Did you know that clothing with color on it can also be white? It’s true! Whites become stained with natural dyes and chemicals. You may not intend to, but whites with colors often come into contact with other garments. This is especially common in the laundry room. Most people are apprehensive of washing their whites with colors for fear of turning them all a shade of gray. However, this is not at all common unless you use the wrong detergent or the incorrect water temperature. In this article, you will learn how to wash white clothes effectively, regardless of whether they have red, blue, yellow or any other type of dye on them. Read on and discover useful tips about cleaning your whites correctly so that they retain their natural brightness.
How To Wash White Clothes With Colors On Them
1. Read the garment tag
The first thing you need to do is read the garment tag. Read the care label on your garments and look for any symbols or numbers that represent special washing instructions. If your clothes are labeled “Dry Clean Only,” then you should not wash them in a washing machine. If they are labeled “Only Hand Wash,” then you should hand wash them with cold water and mild detergent. These special care instructions are important to follow closely so that you don’t accidentally ruin your clothing.
2. Check for colorfastness
Since white clothes with colors on them are more likely to get stained easily, it is important to check for colorfastness before washing them in a washing machine. To check for colorfastness, soak a piece of clean white cloth in water mixed with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover and rub it on a hidden part of the garment. If there is no discoloration after five minutes, then proceed with Step 3 below. But if there is discoloration, do not proceed because this means that the fabric has been chemically changed by dyes and will most likely stain your other garments in the washing machine if they come into contact with each other during washes. In this case, you should either dry clean or hand wash these garments separately from others using cold water and mild detergent so as not to risk staining any of your other clothes accidentally.
3. Prepare the washing machine
Before putting your white clothes with colors on them into the washing machine, it is important to prepare the washing machine correctly for a safe and effective wash. First, make sure that the water temperature is cold. If you don’t know how to adjust the temperature of your water, then set it to cold and allow it to run until no more hot water is coming out. Next, you should add one or two cupfuls of laundry detergent and one cupful of white vinegar to your washing machine. The vinegar will help remove stains from clothing made of cotton and linen while also helping to keep colors from bleeding onto other garments in the wash cycle. Place your clothes into the washer and add enough cold water so that they are submerged in water but not sitting in too much water (you will need room for them to move around during the spin cycle). Make sure that you do not overload your washer because this can cause unnecessary wear on both your clothes and your washer. Close the lid and turn on the washing machine so that it begins filling with water before starting a normal wash cycle with cold water.
4. Wash white clothes with colors on them
After preparing your washing machine properly, place these clothes into it along with any other garments you wish to wash at this time (make sure not to overload). Close the lid, select a normal wash cycle using cold water, and press the start button. If you have a top loader, wait for it to complete its first spin cycle before opening the lid of your washing machine to remove your clothes. If you have a front loader, then open the lid after the wash cycle has finished and let your clothes sit in the washing machine for a few minutes before removing them so that they are not dripping wet when you take them out. It is important to not remove them too soon because this can cause them to wrinkle. After removing your clothes from the washer, hang dry or tumble dry on low heat.
5. Wash white clothes with colors on them
After preparing your washing machine properly, place these clothes into it along with any other garments you wish to wash at this time (make sure not to overload). Close the lid, select a normal wash cycle using cold water, and press the start button. If you have a top loader, wait for it to complete its first spin cycle before opening the lid of your washing machine to remove your clothes. If you have a front loader, then open the lid after the wash cycle has finished and let your clothes sit in the washing machine for a few minutes before removing them so that they are not dripping wet when you take them out. It is important to not remove them too soon because this can cause them to wrinkle. After removing your clothes from the washer, hang dry or tumble dry on low heat.
What You Should Know About Washing Whites With Colors
1. Wash white clothes with colors on them
After preparing your washing machine properly, place these clothes into it along with any other garments you wish to wash at this time (make sure not to overload). Close the lid, select a normal wash cycle using cold water, and press the start button. If you have a top loader, wait for it to complete its first spin cycle before opening the lid of your washing machine to remove your clothes. If you have a front loader, then open the lid after the wash cycle has finished and let your clothes sit in the washing machine for a few minutes before removing them so that they are not dripping wet when you take them out. It is important to not remove them too soon because this can cause them to wrinkle. After removing your clothes from the washer, hang dry or tumble dry on low heat.
2. Hang dry or tumble dry white clothes with colors on them
After removing these wet garments from your washing machine, it is important that they are hung up right away so that they have time to air-dry before being worn again. Hanging these clothes is best if you live in an area with low humidity because this will help prevent mold and mildew from growing on clothing that has been washed in water but not dried properly. However, if you do not have anywhere suitable in which to hang your garments outside then placing them into a tumble dryer and drying them on low heat will also be effective at getting rid of excess moisture.
Tips For Washing Whites With Colors
1. Use bleach
If your white clothes have become stained or discolored, then it may be necessary to use a bleach product on them. However, make sure that you do not mix the bleach with the detergent and other cleaning products that are in your washing machine because this can cause a chemical reaction which will damage your clothing. If you have a top loader, then you can use a bleach dispenser built into the lid of your washing machine to add bleach during the wash cycle. If you have a front loader, then you can mix bleach with water and pour this mixture into the detergent dispenser before starting the wash cycle. Be sure to never pour water into the bleach dispenser because this will cause damage to your washing machine.
2. Do not overdo it with too much detergent
Using too much detergent when washing clothes is not only wasteful but it also causes excessive sudsing which can lead to yellowing in white garments after they are dried. To prevent this from happening, make sure that you only use one tablespoon of liquid detergent when washing whites with colors. You should also avoid using powder or gel detergents because these types of products tend to leave behind residue on clothes which causes them to become dingy over time.
Conclusion
As you have learned, you can wash whites with colors. To do this effectively, you need to use the right amount of detergent, wash the garments in cold water and use the correct water temperature. You can also check the care label on the garments to see if they are color-fast. If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to keep your whites as white as they were on the day they were purchased.
