White baby clothes can take on a yellow tinge over time. Sunlight, moisture, and storing methods are the leading causes of discoloration. Harsh cleaning products also cause yellow stains on white fabric. Luckily, you can remove yellow with a simple, gentle cleaning process. Check out these simple ways on how to whiten knitted baby clothes.
Why Do Baby Clothes Turn Yellow?
It is common for stored baby clothes to go into storage clean and come out a few months later with discoloration even if you’ve washed them well. It is commonly caused by protein from milk. It can come from breastmilk or even spit-up. Also, if they’ve been cleaned, the residue can remain and stick to the clothing, and over time it takes on a yellowish color. Even when you wash these clothes and put them away for a while, the protein enzymes can still be active. And it’s these very same enzymes that create yellow stains in baby clothes while they sit in a dresser or cabinet.
Another cause is the chemical reaction that occurs between chlorine bleach and the fibers of your clothing. The bleach begins to break down the fabrics’ fibers, causing them to turn yellow. While it’s more common in man-made fabrics, all-natural fabrics such as cotton and linen will eventually begin to oxidize. All things can oxidize when exposed to air. It’s just more apparent in the light colors than in the colored fabrics, but it’s happening to them with fabrics. Also, bleach in itself leaves a residue that, when exposed to air, will begin to yellow fabrics. It isn’t very pleasant to see a white baby garment turning yellow, but if you know how to whiten knitted baby clothes, you will be surprised how easy it would be.
Guide to Whiten Knitted Baby Clothes
Knitted clothes are particularly nice because of their flexibility and breathability, but just like any other baby garments, proper care is needed to keep them in shape. Here are simple steps on how to whiten knitted baby clothes:
Use the Sun to Whiten Clothes
One of the best ways to remove all stains and whiten clothes is to line dry the sun’s clothes. This solution may not help you every month of the year, but many moms agree that sunlight exposure is a great way to whiten your clothes. The sun has its way of naturally whitening clothes. You only to let clothes dry in the sun.
Soak Clothes in Baking Soda and White Vinegar
A cup of baking soda and distilled white vinegar have so much whitening power together. Soak the white clothes overnight before putting them in the washing machine. You need not worry about the scent of the white vinegar staying; wash the clothes as usual, and it will smell sweetly again in no time.
Use a Borax Substitute
You can give borax substitutes a try because it works wonderfully. You can add a little amount of this substance to your white laundry along with your laundry soap. It will help baby clothes coming out looking white and fabulous.
Hydrogen Peroxide
The use of hydrogen peroxide is one of the effective solutions on how to whiten knitted baby clothes. You can buy a food-grade one that is already diluted. Hydrogen peroxide is known to help with stains. Put the hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle to make stain removal even easier.
Tips to Prevent Whites from Turning Yellow
Though you already have an idea of how to whiten knitted baby clothes, you might also consider some ways to prevent white baby garments from turning yellow. It’s never a good idea to bleach white clothing that is polyester or a blend of polyester and cotton. The chemical reaction between the bleach substance and the polyester almost always yields a yellowed result. You also need to consider a water softener if you have a well-water to prevent yellow stains on clothes. If you can, decrease the iron and mineral content of water to lessen the bleach’s yellowing. It is also recommended to minimize the use of bleach altogether if there are other ways to get your whites to be whiter.
Conclusion
White baby clothes are vulnerable to discoloration. Fortunately, they can be treated thoroughly. Now you know how to whiten knitted baby clothes. With this guide, you can turn those baby clothes to good as new. Know more about baby clothes.