I could never keep them looking bright white, even after endlessly sending them through the wash. After doing a little research, I learned that soaking them in OxyClean would do the trick (OxyClean is a great, earth-friendly substitute for bleach).
However, when there is a load if cleaning items, dish towels, etc., I do the first washing by adding baking soda and vinegar only. Let it run through the whole wash rinse cycles. This helps with cloth absorption. Then I repeat using detergent and bleach. I ALWAYS use bleach. This really cleans them perfectly.
Well I got to thinking how well dishwasher detergent got stains out of everything else so I decided to soak all my washcloths in water with a generous amount of dishwasher detergent. They came out bright white and look like new!
If you have a top loader, sprinkle baking soda over towels and add vinegar right before the rinse cycle. Towels and sheets come out refreshed and white as can be!
The easiest and safest method to make whites white again is to use oxygen-based bleach and warm water. It can be used safely on almost all types of fabric. You can also make whites white again with the sun's ultraviolet rays, laundry bluing, baking soda, vinegar, or chlorine bleach.
Use vinegar. Like baking soda, you can use distilled white vinegar as either a bleach-free pretreating solution or as an additive to a standard wash cycle. White vinegar is an acidic solution that can be used to brighten the appearance of white fabrics.
These should still be sanitised frequently by soaking in a weak bleach solution. If you're using a microfibre cloth, consider cleaning it after every use to get the best results.
For the washcloths you have now, pre-soaking them in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water will help whiten them. Fully submerge the washcloths for 5 minutes, and then drain the soaking solution.
To maintain the whiteness of towels, hotels use oxygen-based bleaches, which are less harsh than chlorine-based alternatives. Regular washing at high temperatures, combined with these bleaches, helps to remove stains and maintain a bright white colour.
Our overall best pick for laundry whiteners is OxiClean White Revive. Not only will this oxygen-based whitener brighten your whites, but it also works on your colored clothes, too (although you should only use it on colorfast fabrics). We love that it works with top-loaded or high-efficiency machines.
6) Bleach your Swedish dishcloths, especially when you need to both disinfect and remove stains. You can easily make a warm water (not hot) solution of one quart of water and one-quarter to one-half teaspoon of bleach. Soak your Swedish dishcloths in the warm bleach solution for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Baking Soda and Distilled White Vinegar
For overall whitening, dissolve one cup of baking soda in a basin of hot water and soak for at least one hour before laundering. Follow up with a distilled white vinegar rinse in your washing machine to enhance the effect.
You can use hydrogen peroxide to whiten and brighten clothes, disinfect laundry, and remove stains. Pour it directly on stains such as blood. Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to whites in the washing machine to brighten them. Add one cup to a load of diapers to whiten, deodorize, and disinfect.
Borax will make sure your whites stay white.
When using borax, there is no need for unnatural optical brighteners or even bleach in many cases. And borax isn't only for white clothes, it will naturally brighten all your laundry, including colors and dark clothes.
For white cotton dishtowels, presoak with bleach and water solution made with ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water. Fully submerge the dishtowel for 5 minutes, then pour off the soaking solution before machine washing (step 3).
White clothes are notorious for yellowing around the underarms or collar. Perhaps your bedding has sweat stains after a particularly hot summer night. Whatever the case may be, learn how to use OxiClean™ White Revive™ to wash white socks, cloth diapers, towels and more to help keep them white and bright.
Incorporating natural additives such as vinegar or baking soda during the wash cycle can further enhance softness. Advanced drying methods, utilizing commercial-grade dryers with precise drying cycles, play a crucial role in preserving the towels' plush texture.
Whether it's for wiping down surfaces or drying your hands, this simple practice helps maintain good hygiene in the cooking space. It's advisable to switch your kitchen towels every one to two days, particularly those that are frequently used for hand-drying and may come into contact with unclean hands.