If members of your household wear a lot of white, then you probably wash white clothing quite frequently. Over time, they can become gray or yellow, and do not even remotely have the white color they originally had. Adding “secret ingredients” to the water during washing will help you preserve the original color. This article will tell you how to use those additives for washing white socks.
Basic rules
Before deciding how to wash white socks, you need to learn the key aspects of care for such items:
- Do not wear white socks for more than 1 day.
- Wash them very often.
- Choose a method of washing depending on the material of the socks.
- Excessive rubbing will damage the shape of the product (especially if the fabric is rich in natural cotton threads).
- Cleaning the socks with soap or soaking them prior to washing will increase the chance of getting the items from the washing machine pure white.
- Always wash white garments separately from colored items.
Choosing the right detergent
So how to wash white socks so that they don’t change color from snow-white to gray or yellow? Just use some improvised tricks with each wash. Let’s consider every auxiliary tool in more detail.
Dishwasher cleaner
For hand washing, use the usual amount of laundry detergent and add a tablespoon of automatic dishwasher detergent to the water (it will act as a booster for the laundry detergent). Soak the socks in that solution, and then wash them on a quick cycle in a washing machine. The remedy is simple and effective, but you risk damaging the fabric.
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Tennis balls
Put a few tennis balls together with the socks into the washing machine (similar to washing a down jacket). They will create a greater mechanical effect and wash the white items better.
Baking soda
Wash the white socks in the washing machine as usual, but add 150-200 ml of baking soda into the rinse compartment. The clothes you take out of the washing machine will be snow white.
Laundry soap
Ordinary soap will help to wash white things. The use is simple: moisten the dirty socks with warm water and soap them up well with laundry soap. Leave overnight in the container without water or tied in a plastic bag. In the morning, take them out and wash in a washing machine on a quick washing or express washing mode.
Use the same principle with stain remover.
Boiling
The old boiling method could help to clean off dirt from white socks. Pour water into a pot and add a quarter of the lemon and a piece of laundry soap or some laundry detergent. Put socks in. Boil for 15-20 minutes. After the procedure, wash the socks in a washing machine or in a basin by hand.
Wool socks won’t survive the boil, they are better washed in lukewarm water with shampoo.
Wring out manually without twisting, slightly squeeze a ball of socks, and then dry on a flat surface (horizontally).
Boric acid
Before you wash clothes, soak them in a solution of boric acid. Take one tablespoon of boric acid per liter of water (sold in pharmacies in the form of a powder or alcohol solution). Soak white socks for a couple of hours in that mixture. Any dirt should be easy to remove after this treatment. Just start the usual washing cycle in a washing machine.
Lemon juice
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (from one fruit) to a bowl of water and soak the grayed items in it. Soak for 2-3 hours. If the hosiery has not become clean after this time, treat especially dirty areas with pure lemon juice, sprinkle (or pour, if it is liquid) detergent on it and rub gently. Wait at least 15 minutes and wash in the machine. After that, spots should come off.
Vinegar
In one liter of water (or better results, heated the water up to 40 degrees), add a tea spoon of vinegar (9%). Soak a pair of socks in the mixture for half an hour, then wash (manually or in a washing machine).
Ammonia
An ammonia and alcohol solution softens the water, blocks the effect magnesium has on the fabric, and prevents white items, including socks, from becoming yellow. A couple of tablespoons of ammonia is enough for a liter of water. Soak the clothes in that mixture for 2 hours, then wash.
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How to get socks white again
If you didn’t use folk wisdom and had hopelessly washed your socks out, then both folk remedies and household chemicals will come to your aid.
Turpentine
Such a mixture will help to return a fresh white look even to washed-out gray socks, the white color of which was lost long ago. Dilute 3 spoons of laundry detergent and 3 spoons of turpentine in a bucket (10 liters). Stir the mixture thoroughly and put the socks in it. Leave for a day, and after that wash as usual.
Chlorine
Chlorine-containing products (bleach, liquid for cleaning a toilet) will help to remove gray or yellow hue at home. These products can be used only for cotton things.
Dissolve a couple of spoons of one of the detergents in 2 liters of water, add 0.1 kg of laundry powder. Leave the hosiery in the solution for the night. In the morning wash, as usual. Don’t dry the items in direct sunlight after this treatment (otherwise, the yellowness may return and it will be impossible to wash it out). After using such products, good ventilation is often required, so it’s best to dry these clothes outdoors.
Ammonia and peroxide
Homemade bleach can also be made from ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. Mix the ingredients in 1:2 proportions, apply the mixture to the socks and leave for 30 minutes. After that wash as usual. Hang socks outdoors to remove the ammonia odor.
Bleachers and stain removers
Store-bought remedies for returning whiteness to socks also do a good job. When using them, carefully read the instructions first and follow them carefully during the bleaching process (otherwise, you can burn a hole in the product).
Some remedies are applied in the pure form; some should be diluted, which is also an important factor in the successful use of the store-bought solution. Temperature conditions must be maintained exactly as recommended on the package.
Whichever way you choose, do not be discouraged if the result is not exactly what you expected (perhaps the color of your socks is just impossible to restore). Try a different method, and if it does not yield a good result, get a new pair of socks and wash them with means that keep the fabric white from the very beginning.
Insanely comprehensive 🙂
Thank you so much,
Now I have something to read during the holidays. This will take a while but well worth it like always
One of the best articles that I’ve read in a very long time! I Took notes and surely gonna implement and test bunch of stuff you talked about.
You’re a beast! Cheers, Ash
I am going to try the boric acid then bleach. I heard 409 spray cleaner works excellent for whites also. Thanks for the tips ill let you know how my socks come out.
Rachel Costa