With Spring in the air, it’s finally time to retire the winter wardrobe. But when you go to trade your wooly socks for your usual white ones, you might come across a few stains leftover from last Summer.
Wondering how to get white socks white again?
In the spirit of Spring cleaning, let’s review some tips and tricks for stubborn stains on white garments. With just a few tweaks, you and your family can kick the season off on a fresh note—from head to toe.
Spring Cleaning: How to Get White Socks White Again
The Easiest Way to Refresh Whites
The tried and true solution for removing stains from white clothing is bleach. If bleach is a no-go in your household, skip ahead to the next tip. If you don’t mind using bleach on your clothing, here’s how to use it on socks:
Pre-soak your white socks in a concoction made of ¼ cup of bleach and 1 gallon of cool water. If your socks are made with a stretchy material like spandex, swap the regular bleach for color-safe bleach.
Wash your socks in a regular washing machine cycle with an additional ⅓ cup of bleach. Be sure to select hot water.
Moving forward, continue adding a dash of beach in every load of whites.
Head to this blog for information on doing laundry with bleach.
Refreshing Whites Without Bleach
If you’re not a bleach person, don’t panic. There are plenty of ways to get white socks white again without harsh chemicals.
Baking soda is one great DIY option:
Fill a clean sink with warm water, then mix in a few heavy pours of baking soda
Add your socks and soak them for 3-4 hours
Wring them out, toss them in a normal wash cycle, and mix 1 cup of baking soda into your regular detergent. For extra softness, add a cup of vinegar to the cycle’s water.
Boiled water and lemon juice work just as well:
Fill a large pot with water, ½ cup of lemon juice, and a squeeze of dawn dish soap
Add the socks, and bring the pot to a boil
Keep everything boiling for 1 hour, then wash as normal
This soaking method could also do the trick:
Boil a few cups of water in a large pot
Add your dirty socks and one cup of white vinegar
Turn the heat off, and soak them overnight
Keeping White Socks White Year-Round
Now that you know how to scrub stains out of white socks, you’ll be able to focus on keeping them that way. One method is to disinfect white socks after each use on top of regular cleaning—read this blog to learn how. And no matter what type of load you’re washing, it’s always helpful to incorporate a few extra laundry boosters.
Trying to find a ‘laundromat near me’ to knock out your white sock stain removal? Our laundry facility near Federal Heights is filled with plenty of clean and convenient self-serve amenities to help you hit the reset button this Spring.
Learn more about our complete laundry services and find a laundromat near you on our website.
