Regardless of clothing preferences, many of us have a few white t-shirts in our closet. They are comfortable to wear in hot weather, go with many styles and create the impression of their owners as neat people. But there is also a negative side to wearing light-colored clothes.
A stain on a white T-shirt immediately catches the eye; even the slightest stain will be noticeable. This is why it is always important to keep your light-colored items clean. We will tell you how to bleach a white T-shirt at home, even from serious stains.
How to wash a white T-shirt
There are many ways to help whiten a white T-shirt and get rid of stains.
To choose the most suitable one, use tips on caring for white things, like this:
- Before washing, read the recommendations on the label and follow them.
- Determine what material your item is made of (the fabric composition should be indicated on the tag). When cleaning, pay attention to the permissible water temperature and washing machine modes. Unless the manufacturer recommends bleaching T-shirts at home, avoid using bleach products as they may damage the delicate fabric.
- Get rid of dirt and stains in advance. The dirt must be dried and brushed off; to combat stains, use one of the methods described below, based on the type of dirt and the fabric from which your item is made.
- Washing a T-shirt by hand is preferable to washing it in a machine. Frequent machine washing is detrimental to any type of fabric.
- Before hand washing a T-shirt at home, it must be soaked. To do this, add a little grated laundry soap or washing powder to warm water, after which one-color items are soaked for an hour or two.
- If the manufacturer allows the use of an automatic machine, you can clean T-shirts, panties, T-shirts and other clothes in one wash. The main thing is to sort them in advance by color and type of fabric.
- Avoid sun drying. Exposure to direct sunlight can affect the structure of the fabric, making it translucent or yellow.
- Steam generators are more effective for ironing T-shirts than classic irons. High temperatures can leave stretch marks on the fabric, making them extremely difficult to remove.
Recommendations for keeping clothes snow-white
Don't leave stains on for too long. It’s better to wash the T-shirt by hand if you don’t want to spin the machine’s drum half-empty. Stains that dry out eat much deeper into the fibers. It may take many attempts and more detergent to wash them, and this is doubly wasteful.
Do not dry white T-shirts in the sun. Ultraviolet radiation negatively affects fabrics; they fade and become unsightly yellow. Dry things in the open air, it's really fast, the fabrics are ventilated and smell nice. But it is better to protect your clothes with a canopy.
A few more easy rules:
- Do not wash white with colored or even light colored ones.
- Wash whites made from natural fabrics and synthetics separately.
- Do not iron T-shirts right side out.
- Keep the soleplate of the iron clean.
- Don't let things lie in the closet.
A simple white T-shirt is a must-have in the wardrobe of children and adults. This thing always comes in handy, which is why it is so important to keep it clean and take the time to delicately whiten it.
Features of washing depending on fabric
The effectiveness of various types of cleaning depends on the composition of the material from which the clothes are made. If you are not sure whether the T-shirt is fading, try a test wash in warm water, if the water has changed color, then avoid washing this item together with others.
The composition of the fabric will help determine at what temperature the T-shirts should be washed.
Often designers combine several types of materials in one item; in this case, we use the recommendations for washing the most delicate of them.
To properly wash T-shirts made from delicate fabrics, use the “hand wash” mode at 30 degrees, without spinning. Hand wash is preferred. For cotton material, washing up to 60 degrees and more severe cleaning methods, such as bleaching and boiling, are acceptable.
When choosing a cleaning product, be sure to check whether it is suitable for the fabric your items are made from. If the packaging does not indicate exactly what type of material a given product is suitable for, you should give preference to another.
Professional bleaches
It's hard not to get lost among the variety of industrial bleaches. All products are divided into three groups based on their composition.
Chlorine-containing
Inexpensive, with a disinfecting effect, but aggressive. Excessive use of bleach leads to thinning of the fibers. Chlorine bleach often causes allergies and respiratory spasms.
Optical
They do not remove dirt from the fibers, but impregnate the fabric with reflective particles. After washing, white fabric looks fresher.
Oxygen
These are hypoallergenic compounds with active oxygen, which, unlike chlorine, are suitable for most fabrics.
Cotton or cotton fabric
One of the best materials for clothing is cotton and cotton fabric. It is comfortable, durable, easy to wash and practically does not stretch. It’s easy to bleach such a T-shirt at home. It perfectly withstands the effects of a washing machine under standard washing modes with a recommended temperature of up to 60 degrees.
To preserve the quality of things, add a little water softener, soda or regular table vinegar to the water.
Don't forget about fabric softener.
When hand cleaning yellowed cotton items, hot water with a small amount of bleach works well. Soak the T-shirt in it and rinse well after 15-20 minutes.
Do not dry such items; if they are slightly damp they will be easier to iron. Then hang it to dry on a hanger with wide hangers. Completely dry cotton is difficult to iron properly.
Boiling
You can bleach a white T-shirt by boiling, but this method is the most radical and is not used for synthetic materials. There should be no drawings, prints, or lace on clothes.
First, pour water, immerse the T-shirt and put it on fire. After the water boils, turn on the fire. As a bleach, you can use a chlorine-containing product, laundry soap or powder. The water is stirred so that the T-shirt does not burn and cleans evenly. Wooden tongs are used for mixing.
Boiling time – no more than 2 hours. As practice shows, 30 minutes is enough, after which the thing becomes snow-white and the water dark. After boiling is complete, wait for the water to cool, drain it, and rinse the item well.
You can use baking soda for boiling. Add 3 tablespoons, boil using the standard method.
Author:
Zakharova Nina Afanasyevna
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