Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Using store bought cleaners
• Method 2 of 2: Remove stains with normal household products
• Tips

Everyone knows that white clothes are very contagious and stain easily. Whether it's armpit sweat, rust, or a yellow sports drink, yellow stains can ruin your prettiest white shirts, pants, and sheets. Fortunately, there are a number of ways in which you can make those ugly yellow spots disappear quickly and easily. You can use store-bought cleaners, or products you may already have at home, to make your clothes or sheets radiantly white again!

To step

Method 1 of 2: Using store bought cleaners

1. Use a stain-removing detergent in the washing machine to remove the stains. Simply washing your white clothes with a detergent specifically designed to remove stains is probably the easiest way to get rid of those yellow stains. Put your clothes in the washing machine as you always do and use the stain-removing detergent. You will most likely get rid of those annoying stains after just one wash.
   • There are many detergents on the market that not only remove stains, but also make your clothes smell wonderful!
   • You can find detergent specifically for removing stains at most grocery stores or at a drug store that sells detergents.
2. Wash your clothes with 1 capful of bleach, but don't do that with delicates. Add a capful of bleach - along with your regular laundry detergent - to a load of white laundry to remove stains and keep your clothes looking like new again. Make sure your clothes can be bleached safely before you wash them in this way. Avoid bleaching colored clothes or delicate fabrics as the bleach can damage them.
   • You can check if your clothes can be bleached safely by looking at the clothing label. If there is a hollow white triangle on the label, it means it can be bleached safely. If the triangle has diagonal stripes in the center, the garment should only be treated with a chlorine-free bleach.
   • If the label on your garment has a large triangle with an X over it, it means it shouldn't be bleached at all.
3. Add bluing to the wash to remove stains and whiten clothes. Bluing adds a subtle bluish tone to your clothes, neutralizing the yellow hue of the stains. This will make your clothes look whiter. Mix it with cold water - as instructed on the bottle or pack - and then pour it into the washing machine along with your regular laundry detergent. Wash the stained clothes as you always do.
   • You can buy bluing from a supermarket or a drugstore.
   • Bluing isn't actually a cleaning agent, so while it will neutralize the yellow hue of your stains, it won't do anything to make your clothes cleaner.
4. Clean your clothes with borax if the stains also smell bad. Borax is a natural mineral that, among other things, helps to remove stains from clothes and even deodorises. At the start of the wash cycle, add 50 grams of borax to your laundry - along with your regular detergent - to get both the stains and the odor out.
   • Borax is a great multipurpose cleaner that you can also use to clean the interior of your car, the dog bed, the litter box, bedding and even the washing machine itself!
5. Using rust remover to remove yellowish rust stains from your clothes. If the stains on your clothes were caused by rust, there are a number of products available that are specifically designed to remove rust stains. Pour the rust remover into the soap compartment of your washing machine as it fills with water, then let the clothes soak for 5 minutes.Then add normal detergent and let the washing machine run its usual program.
   • Follow the directions on the bottle carefully, as rust removal fumes can be dangerous if inhaled.
   • To protect yourself as best as possible when working with rust remover, it is best to wear rubber gloves.

Method 2 of 2: Remove stains with normal household products

1. Add some vinegar to your laundry, both to remove stains and to soften the fabric. White vinegar can remove stains, but it also works well as a fabric softener. Simply pour a splash of vinegar into your washing machine during the rinse cycle to clean the stains on your white clothes and soften the fabric.
   • Avoid using vinegar with bleach as it will produce fumes that can be harmful to your lungs.
   • Remember that using vinegar in the washing machine can harm silk, acetate or rayon.
2. You can also add some lemon juice to the detergent. This not only removes stains, but also gives your clothes a fresh lemony scent. Add 1 dl lemon juice to your laundry along with your normal laundry detergent and then wash it as usual.
   • Do not use lemon juice with colored clothing as it may fade it.
3. Scrub cotton clothes with white toothpaste before washing. In addition to brushing your teeth, toothpaste has a number of surprising uses, including removing stains from clothes. Wet the garment, then apply a thin layer of white toothpaste to the stain with an old toothbrush. Scrub the stain vigorously for about 30 seconds, then rinse with water.
   • For best results on white clothing, use a toothpaste with whitening properties. Avoid using colored toothpaste as it can stain your white clothes even worse!
   • The toothpaste method usually works well on cotton clothing, but may not work on other fabrics.
4. Treat stains with crushed aspirin and water if that's all you have in the house. Crush 3 to 4 aspirins into a powder and then mix the powder with 1 tablespoon of warm water to make a paste. Rub this paste on the stain and let it sit for 2 hours. Then wash the stained clothing as warm as possible.
   • The main ingredient of aspirin is salicylic acid, which is why the crushed aspirin method is just as effective at removing stains as vinegar or lemon juice, for example.
   • Remember, crushed aspirin should only be used on white clothing as it can discolor your colored fabrics.

Tips

• Some people have also had success with vodka in removing yellow stains from white clothing. If you happen to have vodka in the house and want to try it out, pour some vodka on the stains before washing the garment in the washing machine.