How to wash

How to wash white clothes

Whites go grey from other colours' dye, hard-water minerals and leftover detergent, and yellow from sweat and deodorant. Washed apart, at the right temperature, with oxygen bleach – white stays white.

A typical label

Wash at 60 °C Non-chlorine bleach only Tumble dry, normal heat Iron on high (up to 200 °C)

Always follow your garment's own label – it beats any general advice.

Washing

Wash whites only: even one pale blue sock gives off dye.
Cotton at 40–60 °C if the label allows; synthetics and blends at 40 °C. A universal (not 'colour') detergent contains optical brighteners.
If the triangle allows – oxygen bleach in the detergent drawer. Use chlorine only on white cotton, sparingly: it yellows synthetics.

Yellow underarms

Soak for 30 minutes in an oxygen bleach solution before washing, or apply a paste of baking soda and water.
Choose an aluminium-free deodorant – aluminium plus sweat makes the yellow stains.