How to Brighten White Clothing without Bleach
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Spring has sprung and I don’t know about y’all, but the faint whiff of a warm breeze has me creeping to the back of my closet and bravely reaching into the back of my drawers all my white clothes. There’s just something about a crisp, white shirt in the springtime, am I right?! Perhaps I identify the two, because every Easter we got to pick out a new pair of white shoes. You know this 90’s baby is all about that nostalgia!
This white camisole and this white shirt are part of my spring / summer uniform. (I also wear this white tee quite a bit!) During the warmer months, I wear them at least once a week, if not more. No matter how good I care for them, between the sweat and makeup, they are bound to get dirty. As I reached for my white camisole recently, I couldn’t help but notice the dinginess of it, especially around the armpits. I didn’t want to throw it away as there was truly nothing wrong with it… it just needed a little brightening.
I don’t know about y’all, but when I think “brighten”, whether it’s regarding my teeth or a pair of toothpick denim, I think bleach. Bleach is scary for a lot of reasons. Not only is it toxic, but it can also ruin clothing and other items if you aren’t careful. #nothanks As I mentioned back in January, I began using Branch Basics (get $10 off your order here!) a little less than 6 months ago. I did an overview blog post on it here, but basically it is a concentrate that can be used from cleaning your dinner table, to scrubbing your toilet. Another use for it is laundry detergent!
When I first looked into Branch Basics, I purchased the starter kit package that included Oxygen Boost. (You can buy it w/o it or even buy a little test sample of concentrate!) Just as a reference, when I do laundry, I use one cap full of the detergent and one scoop of Oxygen Boost. But what the heck is Oxygen Boost and why use it? Putting it simply, OB is basically stain remover. Think of it as non-toxic “Shout”;) I’ve done spot treatment before with it, but had never done a prolonged soak with it. I wanted to see if I could save my white shirts, so I sprayed visible stains, sprinkled Oxygen Boost, rubbed the remover in with a brush, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Next I grabbed a bowl and filled it with 1 drop of concentrate, a scoop of Oxygen Boost and hot water. Finally I gently placed in my two shirts and let them soak for 5 ish hours. I forgot to take a before picture, but I so wish I could show you the difference. My shirts are back in commission and I’m so glad. I can only image how soaking the shirts longer would have helped even more!
Want to try it out for yourself? Get $10 off your Branch Basics order here! ALSO, if you liked this post, you’ll probably enjoy my article on Tips for Removing Every Type of Stain + Cruelty-Free and Nontoxic Laundry Detergent. Hope you’re enjoying the spring weather and your clean, white clothes!
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