How to whiten clothes without bleach and frustrating reasons why they're greying

There are ways to make your clothes white and pristine again that are less harsh than using chemicals like bleach.

Over time you may notice that your crisp white T-shirt no longer holds its hue, or your socks are beginning to grey.

These bleach alternatives can help you turn that around.

Why your whites are greying

There are a couple of reasons your clothes can become dingy no matter how much care you give them.

The following things are things you can alter and improve on to ensure your clothes stay more white and you can skip the step of needing to whiten them thereafter.

-Washing whites with other colors will make colors transfer on to them. Be sure to only wash your whites with whites.

-Detergent and fabric softener remains can still be sitting in your fabric

-Environmental causes that you may not have control over like nicotine or air pollution could be culprits

-Oils that accumulate on your body and food and drink stains

READ MORE: Brilliant supermarket solution whitens dirty socks ‘overnight’ – ‘they come out like new’

Borax

Borax, a naturally occurring mineral, is a chlorine bleach alternative that assists in removing stains and cuts through dulling residue.

To put this tip into motion, add a half cup of powdered borax per one gallon of warm water. Throw the white clothes in and let them soak for at least 30 minutes. Proceed to wash them.

Sunshine

The ultraviolet rays of the fun can cause colorful clothes to fade. In this same way, they can also brighten white laundry.

But the sun doesn’t only stop at whitening clothes. The UV rays bleach cloth, kill various types of germs, and help to disinfect fabrics.