How do I get dull looking socks white again?
Question:My kid's white socks look dirty even after washing. How do I get them whiter. Bleach seems to destroy the elasticity. Any other suggestions?
Answers:
Hello Jas, Best thing for this is the good old fashioned bar soap , You can buy this in any hardware store, it´s normally brown in color. Soak the sock´s in cold water, remove them from the water & give a good rub with the soap Leaving the sock´s with the soap on and free from water, say1/2 hr or so, then back to the cold water, give a little rub, Now add more soap , this time leaving the soap on , pop them into your machine on a 40ºc wash. Now hang outside in the sun . The sun will bleach your kid´s socks the natural way , and they will be whiter than white. This is the way I do my kids socks & those white T-shirts , the husbands shirt collor´s, underarm stain´s . The stains come out every time
I don't think their is any other way to get things very white without bleaching. You probably shouldn't worry so much about kid's socks looking dull. They're kids! Buy them new ones if you want white socks!
How can I keep white socks white? My children get them so dirty and even soaking in bleach doesn't work! Please help.
Thanks,
Kerry
Answers:
Dishwasher Cube
If you have folks in the house that walk around in their white socks and you can never get them clean, dissolve a dishwasher cube or two depending how many socks you have in a bucket of water and let them sit overnight. The next day, wash as a small load. You won't any lose socks and your white socks will be bright white from the clorox in the dishwasher soap. (08/12/2005)
By Annette
Baking Soda or Borax and Vinegar
Try using 1/2 cup of baking soda or borax, available in the laundry section, and the downy ball filled with white vinegar! This helps so much with keeping whites white even with our horrible hard water that turns everything a lovely shade of grey. This only works for keeping them white. I haven't been lucky enough, or cared enough really, to whiten older socks.
We also have play or work socks, that my husband wears to work and the kids play in. That way the newer white socks stay nicer longer and I don't worry about throwing out a pair of mud caked old socks!
Each time we get a new pack of socks we mark each of them with a stamp and fabric inks, a new stamp for each of the boy's socks, and an older "set" of socks gets "retired" to the play socks bin, plus I don't match up the play socks so the kids just go and get 2 socks. Plus with the stamps it makes it easy for the boys, who are 4 and 6, to match their own "new" socks. Boy does that sound anal retentive but it works for us!
Good Luck! (08/12/2005)
By Madelynnsmama
Rit Color Remover
Buy RIT COLOR REMOVER and it will take all color out of the socks including the dirt stains, leaving them white. Just follow the directions. If you use it on other white clothing, be sure to remove the tags as it will bleed them onto the clothing, possibly. (08/12/2005)
By Diana Fox.
Ammonia
I have had good luck using ammonia in the soak and wash water rather than bleach. Doesn't have a lingering odor either. (08/13/2005)
By peachhead
Dishwasher Detergent
Soak them overnight in dishwasher detergent or Oxi-Clean. Either of these usually does the job. (08/13/2005)
By truerblue
Vinegar
My mom swears that by adding about a cup of white vinegar to your wash will get your clothes white again. Vinegar is cheap so it's worth a shot! (08/16/2005)
By BrookesMommy
Oxy Clean
To clean any white clothing, soak them in very hot water and Oxy-Clean. (01/14/2006)
By Rose
try a whitening dye it will get them bright again
You could try Iron Out. Follow the instructions for laundry use. It may harm the elasticity, I'm not sure. You could test one pair. I use Iron Out on white T's to make them white and bright again.
RIT makes a product that brightens whites and it's sold in the laundry ails. RIT also makes dye and mostly dyes.
I've got whit socks that I've had over ten years. I bleach the sh!t out of them. And they are like new still.
You have to use soap with the bleach.
Soap gets the dirt out. Then bleach whitens the socks.
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