A cleaning guru has shared a simple homemade solution that helps whiten and brighten dull or stained white clothes, linen and socks. The method uses three everyday household products: baking soda, washing-up liquid and hydrogen peroxide.
The 3-Ingredient Solution
Cleaning expert and TikTok sensation Chantel Mila, known to her followers as Mama Mila, demonstrated the technique in a recent clip. She used one cup of baking soda, half a cup of hydrogen peroxide, and one tablespoon of washing-up liquid.
In the video's caption, Chantel wrote: "Say goodbye to dingy whites. This method works so well to whiten and brighten stained white clothing, linen, socks and towels and leave them looking new again."
How to Revive White Clothes
Begin by filling a large bowl or bucket with warm water and submerge the white garments. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the warm water, which helps brighten and disinfect the clothing. Then mix in one cup of baking soda to enhance brightness and eliminate unpleasant or musty smells. Finally, add one tablespoon of washing-up liquid to tackle oil-based marks.
Leave the garments to soak for one to two hours. After soaking, transfer them to the washing machine and run a standard cycle. Chantel explained: "Clothes are significantly whitened and brightened."
Why It Works
Baking soda boosts the performance of laundry detergents, helping to revive lacklustre whites while eliminating unwanted smells. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a natural bleaching agent, brightening yellowed and dingy fabrics and providing disinfecting properties. The washing-up liquid lifts oil-based marks from fabric fibres.
For more stubborn stains, creating a paste from baking soda and warm water and applying it directly to problem areas could prove beneficial.
Avoiding Yellowing
To avoid yellowing in white clothing, specialists at Currys recommend monitoring the quantities of detergent and fabric softener used in each wash cycle. They also cautioned against tumble drying marked garments. Currys explained: "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."
