How to wash white clothes

When washing your regular whites such as cotton shirts and towels or sheets, it’s best to separate your laundry by fabric type. Here’s how to wash white clothes in the washer:

• Pretreat stains. Don’t worry – everyone gets stains on their whites from time to time. The areas are best pre-treated using special stain removers l. Make sure that wet stains are first fully absorbed (e.g. by sprinkling salt on the stain), then spray some Sard Wonder on the effected area and wait 60 seconds before adding the item to the wash with other unstained whites.
  
• Wash your white clothes made of cotton and polyester together at no more than 30°C to prevent shrinking! A good laundry detergent such as Cold Power that has been specifically formulated to work at 30°C will do the job. Hang to dry or throw in the dryer. 
  
• For towels, socks, and duvets, it makes sense to wash them at the hottest setting according to the care labels and for this you can bring out the powerful stain removing detergents like Dynamo too for maximum cleaning power. Towels are usually safe to tumble dry. 
  
• Your delicate whites may need a little bit of extra care. First, check that any silk blouses and bras are machine-washable by reading the care label. If they are, follow the instructions. You may need to opt for a cold wash. Some delicates are suitable for hand-wash only. 

We’ve all been there: you open the washing machine to find that your favourite white T-shirt is now a peculiar pink. Even with our best intentions, coloured socks can find their way into the whites basket and wreak havoc. Therefore, you should avoid washing whites with colours. But what about mixed-whites?

• Firstly, take your time when putting whites into the machine. If you’re rushing the preparation of a load, chances of a coloured item (no matter how small) making its way into the machine are higher.
• If you’re washing white clothes that also have some colour in them, it can be worth testing the items one-by-one in a hot water bath to see if any of the colours come off. If they’ve been washed many times or are colour-safe, you should be fine and can wash the whites together.
• It’s best not to wash mixed-whites together with pure white fabrics to avoid discolouration.
• If you need to remove a stain from a mixed-white piece of clothing, you can try a spot treatment. Start by using a special cleaner to get rid of the stain like Sard Wonder. It’s easy to use and just a few sprays 60 seconds before you put the items in the wash can work, as the name suggests, wonders. 
  

After a while, some white laundry may end up with a greyish or yellowish hue. Don’t worry if this happens! Luckily, there are some great tips and tools around to get white clothes bright again. 

• Vinegar or bicarbonate of soda. Soaking whites in warm water with half a cup of vinegar or a cup of bicarbonate of soda can brighten up tired looking fabrics and give them that fresh look again. When using vinegar, it’s best to do a spot check on an inside seam of the fabric to make sure it’s suitable. Avoid soaking fabric in vinegar for more than 10 minutes. Pre-soaks with bicarbonate of soda can be left overnight before washing the clothes in a regular whites run the next day.
• Oxygen-based bleach. These types of bleach are usually safer than chlorine bleach, which can damage fabric if used often. Oxygen-based bleach can be found in most supermarkets. They’re added to the wash and are suitable for most types of fabrics apart from silk or wool. Follow the instructions on the packaging and check the care labels before bleaching your whites. Pre-soaking your whites in a water bath with bleach is a great way to banish yellow tones.
• Extra tip: You can use oxygen bleach to remedy a red sock accident. Make sure you remove the offending item from the washer. Then add the bleach to the whites-turned-pink (or another colour) and run a normal wash. Hang to dry. 

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