Similar to lemons, white vinegar has its own acidic properties (acetic acid in vinegar's case) that cut through stubborn stains. In a litre of boiled water, add a cup of white vinegar and then throw in your socks to soak overnight. Your white socks should be noticeably perkier by the next day.
Fill a basin with warm water. Add 1 cup of white vinegar and mix well. Soak the white socks in the solution for at least 30 minutes. Gently rub the socks to loosen any dirt and stains.
Pre-soak cotton or polyester socks for 5 minutes in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach diluted in 1 gallon of cool water before washing. If your socks contain spandex, use Clorox 2® for Colors 3-in-1 Liquid instead of regular bleach and soak up to an hour.
2.) It whitens. The acidic properties of white vinegar help restore dingy whites to their original bright state. All you need to do is fill a bucket with hot water, add 2 cups of white vinegar and let dingy clothes soak overnight. By morning, your old clothes will be noticeably whiter.
Adding vinegar directly to the wash with your laundry detergent may compromise its cleaning performance. Laundry detergents are formulated for specific pH levels, which may be disrupted by the acidity of vinegar, leading to less effective cleaning. It's best to avoid mixing them to ensure optimal results.
Baking soda is a natural whitening agent that can help to remove stains and odors from your clothes. Simply add the baking soda to the washing machine along with your regular laundry detergent and wash as usual. Or consider soaking your whites in baking soda and hot water for a couple of hours before washing.
One of the primary culprits behind yellowing socks is the combination of sweat and bacteria. When your feet perspire, the moisture creates an environment where bacteria can thrive. These microorganisms, combined with proper sock care techniques, can lead to yellow staining over time.
OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray is another laundry stain remover you need to help get rid of old stains. It can surround and loosen some of the toughest set-in stains. Still seeing a little bit of dried blood on your shorts after scraping your knee during a hiking trip?
White Revive™ works with your detergent to remove stains and get white clothes white again, from plain white T-shirts and socks to towels and sheets. It has 40 percent more whitening power than chlorine bleach per load and can be added to every load of laundry or used in a pre-soak.
Odd socks aren't the only problem people face in the laundry – there's a good chance your socks are still dirty, even after washing them. This could be for a few reasons: not pre-treating sock stains, using too little detergent, or a detergent that's not strong enough for socks.
The principle of vinegar socks lies in drawing excess heat from the body. Vinegar acts coolingly on the skin and, thanks to its ability to quickly penetrate the surface layers of the skin, speeds up the cooling of the body. Simultaneously, it stimulates blood circulation, promoting regeneration and reducing swelling.
Baking Soda: A Whiteness Booster
To start, fill a basin with warm water and add half a cup of baking soda. Stir until it's completely dissolved. Now, take your white socks and soak them in this solution for at least an hour. The baking soda will gently lift the dirt and stains from the fabric, making it easier to wash.
For particularly dingy socks, create a soaking solution using equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide. Submerge the socks for a few hours before washing as usual. This powerful oxidizing agent can help restore the bright white color of your socks, even if they've seen better days.
If the stain is old and the odor is strong, mix a solution of cool water and add two cups white distilled vinegar. Completely submerge the fabric and allow it to soak overnight,” she says. Wash as recommended above. Line drying the items outside will also help get rid of the odors.
Your best bet, though, is to buy pure sodium percarbonate (which you can easily find on Amazon for less than $20). Not only does sodium percarbonate not contain any unnecessary additives as do some store-bought products, but Richardson says it's also much stronger than true OxiClean (which means you need less of it).
Vinegar. Similar to lemons, white vinegar has its own acidic properties (acetic acid in vinegar's case) that cut through stubborn stains. In a litre of boiled water, add a cup of white vinegar and then throw in your socks to soak overnight. Your white socks should be noticeably perkier by the next day.
Whiten socks with baking soda and vinegar
If you're looking for another quick fix, mix one cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar in a bucket of warm water. Duckworth recommends soaking the socks for a few hours or as long as overnight and then washing them for maximum whiteness.
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.
Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda whiten clothes and helps break down stains and odours by cutting through the soil of your cotton clothing, while distilled white vinegar acts as a fabric softener and deodoriser to freshen your clothes.