As with white clothing, white socks get dirty very easily. A completely normal phenomenon, as they are in constant contact with our shoes and are therefore exposed to all kinds of bacteria. Once they become dirty, it becomes quite difficult to clean them effectively and restore their shine. A trend that can, however, be reversed thanks to the use of natural and environmentally friendly ingredients.

Several methods have already proven successful for optimally cleaning white clothing. The socks are not outdone thanks to recipes with ingredients like:   lemon juice, baking soda or even hydrogen peroxide.   The latter is also one of those products whose versatility is little suspected as it serves multiple purposes.

Additionally, white socks differ from white items of clothing in how easy they are to clean. Because if it is easier to preserve the whiteness of white clothes,  it   is not   so much with our socks  . This is simply due to their environment, which is conducive to all types of dirt as well as sweat. It is also possible to eliminate the resulting bad odors from the feet.

In this registry, we recommend arming yourself with life-saving ingredients that are more likely to get you out of trouble. These are: hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, bleach, lemon juice, white vinegar, but also a plastic bag. Let’s see how you can make good use of their properties without resorting to chemicals.

1.         Refresh socks with baking soda

Know that with sodium bicarbonate, it’s not time to give up your very dirty socks yet. Follow these steps to keep them looking good:

• Fill a basin with lukewarm water;
• Add a fairly generous amount of baking soda;
• Soak the dirty socks and then wait a few hours for the baking soda to soak in;
• Wring them out and then put them in the washing machine;
• Add a glass of baking soda to your regular laundry detergent;
• To soften dirty laundry, add a glass of white vinegar while rinsing.

Socks soaked in soapy water – Source: Love to Know

2. Make white socks white again with boiling water

Boiling water is another simple but effective technique for bleaching heavily soiled laundry. Here’s what you need to do:

• Prepare a large pot with water, dish soap, and half a glass of lemon juice;
• Dip your socks;
• Boil the solution;
• Wait 20 minutes to cook the socks;
• Do a normal sock wash.

3. Whiten the socks with white vinegar

White vinegar, already a flagship among household cleaners thanks to its ability to clean everything, owes its reputation to its acetic acid composition. A compound that   has the power to break down dirt and lightly brighten laundry  . To harness its stain removing power, follow the steps below:

1. Prepare a container filled with hot water;
2. Soak dirty socks;
3. Add white vinegar;
4. Let the shoes soak overnight, then take them out the next morning and wash them as usual.
5. Whiten socks with hydrogen peroxide

For quickly whitening socks, 3% hydrogen peroxide is ideal:

• Dilute a glass of hydrogen peroxide in a basin of lukewarm water
• Put your socks in to soak and wait a maximum of 30 to 60 minutes;
•     Wring out the socks and put them in the washing machine
• Pour ½ cup of peroxide into the fabric softener compartment
• Proceed with normal machine washing

6. Whiten the socks with bleach

If you want to make socks shine again using bleach, follow these steps:

• Fill a bowl with lukewarm water
• Stir in 4 tablespoons bleach
• Add detergent
• Soak your heavily soiled socks in water and then wait 15 minutes
• Continue with normal washing

It is also useful to pre-wash white socks before adding bleach.

Whiten socks with   detergent  

Another very effective recipe is to take advantage of the acid contained in lemon. To do this, follow these simple and effective steps:

• Prepare a container filled with lukewarm water and lemon juice;
• Bathe your white socks in it;
• Add detergent and then hand wash the whites. Focus on areas filled with stains;
• Take a plastic bag and put the socks in it;
• Let soak overnight;
• Perform a normal wash.

Comparison of dirty socks and cleaned socks – Source: Love to Know

7. Whiten the socks with a dishwashing detergent tablet

Dishwasher tablets definitely don’t just fulfill the function for which they were designed. They can even be a great way to clean ovens. In this case   they can whiten the socks perfectly  . In order to do this :

• Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and place the socks in it;
• Insert dishwasher tablets;
• Wait a few hours for the dissolved product to take effect;
• Proceed with usual washing.