacturer. If you use chlorine bleach, add the amount instructed by the manufacturer. Do so five minutes into the cycle and add it to the detergent drawer.
• Dry the item of clothing like you always do.

We’ve also got some great tips to prevent fading in white clothes. Read about the eight tips to prevent your white clothes from going grey, yellow or faded down below.

1. Wash white clothes after one or two wears

Even though you might not be able to spot it with the naked eye, invisible bodily oils and sweat can turn white clothes yellow or grey after some time. So, you’ll want to make sure this is washed out before it starts to really build up in your clothes.

2. Tackle stains as soon as possible

You can’t always avoid stains like ketchup and coffee stains: accidents happen. But stains that you can’t see, like sweat stains, need to be treated before they start to build up. You can do this by using a liquid enzyme detergent, which is a certain type of biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning agent. Apply this onto and around the armpit area of the clothes and leave it to soak for 15 minutes before washing the clothes on their normal cycle.

Want to know about the other six handy tips that will prevent your white clothes from fading? Keep reading on the next page!

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