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!
How To Make A Miracle Whitening Solution
Ingredients:
- Hot water
- 1 cup of laundry detergent (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup powdered dishwasher detergent
- 1 cup bleach
- 1/2 cup borax
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”!)
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!
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!
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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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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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 :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Great idea Bonnie!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Does it matter if it is powder laundry detergent or liquid??
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Either will work!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Launder as usual afterwards!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Of course, I would want a liquid that could be used in cold water for bras and other “do not bleach” items.
Here’s a link to my homemade bleach alternative: http://jillee.co/2bj7nha :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m unsure what the stain is! Aggggh! :(
I would actually try this stain remover, it works wonders! http://jillee.co/2awRhEC
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Love this recipe! Do you have any tips for pillows themselves?!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes! http://jillee.co/1st60DP
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You’re amazing! Thank you! :)
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!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.YAY!! I’m so glad to have helped, Donna! Congratulations to you and your daughter :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yep! It is a lot, but this is just a once-in-a-while treatment!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can’t wait to try this on all my yellow pillowcases.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sure! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Does the detergent need to be powder or can it be liquid?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Either is fine, although I think that powder works a little better!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My washing machine is front load !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am so glad to hear it!! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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!)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amazing! So glad you love this method as much as I do!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just once in a while!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a front load he
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Washer, How would I do this ?
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. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you have the ingredients for this homemade dishwasher detergent? https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2015/11/easy-and-affordable-homemade-dishwasher-detergent.html
Otherwise, laundry detergent will be just fine! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi jill
Please log in or create a free account to comment.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
Thanks Kelly – so glad to hear that you love the site!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.would this work on bras
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sure!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow this looks promising. My kids get stains too often and I think i’m actually tearing their clothes in the attempt to rub the stains off. I’m happy to try any new and proven recipe to get rid of stains: chocolate, grass, strawberries… you name it, they have it:)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good post, thanks! At the moment I only have liquid dishwasher detergent and liquid laundry detergent. Do they both need to be powder?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Liquid laundry detergent is just fine – but I would buy some powder dishwasher detergent. The stuff from the dollar store is just fine! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking you could replace the bleach with color safe bleach and get good results. Oxy Clean May work as well. I’ll give it a try and let you know how it turns out :o)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any miracle solutions for stains that are on non-bleachable items?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a favorite shirt that has chocolate or grease…can’t tell now but I have tried EVERYTHING
there is on the market. The shirt has NEVER been dried, so that should help. Any ideas would be welcomed!
Thanks!
Dawn dishwashing soap gets out most grease stains….use full strength.. let it soak and rub if possible. Don’t know about chocolate..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree with Julie Dawn dish soap will get out chocolate and grease. I have used it myself.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would try this stain remover :-) https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2014/04/getting-oily-stains-out-of-dark-colored-clothing.html
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you think this would work on getting blood out of a white towel?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Peroxide will take blood out of almost anything, we always use on our scrubs. Just make sure to wash out in a fairly short time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have been using this since the original post. Works great on my son’s muddy socks. I didn’t want to use my homemade laundry soap because I was almost out so I substituted some Dawn dishwashing detergent. I may have used 1/2 of the small bottle, but I don’t think I used quite that much and I will probably use Dawn instead of the laundry detergent. I put the socks in the laundry sink and heat water on the stove. Use only enough water to cover the items. I make sure that I have a lot of socks to fill the sink before I do this because it does take a lot of items.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not Jilliee, but I have used a recipe similar to this.
All of the ingredients listed go into the washer or some container large enough to hold the things you want to soak. I’ve never used it in the washer. Yes, it’s alot, but you are trying to get something clean that doesn’t come clean any other way. It’s not something you use all the time. I mainly use it for dishrags and towels that get really dingy.
After soaking for HOURS or OVERNIGHT, just run the washer through the wash/rinse cycle. One thing I would add is to rinse it well. I run an extra rinse with vinegar (I don’t know how much, I just dump it in).
As for the bleach, you are not using this all the time. It’s been over a year since I used this. This is just an occasional thing, not used for all the time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Made this the first time I saw it and have been using it ever since. It is the real bomb! Thank you for sharing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Set your water level to small or Xsmall and fill with HOT water as Jillee indicated. Put ALL of these ingredients in the water at once. Let machine agitate for a few minutes to completely dissolve all the powders. Add the items you want to whiten. Change your water level as needed to accommodate your load and continue filling with HOT water. In Jillee’s post above it says: “Another thing to remember is to add the above ingredients to as small a load size as possible. You are looking for concentrated cleaning power, and the more water you have in the tub, the less concentrated it will be. Shoot for just enough water to cover the article you’re washing.” Obviously you would not use this method every time you wash; only occasionally when you have a load to whiten. She also has a post on using this miracle whitener to wash and whiten yellowed pillows.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/02/how-to-wash-whiten-yellowed-pillows.html
Hope this helps.