How to Clean White Clothes
Dish soap is key
Every week I put a bunch of Polo white jeans in the bathtub—a dozen of the same pair. Ralph Lauren unfortunately stopped making the Laight Cropped Flare (the only perfect white jeans I’ve ever found). It was the first time I bought three of something I liked, fearing its demise. When stock was low, I called all the stores and bought the last few remaining pairs. That was out of character, so I knew the jeans were good.
This mini archive needs to last forever, so care is key. These, plus the white linen suits I wear all the time, and tuxedo shirts, make for a small collection of clothes worth caring for. Everyone has their own approach to laundry, and mine is this weird bathtub ceremony.
Whites aren’t that tricky. And they don’t need to look very clean either. I avoid starch/bleach/unnatural cleaning methods, or sending clothes out for wash/dry cleaning (you don’t know what they use, stains aren’t easy for them either!) The bathroom method has worked for me at home—and in any hotel.
It’s easy to use a sink or tub. I keep water low (obvious reasons) and drop clothes in with:
-Natural dish soap (most brands work fine: Seventh Generation, Ecover, Meyers, etc.) if you don’t have dish soap, or are at a hotel, just ask for some or use regular soap.
-Sea Salt (this lifts debris, especially for white linen and denim)
I let this soak for a while—a couple hours ideally. Then rinse, ring out, hang dry. Press as needed. Always better to have clothes professionally pressed than dry cleaned.
For smaller stains I’ll add Ecover Stain Remover (it’s a gel) to the area, scrub a little, and let it absorb for a while before washing. This works on yellowing areas too. *You need to leave it on before washing though, otherwise it’s less effective. I’m loyal to Ecover.
For intricate stains, I’ll do this all a few times. Never underestimate the power of leaving clothes under water for a while (a couple of hours is ideal!) Stains do lift. Just leave solution on them, even some salt, and let them sit there. Then scrub, rinse, scrub. And leave them to soak again.
If all else fails, rub some baking soda. Then wash. Sounds like a lot, but good clothes are worth it.
There are natural soap bars made for cleaning whites, especially in France, but also online and locally. These seem work with a little scrub/rinse/scrub a few times before washing. I recently tried and liked this one with baking soda.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to CLEMENTINA to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.