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How To Whiten Towels (5 Easy Ways)

by  Echo

Not sure how to whiten white towels? White towels can become dingy and yellow with regular use. As stains and oils accumulate on its surface, your standard detergent might not be enough to keep them white.

Chlorine bleach is a popular solution, but can be dangerous and damage towels if not used properly. Thankfully, there are several ways to make them look as good as new without using bleach. In this post, I’ve gathered the best cleaning products and tips on how to whiten towels at home!

Without further ado, here’s how to make towels white again without bleach!

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How To Whiten Towels

Best Products To Whiten White Towels

  1. Laundry Whitening Pods
  2. Laundry Whitening Powder
  3. Whitening Laundry Detergent
  4. Washing Soda Detergent Booster
  5. Laundry Whitening Blue Dye

1. Laundry Whitening Pods

Looking for ideas to whiten towels without bleach? Laundry whitening pods are a great chlorine bleach alternative. All you need to do is place the pod in the washer along with your regular detergent!

OxiClean’s White Revive Power Paks are perfect for maintaining and whitening white towels. This product is super easy to use and gently lifts away stains while brightening and restoring whites. It works great on both white and colored laundry!

This product works better than standard chlorine bleach and won’t leave behind any strong chlorine odors. For extremely tough stains, I recommend using two whitening pods or dissolving a pod in a container of water to pre-soak your towels. Here’s how to whiten white towels using these laundry whitening pods:

How To Whiten Towels With Laundry Whitening Pods

To Whiten Towels:

  1. Load your white towels in the washer separately.
  2. Add a whitening pod alongside your standard laundry detergent. For extra whitening, add two pods.
  3. Start the washing machine as normal.

To Presoak Stained White Towels:

  1. Fill a large container with water. Add a whitening pod and mix until dissolved.
  2. Submerge your towels in the solution and allow them to soak for six hours.
  3. After presoaking, wash the towels in the washer with your standard detergent and another whitening pod (see instructions above).
OxiClean White Revive Laundry Whitener

2. Laundry Whitening Powder

Not sure how to whiten towels without bleach? Laundry whitening powders are a popular way to treat stains and whiten towels. Much like whitening pods, this laundry additive is an easy way to keep towels looking white and fresh.

For people with sensitive skin, I recommend choosing a natural product like Molly’s Suds Natural Oxygen Whitener. This product does a great job restoring white towels and has a nice, clean lemon scent. Check out the listing for other amazing scents like lavender, basil, and eucalyptus!

I love how this whitening powder is made of plant-derived ingredients and doubles as an emergency spot treatment for stains. It’s a strong, yet gentle product that effectively breaks down hard water, stains, and oils in fabrics! Here’s how to make towels white again with this laundry whitening powder:

How To Whiten White Towels With A Laundry Whitening Powder

To Whiten Towels:

  1. Optional: For extra whitening, presoak your towels for up to two hours.
  2. Load your white towels in the washer separately.
  3. Add two full scoops of whitening powder into your washing machine’s drum. Then, add your standard detergent and start the washer as normal.

To Treat Stains On White Towels:

  1. Create a paste using water and whitening powder. Apply the paste directly to the stained areas and allow it to sit until dry.
  2. Brush off the dried paste and wash the towels in the washing machine as normal.
Molly's Suds Natural Oxygen Whitener

3. Whitening Laundry Detergent

Looking for other ideas on how to whiten white towels? A great way to whiten fabrics without bleach is to use a whitening laundry detergent. This detergent does the cleaning and whitening for you, so you won’t need to use any additional products!

I highly recommend using The Laundress New York’s Whites Detergent. This product is formulated specifically to whiten whites and can replace your standard laundry detergent. For extra whitening, I recommend presoaking your white towels in a solution of detergent and water.

A single bottle of Whites Detergent can be used for up to 64 washes! This product also adds a pleasant clean laundry scent to your towels while removing odors. Note that the scent might be too much for people who dislike strong fragrances.

How To Whiten Towels With A Whitening Laundry Detergent

  1. Optional: For extra whitening, presoak your towels in a solution of detergent and water.
  2. Load your white towels in the washer separately.
  3. Add the whitening detergent and start the washer as normal. For best results, wash cotton and linen towels with hot water and other materials with warm water.
The Laundress New York Whites Detergent

4. Washing Soda Detergent Booster

Looking for tips on how to make towels white again without bleach? Washing soda is a natural and inexpensive alternative to chlorine bleach. This popular multi-purpose cleaning agent can be used as a laundry additive to whiten white towels.

For towels, I highly recommend Arm & Hammer’s Super Washing Soda Detergent Booster. This product makes white towels cleaner, whiter, and brighter. The washing soda neutralizes and eliminates odors naturally without the use of heavy fragrances.

When used as a laundry additive, this product improves liquid laundry detergent performance by up to 15%. To whiten towels, just add the washing soda alongside your favorite detergent. Here’s how to whiten towels using a washing soda detergent booster:

How To Whiten White Towels With A Washing Soda Detergent Booster

To Whiten Towels:

  1. Load your white towels in the washer separately.
  2. Add a half cup of washing soda detergent booster alongside your standard laundry detergent.
  3. Start the washing machine as normal. For best results, wash cotton and linen towels with hot water and other materials with warm water.

To Presoak Stained White Towels:

  1. Fill a large container with water. Add two tablespoons of washing soda per gallon of water and mix until dissolved.
  2. Submerge your towels in the solution and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes. For best results, presoak towels overnight.
  3. After presoaking, wash the towels in the washer with your standard detergent and a half cup of washing soda (see instructions above).
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda Detergent Booster

5. Laundry Whitening Blue Dye

Another method to whiten white towels without bleach is to use a laundry whitening blue dye. Note that this dye does not remove stains unlike other solutions from this post. It works by adding a small amount of blue to fabrics to create a “whitening” effect.

Mrs. Stewart’s Concentrated Liquid Bluing is an excellent choice for white towels. Although it is another great bleach alternative, the other products are easier to use and won’t damage your towels if you add too much. This product can be tricky to use for beginners and the instructions vary depending on the method (machine washing or hand washing).

Before dyeing, make sure to remove any stains from your towels. To prevent staining your towels blue, do not use more blue dye than recommended. Here’s how to whiten white towels using a laundry whitening blue dye:

How To Whiten Towels With A Laundry Whitening Blue Dye

  1. Before dyeing, treat stains and clean towels like normal.
  2. Dilute a few drops of blue dye in one quart of cold water. Then, fill a large container with water, add the diluted dye, and mix. The solution should have a light sky-blue color.
  3. Submerge your white towels in the dye solution and air dry. For best results, dry your towels under sunlight.
  4. If needed, repeat this procedure until your towels are completely whitened.
Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing

Summarized: How To Whiten Towels

In this post, I’ve gathered the best tips on how to whiten towels without bleach. Here are all the recommended products in one convenient list:

Conclusion

Not sure how to whiten white towels? For some, keeping white towels white can seem impossible. Despite our best efforts, white towels can become dingy and yellow with regular use. As stains and oils accumulate on its surface, your standard detergent might not be enough to keep your towels white.

Thankfully, using the right products, it is simple to maintain and restore white towels. In this post, I’ve gathered the best methods on how to make towels white again.

Whitening pods, whitening powder, and washing soda are easy ways to whiten towels in the washing machine without replacing your favorite detergent. These laundry additives can be add to every load to help keep your white towels white.

If you don’t care about replacing your regular laundry detergent, a whitening detergent is a great way to whiten and clean without using any additional whiting product. Lastly, whitening blue dye is another great way to revive white towels without bleach. Note that this product can be tricky to use and can stain your towels blue if you don’t follow the instructions properly.

I hope this post gave you some helpful tips on how to whiten towels. Good luck!