Stop using bleach to whiten socks as dish soap and 1 ‘powerful’ natural item works better

Stop using bleach to whiten socks as dish soap and 1 ‘powerful’ natural item works better (Image: Angela Patrone)

Socks are notorious for getting stained and dirty quickly, particularly if you’re prone to wandering around the house barefoot, hoovering up all the dust and grime.

While a swift spin in the washing machine often does the trick, white socks pose a tougher challenge to clean as they tend to stain and lose their brightness over time.

But fear not; one savvy cleaning guru noted that there’s no need to resort to bleach or stain removers, which can damage the fibres, to get your white socks sparkling.

Two common kitchen ingredients can work wonders, delivering “amazing results” to this laundry dilemma.

The TikTok sensation @tanyahomeinspo, also known as Tanya, has let her followers in on her secret for restoring socks to their pristine “white again” state.

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White socks can still come out of the wash stained (Image: Getty)

Kicking off her video, Tanya presented her once-white socks, now covered in a grimy brownish-black hue.

She then liberally applied a tablespoon of baking soda to each sock and followed up with a spritz of diluted dish soap.

With a cleaning brush in hand, Tanya gently tapped the mixture into the fabric, ensuring it penetrated well to pre-treat the stains.

After this simple prep, she tossed the socks into a regular wash cycle with the rest of her laundry.

To the amazement of viewers, Tanya revealed the result: socks that beam a brilliant white, looking almost brand new.

It turns out baking soda isn’t just a pantry staple; it also works wonders for brightening up clothing, a fact even laundry experts can vouch for.

Laundry expert Sarah Dempsey of My Job Quote has previously shared with Express.co.uk her savvy tip that baking soda is “powerful” and can tackle “remove stubborn stains and help make white socks look super white in just one wash”.

How to use baking soda for cleaning (Image: EXPRESS)

The transformation left TikTok users gobsmacked, and they didn't hold back on their feedback. @love2clean was amazed: “Omg them socks came out like white white.”

And the awe didn’t end there as @instaclean19 exclaimed: “Amazing results!”

Meanwhile, @longorrrriiia found it to be a game-changer, saying: “Thank you so much. My kids don’t wear running shoes in school just socks and I end up throwing the socks if they don’t go clean.”