With the arrival of warm weather, it's time to put away those dark, heavy clothes and put on lighter fashions. If you have a lot of whites in your wardrobe for spring and summer, you probably love the way they look but despise the challenge of keeping them clean and bright. There's nothing more frustrating than getting a catsup stain on a favorite white outfit. If you want to keep your white fashions looking gorgeous for years, here's how to keep them bright and stain free even if you happen to be a slob:
Keep clothes white: Pre-treat stains as soon as possible
If you spill grape juice on your best pair of white pants, you'll want to attack the stain as soon as possible to have the best chance of getting it out. If you're wearing white, you can make life easier by carrying an instant stain remover with you in your pocketbook or pocket. A good one to try is Tide to Go. As soon as you notice the stain, apply the product. Even if you can't completely remove the stain, it'll be easier to remove once you get home.
Keep clothes white: Wash white each time you wear it
Even if a piece of white clothing looks clean after you wear it, wash it anyway. The material has probably soaked up perspiration and other body chemicals that need to be removed to preserve the beauty of the garment. White is one color that needs to be washed after each wearing.
Keep clothes white: Correct hard water
If you have hard water, it can give your whites a grayish cast. One way to partially correct hard water is to add a half cup of vinegar to the water you use to rinse your whites. White vinegar works beautifully for this purpose.
Keep clothes white: Watch how you dry your whites
One of the best ways to dry white clothing is to hang it out on a line to dry in the sun. The sun tends to have a gentle bleaching action, plus it makes clothes smell so good! If you dry whites in a dryer, use a cool setting to avoid the dulling effect that heat can have on white fabric.
Keep clothes white: Avoid household bleach
Some people try to brighten their whites by reaching for the bleach. Not only will bleach weaken the fabric of the clothing, it can also cause the fabric to yellow. The key to getting whites clean is to use the hottest water that's compatible with the fabric and along with a good detergent. If you feel you must use bleach, substitute borax instead which tends to be gentler on the fabric and is less likely to discolor your whites. A half cup of borax is usually sufficient for the average load of whites.
Keep clothes white: Practice a little prevention
Lastly, when you wear a white top to a restaurant, wear a darker colored jacket you can button over your whites to protect them from stains. There's nothing more annoying than ruining a meal with a big stain on a white top. At least it won't show on a dark colored jacket.
Keeping whites beautiful can be a challenge but it's well worth the effort when you step out on a warm spring day looking clean and stylish in your most fashionable whites.
