Basic rules for washing white shirts
Every wardrobe should have at least one white shirt, as it is versatile and fits into any style.
But it is not so easy to keep it unchanged. To do this, you need to know the basic rules for washing white clothes.
How to do it right wash shirts white in the washing machine and with your hands, we’ll tell you in the article how to get rid of stains so that it becomes snow-white again.
Content
Preparing for washing
To understand whether a white shirt can or cannot be washed in a washing machine, you should study the label. You can usually find important recommendations from the manufacturer there.
If there is no washing icon, then they are guided by the type of material:
- Cotton – It is permissible to wash by hand and using an automatic machine. The product may shrink by 5%.
- Silk – only hand wash without soaking is recommended. The water temperature should not exceed 30 °C.
- Wool – can be washed in any way. Only when machine washing, set the mode for woolen products and without spinning.
- Synthetics – Machine washable at a temperature of no more than 40 °C.
- Artificial fabric (viscose, modal and others) – preferably hand wash in cool water. In this case, the item can shrink by 7-8%.
Before the main wash, soiled laundry should be prepared:
- Sorted by color. White shirts and blouses should not be placed in the washing machine together with colored and black items. Otherwise, painting over is inevitable. You can also put blue or slightly pink ones along with white shirts, but provided that they do not fade.
- If severe contamination is detected, they are pre-treated with something. Usually the cuffs and collar, as well as the axillary areas, are more affected.
- The product is fastened with all buttons and turned inside out.
- The contents are emptied from the pockets.
The next step is soaking, which significantly improves the quality of subsequent washing.. It is recommended to make a soap solution (laundry soap or bleaching washing powder will do).
If you don’t have a ready-made stain remover or bleach on hand, you can prepare the following mixture for soaking: add a little powder to the water, 1 tsp. soda and 2-3 drops of ammonia.
Is it possible in a washing machine: on what mode, at what temperature?
After completing the preparatory activities, begin washing in the machine, if this is not contraindicated for the white product.
In this case, certain rules are observed:
- At what degrees should I wash? The optimal temperature is set to 40? C in the “Delicate Wash” mode. Linen and cotton shirts can be spun at 90?C, synthetics - at 50?C.
- It is not forbidden to use regular washing powders, but it is preferable to use gel-type ones.
- It is not advisable to turn on the “Spin” and “Ironing” functions. Items made from delicate fabrics may become deformed.It is better to gently squeeze them out with your hands, without twisting them too much.
It is recommended to place the viscose shirt in a special bag before loading it into the drum. Then it is guaranteed not to be damaged during the washing process.
How to properly wash by hand?
First, they work separately with stains on the fabric.. They are moistened with water and a stain remover or some effective folk remedy is applied.
Only after these steps do the main wash begin.
Sequencing:
- pour warm water into a large basin;
- add liquid detergent or powder, then stir until foam forms;
- immerse the item and begin to wash it with gentle massaging movements;
- when doing push-ups, do not apply much effort and do not twist it into a rope.
It is preferable to wash white shirts made from delicate fabrics by hand, which reduces the risk of damage. It is permissible to add a little bleach without chlorine to the water.
How to bleach fabric so that it becomes snow-white?
On a white shirt, the cuffs and collar are most susceptible to contamination. To give them and the whole thing a fresh look, you will need to put in a little effort.
Before washing the entire item, you should rub the dampened collar with a brush.. The cuffs are fastened with buttons, turned inside out and pulled over any container of suitable size (for example, a bottle).
To ensure that your shirt remains flawlessly white after repeated washing, it is recommended to use oxygen-containing bleaches. Vanish, which is used according to the instructions on the package, is quite suitable.
Among folk remedies, hydrogen peroxide gives a good whitening effect.. To prepare the solution, you will need shavings of laundry soap (150 g), which are dissolved in 5 liters of warm water.
Add 40-50 ml of peroxide there. Then the item is soaked in the resulting composition for half an hour. After which it is rinsed and washed.
Getting rid of stains at home
It is not surprising that any stains on white fabric are immediately visible. Their origin may be different. A in order not to spoil the thing, you need to know how to properly remove this or that stain.
If time allows and there is no experience in dealing with stains on fabric, it is better to take the item to the dry cleaner.
From foundation and lipstick
Often on the collar of men's shirts you can find traces of lipstick or foundation from the careless touches of your companions.
Since such stains contain fats, then Only appropriate means can cope with them:
- a combination of lemon juice and baking soda;
- liquid dishwashing detergent;
- toothpaste;
- ammonia;
- industrial stain remover.
After treatment with any of the above, the item is washed in the usual way.
From tea and coffee
The following products remove tea and coffee stains quite well:
- A mixture of ammonia and glycerin, taken in equal proportions. It is applied to the ink and lightly rubbed with a brush. After this, rinse with cool water.
- Pure peroxide is used to treat the stain, then sprinkle it with salt. Wait until it dries completely and remove it with the same peroxide.
- Rub dirt with laundry soap. Just pre-wet the fabric.
From brilliant green
It is quite problematic to wash brilliant green from white fabric, but it is possible. Here are some of the most productive options:
- Blot the contaminated area of fabric generously with hydrogen peroxide. To do this, take a clean piece of white material and periodically soak it in peroxide and gently rub the stain.
This is done until the greenery is completely leveled. The product is then washed normally.
- Dilute alcohol with lemon juice. Dip a cotton pad into the resulting liquid and work with the stain with leisurely movements.
- Pour white vinegar onto the green stain and wait a few minutes. If it is not discolored, then repeat the procedure. Only after it has completely disappeared can you start washing.
From red and white wine
A fresh wine stain is not that difficult to remove if you take the appropriate action right away. Therefore, it is not recommended to delay.
They resort to one option:
- The shirt must be removed immediately and laid out on a flat surface so that the contaminated fabric does not come into contact with the clean one. If it is red wine, then pour slightly warmed white wine or vodka over the stain.
- Sprinkle the contaminated area generously with iodized salt. Then boiling water is poured on top and after 1-2 hours the item is washed.
- Dry the stain thoroughly with a dry cloth. Then pour powdered citric acid or pour in the juice of any citrus.
- Liquid Domestos is suitable for dense fabrics. Saturate the stain with it and after 5 minutes rinse in cold water.
When a shirt has been damaged by white wine, do this:
- rub the wine stain on the fabric with an ice cube;
- wash with soap and soda solution (1 teaspoon of liquid soap and soda diluted in a glass of water);
- wash with detergent, then rub with laundry soap and rinse;
- wash away the traces with a water-alcohol solution (the components are taken in a ratio of 1:3);
- combine ammonia, turpentine and soap (1:1:10) and apply to the stain, and wash off after 10-15 minutes.
Dye
First, they look at how fresh the stain is. If the paint has had time to dry, then first clean it with a brush. Then place the contaminated fabric under a stream of cold water.
The paint will be partially washed off, and laundry soap or Antipyatin will be applied to the remaining mark.. You can make a paste from Vanish.
If it is soap, then wait 25-30 minutes, stain remover - 5 minutes. Then wash the item at a temperature not exceeding 30 °C.
When removing the coloring matter from the material, use only cold water.. Otherwise, the paint will only eat into the fibers and will not be removed later.
From the pen
To remove ink marks from a white shirt, you can use pure alcohol (70% concentration).
What to do with yellow stains?
Regular detergents cannot cope with yellow streaks on a white shirt. But there are a number of proven ways to restore pristine whiteness:
- use oxygen-containing bleaches and stain removers (effective if the stains are fresh);
- boil clothes with bleach without chlorine (suitable for cotton and linen shirts);
- Mix liquid soap, salt and soda in equal parts until a thick mass is formed, then apply it to the yellowed areas and wash after half an hour.
The video will show you how to remove yellow sweat stains on white clothes using Aspirin:
How to dry?
The method for drying white shirts will depend on the fabric they are made from. This is the only way to avoid their deformation.
Best recommendations:
- A high-quality product that practically does not wrinkle is hung by the collar on a rope. It is better if drying is done in the fresh air.
- A shirt made of delicate fabric is first placed on hangers and then on the balcony.
- A viscose shirt is first dried in a horizontal position: laid out on a previously laid terry towel.
When all the moisture has left the item, the item is hung on hangers and allowed to dry.
Before sending the washed shirt to dry on hangers, fasten it with all the buttons and straighten the collar, as well as all the folds on the fabric.
Tips and prohibitions
To ensure that white items last as long as possible and do not lose their original appearance, It is recommended to follow a number of rules:
- It is preferable to wash linen items by hand using chlorine-free detergents;
- When rinsing, do not spare water;
- do not load too many things into the machine drum at the same time so that there is enough free space there;
- It is advisable to dry white shirts in the fresh air, but not under direct exposure to sunlight;
- when machine washing, choose delicate or manual mode to protect the fabric from damage;
- viscose and silk products are washed without spinning, synthetic ones - with spinning at 800 rpm.
Conclusion
Using the above tips, you can maintain the original whiteness of your shirt for a long time.It is important not to wear things out to the point where nothing can be done with them.