 I don't tend to buy white things because they're so challenging to keep white. In fact, I purposely avoided buying white clothes, sheets, towels, tablecloths, socks, underwear, any type of white fabric really, because I didn't want the trouble of trying to keep it from staining or becoming dull. Bleach is one of the strongest chemical cleaners available on the market and it is an effective tool for helping to whiten clothes. However, it is also a known carcinogen and breathing it in over long periods of time can actually increase your risk of cancer. If bleach comes into contact with skin, it can burn and damage the tissue, and when mixed with certain chemicals, like ammonia, a toxic gas is produced, which can damage the lungs if inhaled and can even be fatal. It wasn't until I started thrifting clothes from secondhand stores that I began purchasing whites again. I needed a white dress for a Grecian dress-up party I was attending and I didn't have anything to wear, so whites snuck back into my life. I thought seeing as I was wearing whites again, I may as well find some way of keeping them bright and white for longer, and that's how this natural laundry whitening routine came about. So, here is how to whiten your clothes naturally without the need for chemicals like bleach. I pair these natural ingredients with a natural laundry liquid or powder to help clean and disinfect my clothes. Most of these bleach alternatives work best on natural fibres, like cotton or linen, and should only be used on white clothing without prints or other coloured patterns to avoid fading. When washing your whites, use the warm or hot water setting. Just make sure it is safe to use on that particular fabric that you're washing. You can double check by reading the fabric care instructions, then opt for an extra rinse cycle. Really stubborn stains may require another treatment, such as a spot treatment, but most stains should disappear with another wash. Do not put the clothes in the dryer until you're certain that all the stains are gone, otherwise they can bake into the fabric. I start my whitening routine by presoaking my whites and linen in a solution made of one part distilled white vinegar and six parts warm water, which can help naturally brighten your whites in an environmentally friendly and toxin free way. Mix the solution in a tub, sink or washer drum, and completely submerge the clothes before swishing them through the vinegar solution to make certain that all the items are saturated. Let the clothes sit overnight and then wash as normal the following day. Do not be concerned about the vinegar smell as it will fade as the clothes dry. I soaked my clothes again afterwards in a solution of half a cup of borax to one gallon of warm water. I left mine to soak for a few hours to really help remove some tough stains, but you really only need to soak them for at least 30 minutes or more. I finished up by sprinkling half a cup of borax powder at the bottom of my washer drum before adding in the whites. I added my usual laundry powder on top along with half a cup of baking soda, then set my machine to wash on a warm setting. For spot cleaning stains, you can make a paste using baking soda and water and apply it directly to the fabric. This is especially helpful for sweat stains. You can also create a soak by combining a gallon of water with one cup of baking soda and let the clothes soak for at least an hour or overnight. This can help brighten whites that are dull. Once the clothes have finished soaking, you can just wash them as usual. As my washer was filling with water, I added one cup of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to the water, making sure not to pour any hydrogen peroxide directly onto my clothes as it can bleach and cause spotting. Once my clothes had finished in the washing machine, I hung them up to dry. The best way to ensure your whites stay white is to start a whitening routine straight away and not wait until they become dull or stained to start. This will help maintain their white colour for longer. Thank you so much for watching. I hope you found this video helpful. Let me know if you use any of these ingredients to help whiten your clothes too or if you have any other tips for whitening clothes naturally. I'd love to hear them. I'm sending all my love to you. Take care and I'll see you again soon.