Dealing with Graying Whites

There are all kinds of reasons why whites turn gray in the laundry. Being able to figure out the reason behind your whites turning gray can actually go a long way to being able to keep it from happening again. There are times though, that you cannot stop your whites from graying. In those situations, all that you can do is begin to deal with graying whites. However, there are just as many ways that you can go about dealing with graying whites.

• Clean your washer. Periodically cleaning your washer will go along way to keeping your whites from turning grey. The best way to do this is by boiling about three gallons of water, and one gallon of white vinegar. Place it into the washer, and then run it through a regular cycle. This will allow the entire washer drum to get completely clean, and will limit many of the problems that crop up from time to time.
• Install a purifier. Installing a water purifier to your washing machine, though expensive, can actually remove many of the impurities that can cause discoloration in laundry.
• Bleach. For most of your whites, you will be able to use bleach to restore your whites to their former glory. Simply follow the directions on the back of the bleach bottle to ensure that you don't damage your clothing, and then wash as normal. However, keep in mind that bleach should not be used on delicate or fragile items, since it can actually eat away at some of the threads. If you need to restore some of your more delicate items, take them to a professional to get cleaned.
• Color code. When washing your laundry, make sure that you never wash the whites with any other color. If you was your whites with any other color, there is the high likelihood that the whites will begin to assume a tinge of that other coloration. Red clothes will naturally give a red tinge making your clothing look pink. Most other colors will create a "gray" tinge.
• Boil the whites. If you are hesitant to use bleach on your whites, try boiling them in some white vinegar. Create a mixture of one part white vinegar and three parts water, and place the grayed whites into the mixture. Heat to boiling, and allow the clothing to simmer for fifteen minutes. Let the clothes cool to room temperature, and then wash as normal.