28 June 2024 , 09:11
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White socks easily tend to stain and turn into an unpleasant grey hue, but there is a straightforward 'hack' that can help to get your socks back to looking brand new.
Karen Lee, a natural household specialist, spoke about her kids frequently returning home with discoloured socks after playing sports and how getting them clean seemed like an uphill task. She said: "Since I no longer use bleach, I had to figure out how on earth I was going to wash these."
While bleach is great for making socks white again, it can destroy the fabric and induce a yellowish tone eventually making them look drab. Instead, Karen stumbled upon a homemade, natural solution that eradicates brown sock smears without the need to use it.
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Make your washing white again without using bleach or harsh chemicals (Getty)How to whiten and clean dirty socks
You will need:
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- One tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent
- One tablespoon of washing soda (also called soda crystals)
- One tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide
- Lemon juice
- A washing basin or bucket
Hydrogen peroxide, a natural cleaner found in mouthwashes and tooth-whitening products, acts as a mild bleaching agent to break down stains. Soda crystals, or washing soda, is a strong alkaline that can tackle acidic stains like sweat or dirt and enhance the effectiveness of regular laundry detergents.
Method:
Firstly, shake off as much filth from the socks as possible and rinse them in cold water to expel as much dirt as feasible.
Pour approximately a gallon of tepid water into a bucket or basin and merge all the components, ensuring that the ingredients dissolve completely.
Next, immerse the socks into the liquid and let them soak overnight or even longer to achieve the best results.
Karen shares her own experience, saying "I left these socks for two days (I forgot about them.) Hydrogen peroxide works with time so the longer it has to work on the stain, the better."
After soaking, drying socks in the sun is recommended as lemon juice's bleaching power is boosted by sunlight. Karen said "Something about lemon and sunshine - they are a great duo for whitening laundry."
This natural method can also be used for other grotty-looking items including towels and bed sheets.
Karen said: “I am also going to use this method for my dingy white towels. I will have to tweak the formula a bit to be able to use for a large load but you get the idea for the ingredients.
“If you don't want to use bleach, hydrogen peroxide is your go-to whitener. Just be careful when you are handling it as it will whiten your dark clothes.”
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