Bleachless Whites

When it comes to getting those whites to stay white, it can be a real challenge—especially if you are choosing not to use bleach or the fabric label states you shouldn't use bleach. There are a lot of other options that will work in helping you to get your whites even whiter.

Part of the problem that comes with bleaching your whites is that bleaching helps to add wear and tear to the fabric by weakening the fibers. That's because bleach is a chemical that helps to remove color or to whiten clothes through oxidation. Your common household bleach contains approximately 3 to 6 percent sodium hypochlorite (NaCl0) with a catalysts and activator added such as tetraacetylethylenediamin and/or a chemical called sodium nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate.

If those fancy names make you think "harsh chemicals," that's because they are; there are a lot of other ways to get your whites looking great without using harsh chemicals.

Here are some great ideas that I have run across over the years that seem to help get whites clean and whiter without using bleach.

• Add one dishwasher tablet into the washer with the whites.
• The sun is a great choice for bleaching our whites without using bleach. Just wash the clothes as normal and then hang the clothes outside to dry in the bright sun. This is a free way of getting your whites looking great.
• Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Lemon juice is both safe and a natural acid. It can remove a lot of different types of stains as well as helping to de-odorize your clothes and keep them smelling great.
• Add borax or Oxy-Clean to your laundry along with your normal amount of detergent.
• Use 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide.
• On stains like grass stains on your whites try pouring Karo Syrup onto the stain. Let the Karo Syrup set for at least two hours, then wash as normal.
• White distilled vinegar can get soap out of the clothes as well helping to clean the clothes washer. Vinegar is a natural stain remover. It is both safe and inexpensive and helps to keep whites white. Just add 1/2 cup to one cup depending on the size of the laundry.
• All Fabric Bleach works great on helping to keep whites looking their best.
• There is a laundry agent that is available called "bluing" that helps keep whites looking great. I recommend Mrs. Stewarts Bluing. This is actually a dye that makes whites whiter.

Try out the different ideas to see which one you like the best.