A cleaning guru has shared her go-to method for reviving dirty socks, and it involves one extra step that should not be missed before washing them in the machine. The technique requires no specialised cleaning products, only items already available at home.
TikTok creator Chantel Mila posted a video explaining how to get heavily stained white socks white again. She wrote in the caption: “Have you ever wondered how to get really stained white socks white again?” She added: “This method is my go-to! When I saw Aston running around on grass and mud in his white socks this weekend, I knew I needed to do this this week. The before and after speak for themselves! Such a go-to!”
The soaking method
First, fill a large bowl or bucket with warm water and place the dirty socks in to soak. Add a quarter cup of laundry detergent to help lift dirt and body oils that have seeped into the fibres. Then add a quarter cup of baking soda to break down grime and dirt, followed by one teaspoon of washing-up liquid to target oil-based stains.
Leave the socks to soak for one hour. When the soaking time is up, remove the socks from the solution so the stains are no longer in the liquid.
The extra step not to skip
Sprinkle the worst-affected areas with more baking soda and scrub the socks together. Chantel said: “Look at the difference.” After this step, the socks can be washed on a normal cycle.
Baking soda can enhance the effectiveness of detergents, helping to brighten dull whites, and can be used to rid garments of unwanted odours. Adding washing-up liquid to the solution helps target oil-based stains and lift them from the fibres.
Further tips for tough stains
For tougher stains, a paste can be made with baking soda and warm water and applied to the affected areas as a spot treatment. To prevent discolouration in white clothes, experts at Currys advise checking the amounts of detergent and fabric softener used during a laundry cycle. They also advised against using a tumble dryer when treating stained clothes.
Currys wrote: “If you’ve got whites that have yellow stains, don’t tumble dry. Always air dry. The simple reason is that the heat from the tumble dryer will simply lock in stains even more.”
