I wear a lot of white items, which I like to keep pristine, bright and stain-free. I’m careful with laundry, washing whites with whites, and taking trickier items to eco-friendly cleaners. I’ve also learned a trick or two by using these products at home.
- Lysol Disinfecting Wipes: I have many pairs of white and cream leather shoes that I wear like basic black shoes. Wiping them down with a wipe is more effective than you think. It spruces them up and adds back some luster. Works well for white bags too.
- White Brite Laundry Whitener: A friend who has to keep her son’s white baseball togs pristine suggested this product to me, and it’s effective. I throw in some crystals with the white wash, which includes towels and sheets, and they DO come out looking whiter.
- Shout Wipes: These are better than a Tide-To-Go pen, and handy to have when you travel, or to keep in your handbag. You need to rub quite vigorously so that the the laundry detergent does not leave a mark around the stain.
- Shout Stain Remover: I spilled a bowl of cherry pips onto white jeans last month, which is as bad as spilling red wine or curry. I aggressively used Shout and a bit of water over and over again until the stains came out ten minutes later. Then I popped the jeans into the regular white wash. It took some elbow grease, but the stains are completely gone and the areas aren’t pilling from over-rubbing. Magical.
- Oxi Clean Stain Remover: Oxi Clean tends to work like Shout. Dilute a little in water and wash out a stain with it. I also use it to keep the soles and laces of our sneakers bright white, and throw a little in the white laundry cycle from time to time.
The discolouration that can appear under the arms of white tops are a result of wear, perspiration and deodorant. I don’t seem to get those types of stains on my tops, but I’m frequently asked by clients how to remove them. Have you found a way to do that?
Feel free to share any other tips you have on how to keep whites white. I’ve heard that baking soda and lemon juice can work too.
