Just about everybody knows to add a dash of bleach to the white cycle and use hot water when washing white clothes — that’s standard laundry practice! And for the most part, that regimen works to brighten whites and prevent stains from setting in.
Follow this simple guide for bleaching white clothes in the washing machine to keep them looking whiter longer.
Step 1: Run Smaller Loads
In order to keep your white laundry sparkling white, run smaller loads, and don’t mix super-dingy, dirty whites in with your nicer white clothes. You may want to consider washing your white socks, undershirts, athletic wear and sheets in a separate load from your white work blouses and delicate white undergarments.
Step 2: Use Hot Water
White clothes and linens should always be washed in hot water. According to thespruce.com, “Most linens and white clothing are washed in hot water to remove germs and hey soil.”
Step 3: Add Bleach
Don’t forget to add bleach to your whites to keep them as white as possible. If you’re wondering how to bleach white clothes, the best way to do this is to add about ½ cup of bleach to the running water in your washing machine while the tub fills up, and then add the clothes.
In a front-loading machine, there is almost always a separate, small bleach tray that releases the bleach at just the right point in the wash. Professorshouse.com also adds that you should read the label of whatever you're trying to wash as well to make share that its even bleach-able!
*Never pour bleach directly on your clothes, even if they are completely white. Undiluted bleach will destroy the fabric and lead to yellow spots or, worse, holes in your clothes.