Washing white clothing can be particularly challenging—as it’s prone to discoloration, stains, and looking dingy over time. Unless you take proper steps to ensure they retain their color, you may not be able to wear your white clothing pieces again after a wash.

If you want to tips on how to better wash your whites, keep on reading below.

Washing Regular Whites

Here are a few rules of thumb you can’t go wrong with:

• Check the care label for washing instructions. Some clothes are better washed in cold water while others show the best results in warm water. Depending on the instructions, adjust the temperature of your washer accordingly.
• Keep the machine on a gentle setting
• Pour detergent in the water depending on the care label instructions
• For drying, make sure that synthetic fabrics are dried at a low temperature while cotton or rayon shirts are dried at medium or high temperatures

Washing Bedding and Towels

Since items like pillow covers, socks and towels have higher durability, they can tolerate hot water and robust washing.

• Look at the care labels if you’re unsure of what the right temperature setting is for them
• Adjust the settings based on the instructions and make sure you’re setting the machine at the hottest safe temperature—since towels and socks get dirty easily
• Once all the dirt is removed, you can adjust the settings back to the normal wash.
• These items should be dried on high heat

Washing Delicate Whites

Delicate whites include items like sheer tops, undergarments, silk blouses, etc. These pieces need the most care, as even a minor incident can ruin the whole piece, rendering it unwearable.

• Follow the care instructions to the dot for enhanced results. If the label says “dry clean only,” don’t risk a home wash and call the local dry cleaners for pick-up
• Depending on the fabric, you’ll have to decide between machine wash and hand wash as well. Even on the gentle setting, machine wash can ruin the integrity of the article.
• Make sure that you’re using a mild detergent and cold water for perfect end results.
• Instead of drying in a dryer, let your delicate whites air dry.

Bonus Tips

Whites or colored, air drying is a much better option both in terms of energy consumption and being gentle on clothing. Dryers can often over-run, causing damage to the fabric—not to mention that the tumbling and spinning process is damaging in itself.

Unsure about what to do with dirty laundry or afraid of ruining white shirts? We at NY Organic Dry Cleaners are at your service around the clock. We can take care of all your laundry and dry cleaning problems and deliver neatly washed and freshly pressed clothes right at your doorstep, if you’re based in New York, Brooklyn or Queens.

Contact us at 718-459-7770 today!