Keeping clothes white does not need to remain a mystery, there are some great tips you can use with very little hassle. There are also a few things to keep in mind so that your whites not only stay white but also stay in good condition.
- First and foremost, try to avoid using chlorine bleach due to the chemicals being harsh on clothes and harmful to you. It is best to avoid most commonly available bleach, sodium hypochlorite, a moderately toxic chlorine salt that can bond with other chemicals to form cancer-causing organochlorines in the wastewater system. “Natural oxygen safe bleaches” are found primarily in the health food stores, and are based on hydrogen peroxide. The best choice is to buy store-bought commercial brands, such as Seventh Generations’s Non-Chlorine Bleach–Free & Clear because this includes oxygen bleach stabilizers to help reduce the product’s reactivity in the environment.
- Lemon juice has also been known to help whites stay bright, white and smelling fresh. Just add ½ cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle of a medium load. To make this technique more effective, hang dry your clothing. The use of lemons is not only beneficial for your clothes but is also a great household eco-friendly tool. Click on the link below to read about 24 handy lemons tips. http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/136/1/24-handy-lemon-tips.html
- One culprit that makes your clothes gray (that you might have never known about) is minerals in hard water. Some of you might know if you have hard water in your household. To help you detect if your water has an overabundance of minerals here are some clues: Dishes will have water spots on them, your soap won’t lather well, and your white clothes will look dingy. You may also notice white, crusty sediment on your fixtures, a recurring bathtub ring, or rust-colored stains on your clothes, silverware, or porcelain fixtures. If you do have hard water all you need to do is add ½ cup of vinegar to your rinse water. If you do not have hard water, to brighten your clothes, the use of minerals in your wash cycle will help. Add ½ cup borax or washing soda (both can be found in the laundry section of your supermarket) to a medium load of laundry.
- Lastly, please make sure to always read your care tag on your clothing. Some may state to dry your clothes in direct sunlight. Just keep in mind that natural fibers love the sunlight and hanging them outside to dry is to their benefit. Some people living in NYC will find it hard to hang dry if you do not have a line outside of your apartment and if that is the case, try to hang dry in your apartment where the sun hits.
Please keep in mind, if your white clothes care tag states to dry clean please try to follow those instructions so that your clothes stay looking new. If these tips help, please leave us a comment letting us know or if you know of any other good tips, we would love to hear them. We hope you have fun keeping your whites bright and fresh and to keep en eco-friendly household try out some of the handy lemon tips included in the link we posted.
Todd Layne Cleaners and Laundromat is located on the Upper East Side, New York, NY 10075
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Todd Layne Cleaners and Laundromat
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