Is there anything chicer than wearing all white in the summertime? The only problem is, there’s also nothing more likely to get dirty than your summer whites. Ice cream, sunscreen, grass, iced tea: All the best things about summer are also the most likely to cause a stain. So how do you keep your whites clean without leaving them threadbare by the end of the season? To find out, we called up the experts: Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd, who cofounded the eco-friendly line of detergent and home-cleaning products The Laundress, which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. And since they have a decade of fabric-care wisdom, we decided to pose an even trickier challenge: What if you want to keep some of the dirt and wear in your whites? How do you hold on to, say, the beautiful, dusty look of white jeans worn in the sand while still removing the smell of seaweed? Once you’ve earned that live-in look, isn’t it only natural that you want to keep it? Here, Whiting and Boyd offer their best tips for washing summer whites, from removing pit stains (they happen to everyone!) to making your best white button-down last for more than one summer. But deep-wear lovers be warned. When we asked these two pros what stains they thought could actually be beautiful on white (berries? tea? a nice grass mark on the rear?) they proudly declared: none!
1. The basic clean
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Whiting and Boyd always wash white shirts, pants, and denim in hot water (think kettle-hot) with the combo of The Laundress bleach alternative and Whites Detergent. The idea of whitening a shirt without a bleaching agent might seem like a hard sell, but their eco-friendly formula will brighten and remove any stains gently. “Delicate whites won’t disintegrate,” they say.
2. Never balk at pit stains
“Don’t throw out shirts with pit stains—you can get them out!” they say. According to them, removing pit stains is all about the pour. After you apply stain solution to the underarm, work it into the area with a brush. Then, pour hot water from a height and let it soak overnight. “Repeat the process until the stain is lifted (and it will be!).”
3. Pretreat to keep your whites white
Pretreating areas such as under sleeves, collars, cuffs, and hems with a enzyme-based remover before every wash, even if there is not a visible stain, will prevent any buildup. “Pretreating is key to helping your clothing stay white and bright,” they say.
4. Removing summer odors
To remove odors, prewash or presoak with vinegar—some are formulated for clothing so there’s no unpleasant smell. “Apply vinegar directly on odor areas and work stain solution into the fabric. Soak well,” they say.
5. Remove stains without making your perfectly-worn piece look brand new
The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar is good at removing soil, oils, sunscreen, and sunless tanner stains. For spot-treating: Wet the bar and the stain, working the soap directly into the stained area. Then, soak in hot water with bleach alternative. “If you want the garment completely clean, change the dirty water halfway through,” they say.
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