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Make Your Own Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution

Jill Nystul  ·  Updated on: August 13, 2026
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How to turn dirty, dingy, grimy and stained items into white, bright, fresh and clean ones!

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Miracle Whitening Solution

I’m one of those strange people who likes laundry, or at least the sense of accomplishment I feel when something dirty comes out really clean. I also enjoy the challenge of turning something dirty, dingy, grimy, and stained into something bright, fresh, and clean.

So when I came across a “recipe” for whitening whites in the comments section here on the blog, I knew I had to try it out. And I had the perfect test subject: a dingy pillowcase that I had washed time and again with little to show for it.

I knew there had to be a way to restore it to its formerly white state. I just needed the right formula or method, and this one seemed very promising!

See this whitening solution hack in action in the video at the end of the post!

Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution

How to Make a Miracle Whitening Solution

Ingredients:

Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution

Directions:

After filling my washing machine on the hottest water setting, I added a large pot of boiling water for good measure. (The original comment from OGT reader Katie specifically said to use “HOT HOT HOT water”!)

Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution

Note that with this whitening method, you’re shooting for concentrated cleaning power. That means the more water you use, the more diluted the cleaning agents will become, so aim to use just enough water to cover the item(s) you’re washing.

Leave the item to soak for at least a couple of hours. Overnight would be ideal, though!

Miracle Laundry Whitening Solution

Note: If you have a high-efficiency or front-loading washing machine that doesn’t allow for soaking, you could easily use a large stock pot, a 5-gallon bucket, or even your bathtub instead. Pretty much any large container would work here!

Miracle Whitening Solution

As you can see, the soak in the whitening solution made a big difference! The stains are completely gone and the whitening solution revealed the white fabric hidden under all that grime. Now that’s what I call miraculous!

Related: How to Rescue Old Yellowed Pillows

Interested in more clever laundry solutions? Check out my e-book The Homemade Laundry Guide! You can buy it in my shop, or download it for free if you’re an OGT Plus member!

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Jill Nystul (aka Jillee)

Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

About Jillee

Jill Nystul

Jill’s 30 years of homemaking experience, make her the trusted source for practical household solutions.

About Jillee

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Leave a Comment

60 Comments

  2. This has got to be one of the best “good thing” that you have posted. I’ve been doing this with my whites ever since I saw it and they are spectacular. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. I just used this on my husbands grundgy work shirts and they came out so bright and white! Thank you! I’ll be trying it on our pillows tomorrow :)
    Do you think this recipe is safe to use on colours with a colour safe bleach?! I have some grundgy bed sheets that I would love to brighten up, but I don’t want to bleach the colour out of them.

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  5. How do you use this solution on a front loading machine though? There is no way we can fill it with water and add the solution to the dispenser drawer. I thank everyone in advance that has found a way to turn their whites white again and share their solution here with front loader owners.

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    • Start by soaking in a bucket or your kitchen sink with really hot water and all of the cleaners. Then transfer the load to your washing machine. It will still work really well!

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    • I have been able to do this with my front load washer which has a “pause” option. I start my load with the solution and after a couple of minutes I pause it and let it soak overnight.

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  6. Does it matter if it is powder laundry detergent or liquid??

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  7. I want to try the miracle whitening solution. I have to use the soak method, as my washer locks once it starts.
    I have a question. After letting it soak, do you then launder as usual or do you just rinse the items with clean water and dry as usual?
    Just needed clarification. But I suppose it doesn’t really matter.

    Thank you!

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  8. What about a recipe for non-chlorine bleach? I hate paying for someone else to mix hydrogen peroxide with water. Is there a better formula?
    Of course, I would want a liquid that could be used in cold water for bras and other “do not bleach” items.

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  9. I have an orange coloured stain on my daughters fav pink dress. I’ve tried everything on my laundry shelf. Is this something I could use I colours too?
    I’m unsure what the stain is! Aggggh! :(

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    • Rachel, I have a young daughter who is a messy eater, therefore I am always treating stains. I have conquered lots, but found tomato based stains like spaghetti sauce to be tough. I recently learned that the sun will do the trick! I wet the items, then squeeze excess liquid out and lay the garment out flat in the sun. A couple hours later the stain will be gone! Sometimes i will soak in Oxi-clean first, but Oxi-clean alone will not do the trick; I’ve tried that. I decided to try it on other organic stains like grass stains and it works for those too!

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      • Oh, forgot to mention that I’ve used this method on denim, multi-colored shirts, turquoise shirts, and of course, white. It hasn’t caused fading of the colors. Of course know your fabrics and be sure your item is colorfast, but as for me, it has worked for a wide variety of things.

  10. Love this recipe! Do you have any tips for pillows themselves?!

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  11. After my daughter’s outdoor evening wedding, 24 white table clothes were removed from the tables by guests helping with cleanup and placed in black garbage bags. Apparently there was dew in the air. Two days later when I got around to that part of the cleanup process, they were covered with mildew and mold, as well as spaghetti and wine stains. I tried regular washing with no results. I was in tears, thinking hundreds of dollars worth of linen was ruined. Then, I found this formula and used it to soak the tableclothes for about two hours in a large tub (I have a front load washer). Every stain came out. My white tablecloths looked like new again! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

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    • YAY!! I’m so glad to have helped, Donna! Congratulations to you and your daughter :-)

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  12. I used this process about 30 years ago when I sold Jafra and had to get the wash clothes I used white-white. I had completely forgotten about it. Next up…hubbie’s white socks…to see if I can get them white again. Thanks for reminding me about this and how awesome this mixture is.

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  13. Do you use the full amount of the whitening solution per wash? 31/2 cups seems a lot for only 2 pillows at a time.

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  15. How about bras? Is it possible to wash them like this? I like my lingerie to be white but bras often become grey after some time. I’ll be grateful for any piece of advice how to solve this problem.

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  16. Does the detergent need to be powder or can it be liquid?

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    • If you have a high efficiency or front-loading washing machine that doesn’t allow you to soak for an extended period of time, you can also put your item in a large pan of hot water on the stove to soak (if the item is small enough), or you could use a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with boiling hot water. Pretty much any large container you have could be used for soaking! Then, just transfer the load to the washing machine. :-)

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  18. Writing down , going to do this tomorrow. I been studying your blog everyday this week and since Sunday I have made something new . It’s fun and I don’t have to go out and buy things that I keep running out of.

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  19. This is an amazing combination! I used it to refresh old yellow stained pillows (that did have a print pattern) and they came out like NEW! Even the pattern didn’t fade! These pillows are at the beach house that our family has owned for the past 25 years, and I know they have been there that long! (Just being used with pillow shams in recent years, as decorative pillows… now I wouldn’t mind sleeping with them they look so good!)

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  20. I used this recipe yesterday and my white shirts came out WHITE!!! I have some that were very old work-out tanks that I can’t find replacements too (bra inside) and while it’s not completely white, it is amazing the difference.

    Would you use this each time before washing any whites or just as a once in awhile really deep clean?

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  21. I have a front load he
    Washer, How would I do this ?

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    • If you have a high efficiency or front-loading washing machine that doesn’t allow you to soak for an extended period of time, you can also put your item in a large pan of hot water on the stove to soak (if the item is small enough), or you could use a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with boiling hot water. Pretty much any large container you have could be used for soaking! Then just transfer to the washing machine after a good, long soak. :-)

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  23. i’m trying this on my pillows right now…I’ve read the article about 20 times and I’m still nervous about doing it right. These just soak? that’s it? then spin or drain the water out and throw them in the dryer??? yes?? Let’s hope so. I’m doing 3 pillows (2Q & 1K) so there’s more water than what’s expected to have for any given cotton but I’m hoping it’ll work? Fingers crossed, ladies!!!!

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  24. Hi jill
    I love all of your ideas AND you can actually print them out and keep them in a binder instead of running to the computer to find the article I truly mean this your site is so print friendly and informative. I am unsubscribing to all of the other sites!
    Thank you soooo much kKelly

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