How to soften and whiten towels fast without bleach or vinegar | Express.co.uk

Oct 26, 2024

Laundry like white towels are a pain to clean as they not only stain and discolour over time, but they also lose their softness and end up turning hard.

There are many reasons as to why towels start to dull and go stiff - the products being used, if you struggle with limescale and how you dry towels.

To bring your white towels back to life, cleaning and DIY enthusiast Christina Dennis has shared her “best tip”.

Taking to her blog The DIY Mommy, Christina said: “My best tip is to wash your white towels with oxygen bleach every time.”

Oxygen bleach is a “powerful but natural” eco-cleaning product otherwise known as sodium percarbonate.

READ MORE: Ditch tumble dryers for mum’s best tip to dry clothes indoors properly in 1 hour

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

As it dissolves it releases oxygen and is a powerful natural stain remover, deodoriser and disinfectant, resulting in a “more effective and safer bleach” alternative.

Christina said that she likes to add a scoop of oxygen bleach to the washing machine whenever she washes white towels or bed sheets.

Follow the manufacturer's directions on the product label and use it alongside your regular detergent on the hottest water setting that your fabric will allow.

Christina claimed that hot water will help get any dirt and yellow tones out of the towels as it works alongside your detergent and oxygen bleach.

Don't miss... Ditch vinegar and bleach to whiten stained socks as 1 natural item works better [COMMENT] Shower screen limescale clears in 1 minute with 1 natural item - beats vinegar [ADVICE] Remove 5 years of extractor fan grease with foil and 1 natural item - no vinegar [TIPS]

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Sharing a before and after photo, the towel not treated with oxygen bleach looked dull and almost grey, whereas the towel treated with the product appeared gleaming.

If white towels are heavily stained, Christina recommended pausing the laundry cycle about 30 minutes (or when there’s a lot of water in the drum) and letting the laundry soak for at least an hour. She says this is “a lot easier” than soaking white laundry in a tub or sink, and finds that it “gives great results”.

Once the towels have been through the wash, the cleaning pro said: “A little shake before placing it in your clothes dryer should help fluff up the fibres.”

For those who don’t want to use oxygen bleach, Christina said: “Try baking soda instead.

“Baking soda is a powerhouse that can clean just about anything! Add about a half cup alongside your regular detergent instead of the oxygen bleach.

“It should also help whiten and soften your towels, and keep them smelling fresh.”