5 ways to restore the brightness of old things without spending money on washing gels

By the 10th wash, housewives notice that colored items become faded, and white items take on an unpleasant tint. To restore the color of things at home and maintain the rich color, you should try home remedies. Some of them also remove stains and whiten clothes perfectly.

1. Vegetable oil for fabric whiteness

The method is most often used for white and light-colored kitchen towels. After washing every day, their color may become gray. Grease spots, yellowness, and greasy areas appear. How to bleach kitchen towels at home without exhausting soaking and washing: vegetable oil will help remove stubborn stains. Among housewives, this method is called “Japanese” (a recipe originally from this country) or “lazy” washing.

It will require:

• boiling water (4-5 l);
• a soaking basin (deep enough so that the water completely covers the fabric);
• 3 tbsp. spoons of acetic acid (from 70%);
• 3 tbsp. spoons of baking soda;
• 3 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
• half a glass of washing powder.

Mix the ingredients until completely dissolved in a small amount of water. Pour boiling water into a basin and add the solution. Place towels in the container and leave for 6-8 hours.

Then wash as usual and rinse thoroughly. It is worth considering that the product is not suitable for fabrics dyed in bright colors. Boiling water will make the shades fade.

Important! Concentrated vinegar essence is life-threatening! Eyes, skin and mucous membranes should be protected from splashes of the substance; work only with rubber gloves. Access to the container with the solution should be kept away from small children!

Washed terry towels and tablecloths can also be refreshed with this product. Drink and grease stains are removed, and greasy edges will become fresh again. You can add 1 tbsp to the rinse water. a spoonful of lemon juice - it will consolidate the result and give things a subtle, pleasant aroma.

2. Table vinegar instead of bleach

Store-bought bleach can be replaced with 2/3 cup of 9% table vinegar diluted in a liter of water. Regular or apple cider vinegar will do, which is much cheaper than bleaches and stain removers. Rub contaminated areas with a brush and laundry soap.

It is better to soak clothes with old stains for 2-4 hours, then wash them by hand.

For automatic washing, you can add 1 cup directly to the washing machine drum with regular powder. The product is almost as effective as chlorine-containing bleaches, but is more gentle on the fibers of the material. Suitable for chiffon, silk, lace guipure.

Vinegar restores its original whiteness, removes stains, and after drying acts as antistatic: at home for clothes you can do it yourself. The color of dull and yellowed fabrics comes to life. Removes stains from sweat and antiperspirants from white shirts. After washing, the unpleasant odor completely disappears. The product is also suitable for removing stains of natural origin (grass, juice, tea, coffee). It is enough to soak your child’s stained jeans or kitchen apron for a couple of hours. After rinsing, the item will look like new.

Important! Use with caution for delicate fabrics and wool. First, you should test the substance on an inconspicuous area (from the side of the internal seams).

3. Potassium permanganate against stains

First, dampen the fabric and rub with laundry soap.

Then dilute several crystals of potassium permanganate in a glass of water to obtain a medium-pink solution.

Fill the soaking container with boiling water and pour in the solution.

Place the item previously rubbed with laundry soap.

Tie a plastic bag on top.

The laundry should be kept for at least 4 hours; it is acceptable to leave it overnight. Then squeeze and rinse, and the stains disappear without a trace. The method is suitable not only for white, but also colored linen made from natural fabrics. For 5 kitchen towels, 1 cup of manganese solution and 2 liters of boiling water are enough.

4. Aspirin for baby things

A cheap pharmaceutical product copes well with the stains typical of children's clothes.

A concentrated solution (10 tablets per 0.5 glass of water) will help with stubborn stains and old dirt.

They should moisten the problem areas and leave for 3 hours.

Then wash the item and rinse in cool water.

Acetylsalicylic acid perfectly removes traces of purees, juices and berries. In addition, the product is hypoallergenic for children's sensitive skin. When machine washing, the tablets can be crushed and poured into the powder compartment. You can safely use the drug in washing colored laundry, even bright shades.

5. Soda and mustard refresh the color

Baking soda is used for bleaching. With its help, you can refresh the shade if the item has faded, remove persistent, old stains that conventional products cannot cope with.

To prepare this universal remedy you will need the following ingredients:

• 100 g baking soda;
• 100 g lemon juice (you can take canned);
• 2 tbsp. spoons of strong mustard.

After mixing, the solution ingredients will react - don’t worry, this is how it should be.

Thanks to the citric acid in the juice, the soda is extinguished with the rapid formation of foam. Mustard will make the water soapy and help remove dirt particles from the fabric fibers.

The resulting composition is added during hand or machine washing in very hot water. With its help, persistent yellowness and graying of bed linen are whitened, and the color of terry towels is revived. Soak things in the solution for 30-40 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Children's clothing made from natural fabrics is bleached in 10 liters of water with the addition of 2 tbsp. spoons of soda. Things are soaked for 2 hours, then washed in the usual way. For linen clothes, 200 g of soda is poured into the powder compartment and the washing mode is started at 60-90°C.

Common Questions

Question: How to wash natural silk with vinegar?

Answer: It is worth changing the proportion - ¼ cup of 9% vinegar per liter of water. Soak clothes for 10-30 minutes. Then rinse in clean water. This product will not only get rid of dirt, but also restore the brightness of faded items.

Question: Should I wash with caustic soda?

Answer: Unlike baking soda, caustic (linen) soda is an aggressive substance that can cause severe skin irritation. This product destroys fabric fibers and cannot be used on colored items. Should only be used as a last resort if other means have failed.

Question: Which mustard should I choose for washing: powder or paste?

Answer: It is better to prefer powder, because there is nothing unnecessary in its composition. Table mustard is often sold with added sugar, vegetable oil and other ingredients. Before using it in the wash, you should make sure that it does not contain substances that leave stains on clothes.

Purchased products are not only expensive, but also have an aggressive effect on the fibers of the material. This happens not only due to improper care, but also due to the characteristics of the fabrics. Color fades due to temperature and chemicals added during washing. Summer ultraviolet radiation and ironing with a hot iron burn out the richness of the shade. Even long-term storage in a closet can lead to a faded appearance.

If things have lost their former colors, a few home remedy recipes will help restore their brightness. They will also get rid of stubborn stains that could not be removed by regular washing. Any housewife will have the listed items on her kitchen shelf.