If you own a lot of white clothing, you probably spend a lot of time trying to keep your whites white. Between food, dirt, and sweat stains, white clothes can be very difficult to keep looking bright and clean. If you’ve ever wondered how to whiten clothes, sure, there’s bleach, but did you know there are many other things you can use to keep your whites looking fresh?

1. Vinegar and Lemon Juice
how to whiten clothes with vinegar
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Soak your clothing in equal parts white vinegar and lemon juice for about half an hour. Then, toss your clothing in the washing machine and wash with regular detergent. Lemon juice and vinegar are both excellent natural stain-removers.

2. Aspirin
how to whiten clothes with aspirin
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Dissolve about six aspirins in a bowl of water, then soak your whites in the water. After about half an hour, transfer your clothing to the washing machine and wash as you normally would. After a few times of washing your whites like this, they should start to look brand new.

3. Borax

For years, people have been mixing Borax with laundry detergent to help brighten clothes. However, Borax can also be mixed with distilled vinegar to form a sort of paste. Apply the paste to any stains and let sit for about an hour. Afterwards, wash as you normally would.

4. Baking Soda

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Sure, baking soda is a baking ingredient. But it’s also used to clean many household items. Add a little bit of baking soda to your regular washing routine and your whites will come out sparkling clean.

5. Hydrogen Peroxide
Whiten Clothes Without Using Bleach

Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant, but it also does a pretty good job of removing stains. Soak any stains in hydrogen peroxide for about an hour, then wash your clothing as you normally would.

6. Dishwashing Detergent

Dishwashing detergent cleans your dishes, so why wouldn’t it clean your clothing? Simply toss a few dishwashing detergent pods in with your clothing and they’ll come out looking brand-spanking new.

7. A Touch Of Blue

Have you ever heard of Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing? This product whitens whites because the blue color combats the yellow stains our whites often accumulate. Just be sure to read and follow the instructions closely so that you don’t accidentally turn your clothing blue.

8. Ammonia

This may sound drastic, but ammonia can help to eliminate the detergent buildup that often discolors our whites. Skip the detergent and put your whites through a wash cycle with a small amount of ammonia instead.

9. Always Use The Low Heat Cycle

If you’re in a habit of drying your clothes on the hottest setting, they could be getting burned and stained while in the dryer. Instead, dry your clothing on the lowest heat setting to protect your clothes (especially your white ones).

10. Natural Sunlight
Whiten Clothes with natural sunlight

Nothing quite whitens whites like some natural sunlight. If you have a clothesline, skip the dryer and string up your whites to dry in the natural light. Your clothes will be looking brighter in no time!