Whether it’s a crisp button-down or a short-sleeved tee, white shirts are a summer wardrobe staple. Wear it with pretty much anything in your closet: maxi skirts, jeans, or a pair of shorts. But light-colored fabric makes it more prone to discoloration and stubborn stains from grease, grass, and even watermelon stains.
As you sweat through the summer and layer on deodorant as a buffer, your body’s natural oils and the product’s residue can dull the bright white color, according to Amy Chernoff, vice president of marketing at appliance retailer AJ Madison. While your idea might be throwing your shirt in the washing machine with a large pour of detergent, this solution typically makes matters worse. “I often tell people that white shirts are like a laundry report card,” Chernoff explains. “They show whether you’re using too much detergent, overloading the washer, or not rinsing thoroughly enough. Even when a shirt smells clean, leftover residue can make it look gray, yellowed, or dull over time.” What’s more, if you wash your whites with darks, the colored dye can easily transfer in the wash.
To keep your white shirts looking as bright as possible this summer, Chernoff offers her go-to tips for whitening your clothes. Each one is easy to implement at home, and the results are actually effective!
Spot-Treat Stains
We get it: Dealing with a stained white shirt is never any fun. But if you postpone treating the stain until days (even hours) later, you run the risk of dulling its bright color. Immediately after a spill or splatter happens, apply a stain treatment before tossing the garment in the wash. If you’re out of the house, dab the stain with cold water or a stain-removal pen. Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer are also good alternatives, thanks to their alcohol content.
Wash Whites Separately
One of the easiest ways to keep your white shirts looking as bright as possible? Separate your whites from your darks and bright colors. When you wash your white laundry separately, you’ll protect your garments from turning a different color. “White fabric picks up picks up dye transfer and lint more easily than people realize,” Chernoff notes.
Scale Back on Detergent
Many people assume that the more laundry detergent you use, the cleaner your clothes will look and feel. But that’s typically not the case. Adding too much detergent can cause white shirts to become dingy or gray, not whiter or brighter. If you don’t measure the amount you of detergent use, the excess will leave behind a sticky residue that’s hard to wash off.
Use Warm Water
Before you run a load of whites, Chernoff recommends using the warmest water that the care label allows. By washing your whites with warm or hot water, you won’t have to worry about graying garments. Plus, higher temperatures allow laundry detergent to penetrate fabrics more easily, so it can effectively flush out the oils, dirt, and sweat. In warmer water, laundry detergent completely dissolves, so you won’t have to deal with leftover residue stuck on your clothes.
Give It a Brightening Boost
For a natural laundry boost, add baking soda or distilled white vinegar to your white wash. But if you want something a little stronger (that’s still gentle on white fabric), Chernoff recommends an oxygen-based bleach like OxiClean for occasional brightening.
Select the Extra Rinse Cycle
“Choose an extra rinse when possible, especially if you have hard water or a high-efficiency washer,” Chernoff says. If you’re washing a white shirt, selecting the extra rinse cycle will remove any traces of leftover detergent, fabric softeners, or stain treatments that can cause dinginess. This setting is also beneficial for preventing hard water stains.
Inspect It Before Drying
High heat from your dryer can permanently seal stains, which is why inspecting your white shirt before drying it is key. “Heat can set sweat, deodorant, food, and makeup marks,” Chernoff explains. “I always recommend checking white shirts as you move them from the washer to the dryer—it takes a few seconds and can save the shirt.”
Leave It to Air-Dry
While you can definitely dry a clean white shirt in the household appliance (as long as the stains are out, that is), air-drying your garment in the sunshine actually does the job of a natural brightener. Opting for the great outdoors doesn’t just whiten your laundry, but it also keeps your energy bills lower.
Wash Your Whites Frequently
To prevent your whites from becoming stained and soiled, wash them more frequently than you would your dark or brightly colored clothes. Since Chernoff says that a white shirt can look clean, it might actually have hidden oils, dust, and debris that can ruin its color. By washing your whites regularly, you’ll keep them looking pristine.
Clean Your Washing Machine
The cleanliness of your washing machine can also play a part in dulling your whites. If you don’t give your appliance a consistent cleaning, the machine could release musty odors and sticky buildup onto your white shirts. “Clean your washer periodically, so old detergent or mildew residue is not redepositing onto bright fabrics,” Chernoff instructs.
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
