How to whiten old yellowed fabric?

Author: Miss Valerie Becker  |  Last update: Sunday, November 2, 2025

Soak clothes in 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water for five minutes. Wash the clothes in the hottest water recommended with regular detergent and 1/3 cup of chlorine bleach. Use the bleach dispenser or add the bleach five minutes after the wash cycle has started.

How do you turn yellowed fabric white again?

Create a soaking solution by dissolving half a cup of baking soda in a basin or sink filled with warm water. Submerge the yellowed clothes and let them soak for a few hours or overnight. Afterward, rinse the garments thoroughly and proceed with regular laundering.

How do you get yellow out of old fabric?

Ingredients: 1 part hydrogen peroxide (3%), 1 part water. Instructions: Mix hydrogen peroxide and water in a bowl. Soak the yellowed fabric for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse well and wash as usual.

How do you whiten old yellowed linens?

If linens are yellowed, add 1/2 cup oxygen bleach to 2 to 3 gallons of water (do not use chlorine bleach, which can weaken fibers). Gently agitate by hand, then let soak until the cloth appears white (this may take several hours). Rinse with cold water.

How to get yellowing out of white vintage clothes?

If your white clothes have lost their bright appearance, you can help to bring them back to life by adding a whitening agent, oxygen bleach or bleach-free products like baking soda or vinegar. Always consult each item's laundry care label to avoid damaging the garment.

How To Whiten White Clothes That Turned Yellow? Get Results in 5 Minutes

Does vinegar whiten yellowed clothes?

Distilled white vinegar is another remarkable option to make yellowed white shirts white again. Not only does it have brightening properties, but it also neutralizes odors in fabrics. You can use it as a bleach-free pretreatment or as an additive in a standard wash cycle.

How do you get yellow oxidation out of clothes?

→ In a bowl or spray bottle, mix 3 tablespoons of dish soap, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide. Generously apply your whitening cocktail to the yellow stain and let it sit for an hour. Wash the garment in cold water as usual and dry.

Will OxiClean whiten yellowed sheets?

If your sheets are crisp white and you end up with yellow or brown sweat stains on them, OxiClean™ White Revive™ Laundry Whitener + Stain Remover is your best bet for removing the stains and reviving whites. One scoop of OxiClean™ White Revive™ filled to line 4 per gallon of water.

Does OxiClean remove yellow stains?

For best results, pre-soak the sweat-stained garment OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ Versatile Odor & Stain Remover. Yellow sweat stains and stubborn sweat smells will bow to the deodorizing and stain fighting power of OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™.

Can you make yellowed sheets white again?

To get old white sheets white again, pre-soak them in warm water with 1/2 cup of white vinegar for at least 1 hour... ...or overnight in cold water with the same amount of white vinegar. You can also use a laundry booster along with the white vinegar for better results.

How to whiten yellowed polyester?

Add ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach to 1 gallon cool water and stir. Add the shirts, fully submerging them, and let them soak for 5 minutes. Drain the soaking solution and then wash the shirts in hot water using detergent and ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach. Finally, let them air dry.

Is retro clean the same as oxiclean?

I researched different methods, one suggested was RetroClean, and when I looked at the active ingredients in RetroClean, they were extremely similar to Oxiclean.

How do you restore discolored fabric?

Use Home Remedies: Restore colors by adding salt or vinegar to your wash, dyeing fabrics, or drying clothes in sunlight to naturally brighten them. Prevent Future Fading: Wash clothes in cold water, turn them inside out, and choose gentle detergents. These steps preserve color and extend garment life.

How to make dingy whites white again?

Refill sink (or bucket) with hot water and add about 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Add clothes and allow to soak for about 15 minutes. Drain water and rinse whites in warm water.

Does hydrogen peroxide whiten clothes?

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.

Does borax whiten clothes?

"Using borax in the laundry can whiten and brighten clothes, get rid of odors, and soften hard water to reduce mineral deposits left behind on fabrics," says Kristin DiNicolantonio of the American Cleaning Institute. Add 1/2 cup of borax to your laundry to brighten white or colored clothes.

What is the best stain remover for yellow clothes?

The best stain removers for yellow sweat stains

To correct the color of oxidizable stains, you need an oxygen-bleach product like OxiClean powder (as opposed to a chlorine-bleach product like Clorox, which can be very harsh on clothing and, unlike most oxygen bleach, is not color safe).

How to whiten white clothes that have yellowed?

Distilled white vinegar is another remarkable option to make yellowed white shirts white again. Not only does it have brightening properties, but it also neutralizes odors in fabrics. You can use it as a bleach-free pretreatment or as an additive in a standard wash cycle.

Does hydrogen peroxide remove yellow stains?

When it comes to removing yellow stains from white clothes, two ingredients work best: hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Both substances have powerful stain-lifting abilities.

Is bleach or OxiClean better for whites?

What is an Alternative to Chlorine Bleach When Cleaning White Clothes? OxiClean™ White Revive™ Laundry Whitener & Stain Remover is a non-chlorine bleach alternative. It has oxygen bleach and is color safe, so you can use it on white items that might have stripes, logos or other forms of coloration!

Does borax remove yellow stains?

You'll need a little forward planning, but you can remove yellow stains with borax by: Mixing 125ml of borax with a gallon of water (you can use a deep basin or the bathtub). Soaking your sheets in the borax solution overnight. Spinning your bed sheets in the washing machine as usual.

How do I get my comforter white again?

Restoring a Comforter with Natural Ingredients

Combine these two natural whiteners for a powerful, chemical-free cleaning solution. Fill the Washing Machine with Water: Add half a cup of lemon juice and half a cup of baking soda. Add Comforter: Let the comforter soak for 30 minutes, then start a gentle wash cycle.

How do you remove yellowing from vintage fabric?

For yellow age stain, the most effective stain remover is a hydrogen peroxide solution, which is available in commercial form as stain removers under brand names such as OxiClean. The main ingredient in most of these stain removers is a solidified form of hydrogen peroxide, combined with surfactants and detergents.

How do you remove permanent yellow stains?

Mix equal parts of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. This should create a thick paste which will be used to break down the stain. Take a dollop of your paste and apply it directly to any stubborn yellow stains. Use gentle circular motions to work the mixture into the fibers.

Why do old clothes turn yellow?

When certain chemicals on your clothing react with oxygen, they can leave behind yellow or brown stains. These stains often come from substances that weren't visible at first—like traces of white wine or perspiration. How to prevent it: Always launder or dry-clean your clothing thoroughly before storing it.

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