How to remove gray and yellowness from white things at home?

If your favorite sheets are no longer snow-white, and your recently sparkling kitchen towels are an eyesore, before you run for the next miracle household chemical product, check if you have one of these affordable and economical products.

Simple household chemicals

It is unlikely that you will be able to completely forget about household chemicals in the modern world, and if the issue of the naturalness and safety of the product is not too pressing for you, you can use the following means to restore the whiteness of grayish or yellowish things.

• "White". Where would we be without her? It is worth saying that the product is very aggressive and its frequent use will significantly reduce the service life of the product. Occasionally, “Whiteness” can be added directly to the clothes in the drum, especially if the yellowness or grayness is not old.
• "Domestos". Few people have read the instructions for this product, and by the way, it says that you can soak laundry in it! Some even pour the product into the washing machine! The results of this method of whitening are praised by many housewives, so you can try it too.
• Dishwashing detergents. Often white items come into direct contact with the skin, absorbing oil and sweat, which leads to yellowing.To wash bed linen, towels and underwear, add a little dishwashing detergent directly to the detergent compartment.

Advice

Dirt can accumulate in the rubber of the washing machine door, which will affect the color of white items during washing. The same goes for dust in pockets and folds. Remove such stains in advance so that you do not have to rewash the laundry again.

Laundry soap

At first glance, it is difficult to believe that this brownish mass can help wash things: it seems that the yellowness from such a procedure will only intensify. But you probably remember how your mothers washed your socks and T-shirts with laundry soap, so why don’t you trust it? How can it be used at home? Everything is very simple.

• Thoroughly soap the wet item so that it is dirty yellow in color, and leave it in a basin without water for a period of 2 hours to 1 day.

Advice

Instead of a basin, you can use a plastic bag: they say the effect is even stronger. The main thing is to try to remove as much air as possible from it before you tie it, creating a vacuum effect.

• 200 g of soap shavings per 5 liters of water is an ideal mixture for boiling. When heated, soap will not produce harmful fumes, as, for example, from powder, and the effect on the fabric will be more gentle. You can also add 3% hydrogen peroxide or even a little ammonia, 2 tbsp each, to this boiling mixture. l. for 5 liters of water.

Advice

Only cotton and linen can be boiled, and the boiling time depends on the density of the fabric: for thin fabrics, it is enough to bring the mass to a boil and immediately remove from the heat, but for more durable products, 20-30 minutes of cooking over low heat may be required.

After boiling, the product does not require additional washing, and it can be rinsed as soon as the solution has cooled, but after simply treating the fabric with a bar of laundry soap, it is better to wash the item as usual.

Tinting agents

In fact, even ordinary powder has this effect if it contains blue granules. You can enhance the effect with the three available dyes.

• Blue. It is enough to dilute it in water until a pale blue solution is obtained, and then rinse the grayed item in it.
• Zelenka. The solution should also be weak, and the product should simply be rinsed in it without soaking.
• Potassium permangantsovka. But this substance is usually diluted to bright pink water, the white thing is first generously rubbed with laundry soap and immersed in the solution for 20-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Advice

Make sure there is no sediment or undissolved granules in the solution, otherwise the item will stain.

Peroxide or hydroperite

A peroxide solution (3%) or hydroperite tablets help whiten things when soaked and boiled at home. They work well on both natural fabrics and synthetics, which cannot withstand high temperatures. Simply dilute 200 ml of peroxide or 10 hydroperite tablets in 5 liters of water and leave the product in the solution for 1-3 hours. It is better to do this soaking on a clean item, and then simply rinse it. You can also add salt or soda to the solution.

Ammonia

Try ammonia! Despite the pungent odor, it is actively used to whiten things. The solution with it should be quite hot: from 40 to 70° - and it is rarely used alone. You can mix it with the following substances:

• peroxide – in a 1:1 ratio (2 tbsp.per 5 liters) for soaking for 30-40 minutes before or after washing;
• soda or salt – 3:1 (6 tablespoons of soda or salt and 2 tablespoons of ammonia per 5 liters) for soaking for 30-40 minutes before or after washing;
• solution during digestion (it’s better to leave the kitchen, as harmful fumes are released).

The product is quite aggressive, so its use is often not recommended, but at the same time, if rinsed thoroughly, it does not pose a health hazard.

Soda and salt

To effectively whiten things at home, it is better to make a solution of salt or soda in hot water, so this option is not very suitable for synthetics. In its pure form, soda is often added directly to the washing machine, and for pre-soaking, it is better to mix it or salt with peroxide and shavings of laundry soap, or at least with powder. The product is soaked in this hot solution for several hours and then washed in the standard mode.

Boric acid

Judging by the reviews, boric acid is an ideal means for rinsing white clothes after washing. 1-2 tbsp. l. dilute in 3 liters of warm water and rinse the item in this solution for several minutes. This is followed by a rinse with clean water, and your white product will shine white again!

Starch or baking powder

To combat yellowness and grayness, some housewives rinse white items in a solution of starch or baking powder. Usually literally 1-2 tbsp is used. l. for 5 liters and do not resort to additional rinsing with clean water. It is also common practice to add baking powder directly to the washing machine drum to white items. Numerous reviews of this method guarantee the desired effect, so you can try it without fear.

All of the above products are absolutely accessible and you may already have them at home.So why not check out how well the budget option works first.

We recommend reading the article: how to bleach a white shirt at home