How to wash white clothes and other white fabrics

FAQs about washing whites

Learn how to remove yellow stains from white clothes and find out how to wash white clothes with baking soda with our FAQ section!

• Do you wash whites in hot or cold water?

  When it comes to washing dirty white clothes, hot water will be more efficient at getting rid of germs and stains. However, in case of delicate items, you’ll want to use cold water, so as to keep your fabrics from getting damaged. For that reason, always check the garment’s fabric care label before choosing a temperature.

• Is bleaching white clothes a good idea?

  Chlorine bleach can be safely used to whiten cotton fabrics (in a moderate amount), but avoid using it on any other fabric types, as it may turn them yellow or grey. To bleach your white clothes, simply soak them in a bucket of cold water, add a little bleach, let them sit for about 10 minutes, then rinse in cold water and let them dry. Before choosing this method, make sure your fabrics are bleachable by checking their care label.

• Does baking soda whiten clothes?

  Baking soda is known for its natural odor control qualities and whitening capabilities and can help you enhance the brightness of your white garments. Here’s how:

  1. Load your clothes into your washing machine

  2. Add detergent

  3. Pour half a cup of baking soda into the washing machine’s drum

  4. Wash as usual

  Enjoy your white-as-new clothes

• How to remove colour stains from whites clothes?

  If you notice your white laundry becoming discoloured suddenly after the wash, chances are a coloured item was free-riding with your other garments. Don’t worry, we know just what to do:

  1. Remove the offending coloured item(s)

  2. Soak your clothes in a mixture of cold water with a cup of distilled white vinegar

  3. Re-wash your clothes as usual

  4. Enjoy your newly whitened garments!

• How to clean canvas white shoes?

  To restore the brightness of your white canvas shoes, we recommend applying the following technique:

  1. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of hot water into a paste.

  2. Using an old toothbrush, apply the paste onto the stained areas of your shoes, covering these parts completely.

  3. Place your shoes out in the sun, and let the paste dry.

  4. After about 4 hours, knock off the dried paste from your shoes, and use your toothbrush to remove any residue.

  Voilá, your shoes should be white as new!

• Why do white clothes turn yellow?

  Your whites can turn yellow either as a result of using chlorine bleach, which can yellow clothing when combined with iron and hot water, or drying your clothes on a high heat setting. You can prevent your whites from coming out yellowed from the wash by limiting your use of bleach only to cotton fabrics, and using low heat. In case the accident has already occurred, soak your yellowed garment in a mixture of lemon juice and boiling hot water for at least a couple of hours, wring it out, then wash as usual.

• How to wash your white cotton dress?

  Follow the below steps to properly take care of your favourite white cotton dress:

  1. Pre-treat any stains by soaking the garment in a solution of Ariel Matic Liquid Detergent and cold water.

  2. Machine wash your white and light-coloured cotton item on the highest temperature setting allowed by the fabric care label with your choice of Ariel detergent.

  3. Hang your dress outside to dry to make use of the sun’s extra whitening power

  Now that you know everything there is to know about how to remove stains from white clothes, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying the confidence that wearing bright whites gives you! Hungry for more? Ariel has got you covered with guides on how to remove ink stains from white shirts and how to get rid of tea and coffee stains from your clothes, as well as many more tips on stain removal.