How to Keep White Clothes White

Dingy whites usually come from washing habits, not worn-out fabric. Here is what causes the graying and yellowing, and the routines that keep whites bright.

Nothing ages a wardrobe faster than a white shirt that has gone soft gray or dull yellow. The good news is that dingy whites are rarely permanent damage. In most cases they are the result of washing habits, and a few changes to how you sort, wash, dry and store whites will keep them bright.

Why Whites Turn Gray or Yellow in the First Place

The American Cleaning Institute points out that whites slowly get grayer or yellower over time, and the causes are mostly preventable. Whiteness fades when:

• Dye from other garments transfers onto whites in the wash. Light-colored synthetics are especially good at picking up dark dye from other fabrics.
• Lightly soiled items pick up extra soil from the wash water. If a white T-shirt shares a load with muddy jeans, the T-shirt comes out dirtier than it went in.
• Too little detergent or water that is too cool leaves soil behind instead of lifting it out.
• Synthetics get washed as “delicates” in short, gentle, cool cycles, which is too mild to remove body soil.

Sort Before You Wash

Sorting is the step most people skip, and it matters most for whites. Wash all whites separately from colors. Separate heavily soiled items, like gym clothes or garden clothes, from lightly soiled ones so soil cannot travel between them. Mix small and large items in each load; the clothes move more freely, and that motion helps the washing do its job. Check the care label before anything goes in the machine, since washing instructions and water temperatures vary by fabric.

Treat stains before washing, too. A stain remover or a little detergent worked directly into the spot, then washed promptly, is far more effective than hoping a regular cycle will handle it. For the specifics, see our guide to treating common stains.

Use Enough Detergent and the Right Water Temperature

Cleaning in a washing machine comes down to three kinds of energy working together. Detergent supplies chemical energy that pulls dirt off fabric, the tumbling motion supplies mechanical energy that loosens it, and warm water supplies thermal energy that helps soil dissolve. Most modern detergents clean well in cold water, but for dingy whites the American Cleaning Institute recommends the hottest water that is safe for the fabric.

A few guidelines:

• Wash white cottons and linens in the hottest water the label allows.
• For white synthetics, wash in water at least 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) on a permanent press cycle, and launder them frequently in water of at least 100 degrees F (38 degrees C) to keep them from yellowing.
• Use a sufficient amount of detergent, and add a detergent booster when loads are heavily soiled.

When to Use Bleach (and When to Skip It)

Bleach is a tool, not a default. Use only a bleach that is safe for the fabric, and follow the product label for how much to use. Two cautions matter most. First, never mix bleach with ammonia, because the combination produces toxic fumes, and ventilate the room when you use bleach. Second, sodium hypochlorite bleach damages silk, wool and spandex, so keep it away from those fibers entirely. Our fabric guide explains which fibers fall into which category.

For fabrics that cannot take chlorine bleach, or for whites that just need a boost, alternatives work well: a detergent booster, an oxygenated product, or a soak in a product containing enzymes, all used according to package directions.

Drying and Storing Whites

Fold and put away clean laundry promptly. Clothes left crumpled in a basket or on a drying rack develop set-in creases and can pick up dust. Make sure whites are completely dry before they go into a drawer or closet, because damp fabric stored in an enclosed space can develop mold and mildew, and those growths stain fabric. If a garment ever sits damp long enough to smell musty, wash it before storing it again.

Reviving Whites That Have Already Gone Dingy

Gray or yellowed whites can often be brought back:

1. Rewash as soon as you notice the problem rather than drying the item first.
2. Rewash with an increased amount of detergent in the hottest water safe for the fabric, using a bleach that is safe for the fabric.
3. For stubborn graying, soak the item in a concentrated solution of liquid laundry detergent, or in a product containing enzymes or a detergent booster, then rewash.
4. For white synthetics that cannot be bleached with chlorine bleach, soak in an enzyme product or detergent booster, or use a color remover following the package directions.
5. If the problem is a bluish tint from a detergent, laundry aid or fabric softener that never fully dissolved, soak the item in a solution of 1 cup (240 ml) of white vinegar to 1 quart (0.95 L) of water in a plastic container, then rewash.

Styling tip

The simplest way to keep whites white is to wash them often, with enough detergent, at the hottest temperature the fabric allows, and never in the same load as colors.

Bright whites are one of the easiest things to maintain once these habits click. When a stain is behind the dinginess, our guide to washing delicates covers the fragile pieces that need gentler handling, and our stain treatment guide linked above has step-by-step fixes for the spots that start the whole cycle.

Style Q&A

Why do my white shirts turn gray even when I wash them with colors?
Lightly soiled items pick up soil from the wash water, and light-colored fabrics can pick up dark dye from other garments. Washing whites in their own load, with enough detergent, prevents most of this.

Is bleach the best way to whiten clothes?
Bleach safe for the fabric can help, but it is not always the answer. Chlorine bleach damages silk, wool and spandex, and detergent boosters, enzyme soaks and oxygenated products are alternatives that follow the package directions.

What water temperature should I use for white clothes?
Use the hottest water that is safe for the fabric. For white synthetics, that means at least 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) on a permanent press cycle, with regular washing in water of at least 100 degrees F (38 degrees C).

Can yellowed whites be saved?
Often, yes. Rewash promptly without drying first, using an increased amount of detergent in the hottest water safe for the fabric, and soak stubborn items in an enzyme product or detergent booster before washing again.