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Keeping your white clothes bright and sparkling clean without using harsh chlorine or bleach is entirely possible with a natural, affordable, and safe alternative! Here’s a simple trick that uses common household items to achieve brilliantly clean whites.
What to Throw in Your Washing Machine
1. Baking Soda
Why It Works: Baking soda is a natural brightener and deodorizer. It helps break down stains and neutralizes odors.
How to Use:
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your washing machine drum along with your regular detergent.
For tougher stains, make a paste with baking soda and water, apply it to the stained area, and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing.
2. White Vinegar
Why It Works: Vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener and removes dinginess from white clothes.
How to Use:
Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener compartment of your washing machine.
It also helps to remove detergent residue, leaving your clothes softer and brighter.
3. Lemon Juice
Why It Works: Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent and has mild acidic properties that help whiten fabrics.
How to Use:
Add 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice to your wash cycle along with detergent.
For extra whitening power, soak white clothes in a mixture of warm water and lemon juice for 1–2 hours before washing.
4. Hydrogen Peroxide
Why It Works: Hydrogen peroxide is an oxygen-based bleach alternative that brightens whites without the harshness of chlorine.
How to Use:
Add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) to the bleach compartment of your washing machine.
Avoid using it with colored clothes as it can lighten some fabrics.
5. Salt
Why It Works: Salt helps break down stains and restores brightness to white clothes.
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