How to bleach kitchen towels at home
You can create a cozy home atmosphere in your kitchen only with the help of little things: beautiful dishes for table setting, textiles. The cleanliness of the tea towels is important for both aesthetics and wellness and health.
We will learn how to whiten towels, remove yellow stains and restore a fresh look to fabrics.
How to bleach kitchen towels
In addition to the usual boil, there are many recipes for high-quality bleaching of dirty kitchen towels. Household chemicals and improvised means that can be found in the apartment of any housewife come to the rescue: acetic acid, Fairy, starch, laundry soap. Let's consider each of them.
Mustard
You can bleach kitchen towels using mustard powder. It is a budget and effective product that works well for terry towels. The mustard is diluted to the consistency of porridge, applied in an even layer to the surface, kept for 1 hour. Be sure to wash the towel in the usual way.
Important! Do not be afraid of yellowness - there will be no streaks on the snow-white canvases made of fabrics of natural origin. Avoid synthetics - the color of the fibers can become messy.
The second option: to prepare the solution, you will need 15 - 20 g of powder per 1 liter of water. The substance is dissolved in a hot liquid and the powder particles are allowed to settle until the water becomes clear. It is poured into a separate container and the fabric is soaked there.
Boric acid
To bleach with this product, you need to lather the stain or the entire surface with laundry soap, and in a separate bowl with boiling water, make a solution of soap. Immerse the fabric there and add 4 tbsp. l. boric acid. It is recommended to leave it on for 4 - 5 hours, and then wash in the usual way.
Important! The active substance is not suitable for delicate fabrics: thin, terry. Can only be used for waffle or cotton products.
Potassium permanganate
Whitening with potassium permanganate is quite effective. You need to grate 1 piece of laundry soap, add 10 liters of hot water (at least 70 degrees) and pour in the manganese solution prepared separately. Clean, previously washed towels are placed in the basin and left for 7 hours. Further, the fabric is well rinsed and dried.
Advice! Laundry detergent is suitable instead of soap.
The main thing is not to overdo it with permanganate, otherwise the snow-white product will turn pink.
Laundry soap
The method has been popular for more than one year. You need a simple plastic bag and soap. A dirty towel is rinsed with water, liberally lubricated with soap until foam forms, folded into polyethylene and removed for a day. Then the fabric is washed in a delicate mode.It is better to rinse by hand.
Note! This treatment removes not only stains, but also yellowness from the fabric.
The technique has several nuances, for example, not the most pleasant smell. If soap is added while boiling, a lot of foam will come out from the container, which will stick to the stove.
Hydrogen peroxide
Peroxide bleaching is a delicate method. To prepare a solution at home, you will need:
- 5 liters of boiling water;
- 2 tbsp. l. peroxide;
- 2 tbsp. l. ammonia.
Towels are pre-washed, dried, placed in a ready-made solution and left there for half an hour. Further, the textiles are thoroughly rinsed 1 - 2 times.
The second method: just pour 3% peroxide on dirty areas, leave for half an hour and wash well.
Starch
Relatively fresh stains can be bleached with potato starch. Rinse the textiles first, dry them. To prepare a solution, you need:
- warm water in a container;
- 1.5 cups starch.
Stir the contents well, immerse them in towels and leave for 5 - 6 hours.
Important! After applying starch, do not rinse and squeeze the material.
Gently line and hang the towels until dry. The substance will provide a starched structure and beautiful whiteness.
Oil
Vegetable oil is surprisingly great for towel contamination. Many housewives are surprised, because this is a fat that prevents the cleansing of fabric fibers. Interesting fact: the oil not only cleans out, but also prevents discoloration.
For work you will need:
- hot water (not steep boiling water), 5 l;
- sunflower oil - 2 tbsp. l;
- 1 measuring cup of your usual laundry detergent;
- bleach in dry powder 2 tbsp. l.
The components are mixed in a container, textiles are placed there and soaked for at least 3 hours. After that, washing is performed in a machine, on a delicate cycle.
It is also considered an effective method to boil towels and linen with the addition of vegetable oil. The procedure allows you to get rid of old dirt.
Advice! If stains have eaten into the material, it may take up to 3 soaks in this solution. Products that are placed in a container should not be wet - wash and dry before soaking.
Digestion
For many housewives, the procedure of boiling towels is familiar. Prepare a large pot or basin, preferably enameled or galvanized. Wash towels in advance by hand or in the machine.
The work is carried out in several stages:
- 10 - 12 liters of water are poured into the container (calculated per 1 kg of products);
- the fabric is immersed;
- the basin is placed on the stove, the liquid should boil;
- the fire is made less;
- soaking time - from half an hour to 3 hours;
- the canvases are cooling down.
For best results, add 3 tbsp. l. oxygen bleach (persalt), ammonia or peroxide. When using these components, the boil time is reduced to 45 minutes. The laundry should be mixed with a rolling pin or other suitable object.
Then the products are laid out in the bathroom and rinsed well under running water. You can set the rinse mode in the washing machine.
Important! Colored bright towels cannot be boiled.
To speed up the process, use a synthetic powder or soap shavings. Silicate glue works well. Use citric acid to avoid using chemicals.
The method is good, but uncomfortable: the mixture, when boiled, emits an acrid steam that spoils the finish of the kitchen and causes tearing of the eyes.Frequent use of this method spoils the canvases - they turn gray, become thin and quickly tear. Digestion is not suitable for artificial and delicate materials.
Whitening chemicals
The above formulations can be made independently, at home. But modern chemical mixtures for whitening linen are presented on the market in a wide range.
Among the effective ones, oxygen and chlorine-containing ones can be distinguished. There are no natural ingredients in their composition, so you must follow the instructions for use on the package.
Advice! When washing textiles with a chemical agent in a washing machine, you do not need to pour fabric softener into the dish. It masks odor for a short time without completely eliminating it. In addition, the fabric is covered with a "film", which reduces the washing result.
Chlorine bleaches
A well-known bleach containing sodium hypochlorite - "Whiteness". This tool, tested by grandmothers, is budgetary and effective. The application does not require a boiling process, in addition, it is a good disinfectant. There are such disadvantages:
- unpleasant smell of liquid;
- can be used exclusively for linen or cotton items;
- cannot be used often: the fabric tears, wears out, turns yellow.
Modern chlorine-added solutions contain optical brighteners and active surfactants. These include: "Domestos", "ACE". Available in the form of a liquid or gel, they cannot be poured into the washing machine.
Worth knowing! The processed material should not have bright inserts, stripes, embroidery - chlorine will discolor them completely.
Oxygen bleaches
In such formulations, the active ingredient is oxygen or sodium carbonate. It will cope with any stains, whitens without a specific odor. It can be in the form of a gel, powder, or liquid. These funds include "Sarma", "Bose", "Vanish".
Important! It is recommended to pay attention to the shelf life: the active ingredient loses its effectiveness over time.
With the advent of such a product on the market, it is no longer necessary to leave laundry in solutions for several hours before washing. The substance does an excellent job of bleaching synthetic fabrics. Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate dissolves completely in water, breaking down into soda and hydrogen peroxide. The latter releases active oxygen.
The surface of the product is oxidized, the stain dissolves, yellowness, gray streaks and a specific smell go away. The benefits of these bleaches:
- no hot water is needed for use;
- soaking occurs in water with a temperature of 40 degrees;
- suitable for all types of fabrics: wool, silk, synthetics;
- do not violate the primary structure of the material;
- remove old stains;
- deal with difficult divorces: sweat, blood, grass, red wine;
- environmentally friendly.
A big plus: antibacterial effect, and you can also use it for rinsing colored fabrics, not only white ones. You can identify the oxygen stain remover by the marks on the package: О2 "," Oxigen "," Oxi ".
Bleach is allowed to wash baby napkins - allergies are completely excluded.
There are also disadvantages: high consumption and constant need to use: kitchen towels get dirty often. The second drawback is that the shelf life expires too quickly, the opened product can be stored for no more than six months. In comparison, powder stain removers last longer, up to 5 years. But they begin to act only in boiling water.
How to bleach kitchen towels by type
It is worth choosing a bleaching method based on the type of towel fabric.It is important to know that if you use the wrong product or dilute the concentrate incorrectly, the active substance will destroy the tissue and spoil the appearance.
Pure white towels
You can wash white towels at home with cheap laundry soap, solutions with water and medical products (peroxide, manganese), professional bleaches. A dishwashing detergent works well.
Old towels
To wash old kitchen towels you will get the usual washing powder with ammonia and glycerin, mixed in proportions 1: 4. Soda + household chemicals ("Vanish" and others) work well.
Waffle towels
Suitable recipe for this type of product: hydrogen peroxide + acetic acid. You can whiten the fabric at home using a high-quality substance with active kisoi and further rinsing in the machine.
Terry towels
For high-quality whitening, use a solution of acetic acid, your favorite conditioner or hair shampoo and soap (household or toilet). To achieve the effect, compositions with chlorine are not used: the active component corrodes the fibers, making them thin. It is important to rinse the product thoroughly, you can add conditioner or a solution of water and acetic acid.
It is recommended to soak the laundry for half an hour in oxygen bleach, and then machine wash on a delicate cycle with a minimum spin speed. It is impossible to dry a terry product on a battery or in the bright sun: the fibers dry out, become tough.
Advice! This type of towels in the kitchen should be used extremely rarely - the fabric does not tolerate the aggressive effects of household chemicals.
Why do kitchen towels need to be washed frequently
Many processes are carried out in the kitchen every day: cutting fish or meat products, preparing first and second courses, kneading dough. Frequent wiping of your hands on the fabric not only contaminates it, but also “colonizes” bacteria and harmful organisms. If you rinse the towel less often than once every 3 to 4 days, E. coli can settle on it. Such microorganisms can cause severe intoxication. Some of their strains have developed immunity even to antibiotics.
The bacterium lives on any kitchen surface, but the most favorite place is the towel. The author of the research, Charles Gerba, argues that after "dirty" chopping work, a person does not wash their hands very thoroughly, and, wiping them off, leaves a part of the microflora on the fabric. It is enough to use a towel again to get in the way of infection with a stick.
Advice! Switch to disposable, paper napkins to maintain hygiene and simplify the washing process. Minus: financial costs will increase.
Tips for keeping kitchen textiles clean
Every housewife knows a few secrets for caring for kitchen surfaces and textiles. If you follow the rules, you will have to wash and bleach kitchen textiles less often.
Remember:
- The garments need to be washed every 3 to 4 days, even if they are clean on the outside. A small part of grease and dirt settles on surfaces even if the ventilation is good.
- Ironing is required! So the textiles do not absorb dirt.
- You need to use a towel for its intended purpose: wipe your hands, dishes. In order to remove the kettle from the stove, you will need an oven mitt.
- Do not buy terry towels for use in the kitchen: they dry out for a long time, accumulating harmful microorganisms. Flax is ideal.
- For wiping surfaces, it is better to buy paper napkins - this will keep the towels clean. You cannot wipe off the fat - it is difficult to remove it.
- It is advisable to choose white textiles - stains are clearly visible on it.
- Do not hang a towel next to a gas stove and oven - this will prevent splashes on the fabric during cooking.
- Kitchen textiles should be washed separately from all other items.
To keep kitchen towels clean and fresh, iron each item with hot steam. Before washing, you must first soak the cloth in water with powder, and then bleach.
To prevent unpleasant odors, do not throw stale towels in the dirty laundry basket: it is recommended to dry them from moisture. After rinsing, it is better to immediately hang the textiles on the balcony or hang them on heating devices. For a pleasant scent, drip a few drops of your favorite ester mixed with baking soda.
Video: how to bleach kitchen towels
