How to Get White Socks White Again in 4 Steps

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 03/02/23
Reviewed by
Becky Rapinchuk
Becky Rapinchuk headshot, cleaning RB
Reviewed by Becky Rapinchuk

Becky Rapinchuk is a natural cleaning expert, home-keeping expert, and founder of the lifestyle brand, Clean Mama. She has published 4 best-selling books on cleaning.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Pristine, white socks on a drying rack

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 10 - 20 mins
  • Total Time: 1 - 10 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $5-10

Bright white socks are a classic look. Unfortunately, whether they are 100 percent cotton or a blend of fibers, they eventually turn grey and the bottoms become heavily soiled—unless they are cleaned properly. Regular washing just doesn't seem to remove the dirt, but with a few supplies and some patience, you can get white socks white again in just four steps.

Here are a few tips to get the best results:

  • Don't leave the socks turned inside out while washing. Most of the dirt is on the outside bottom of the sole.
  • Don't use cold water. Heavy soil removal requires hot water.
  • Don't mix in any colored socks or clothes. Wash them separately.
  • If your white socks have grey threads woven into the soles (added to mask some of the dirt), they can be included with pure white socks for these whitening steps.
Detergent Heavy-duty
Water Temperature Hot
Cycle Type Normal cycle
Drying Cycle Type Normal cycle or air-dry
Special Treatments Presoak with an added cleaner (vinegar, lemon juice, bleach, borax, or baking soda)
Iron Settings N/A
How Often to Wash Whiten monthly or as needed
The 10 Best Laundry Whiteners of 2023

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 washer or laundry sink
  • 1 automatic dryer or drying rack

Materials

  • 1 box baking soda
  • 1 bottle chlorine bleach
  • 1 bottle distilled white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 container powdered oxygen-based bleach
  • 1 bottle hydrogen peroxide
  • 1 box laundry borax
  • 1 container heavy-duty laundry detergent

Instructions

Overhead view of materials needed to make socks white again

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

How to Whiten Socks with Lemon Juice or Distilled White Vinegar

The mild acid in lemon juice (citric) or distilled white vinegar (acetic) help to break the bond between the soil and the sock fibers.

  1. Create a Hot Water Bath

    • Fill a large pot with water (around one gallon) and heat on the stovetop until boiling. Turn off the heat.
    • Or, bring water to a boil in a tea kettle to create a hot water bath for the socks.
    Creating a hot water bath for the socks

    The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

  2. Add the Cleaning Ingredients to the Hot Water

    Tip

    Adjust the amount of water and the cleaning ingredients based on the number of pairs of socks you plan to clean. One gallon of water will accommodate around six pairs of socks.

    Adding the cleaning agents to the hot water bath

    The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

  3. Add the Socks and Soak

    Add the socks to the solution and allow them to soak for at least four hours. Overnight is even better.

    Soaking the socks in the hot water bath

    The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

  4. Wash and Dry as Usual

    • When the water has cooled, lift the socks from the soaking solution and wash them you usually would using heavy-duty detergent and hot or warm water.
    • Dry in an automatic dryer or on a drying rack.
    Removing the socks from the hot water cleaning solution

    The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

How to Whiten Socks with Other Cleaning Products

You can use other whitening products instead of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar following the same soaking and washing steps. Try these cleaners to whiten white socks:

Warning

Do not mix cleaning ingredients together. Use only one whitener at a time. Two products that work very well alone, vinegar and chlorine bleach, are highly toxic when combined.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, exposure to dangerous household cleaning mixtures is the second most frequent report of poisoning.

Try using these products added to the hot water bath along with heavy-duty laundry detergent to whiten white socks:

  1. Chlorine bleach: 1/4 cup per gallon of water
  2. Oxygen-based bleach powder: 2-3 tablespoons per gallon of water
  3. Hydrogen peroxide: 1 cup per gallon of water
  4. Baking soda: 1 cup per gallon of water
  5. Laundry borax: 1 cup per gallon of water

Tips for Washing and Keeping White Socks White

  • Presoak white socks in a solution of hot water and heavy-duty laundry detergent for 30 minutes before washing.
  • Wash all white fabrics separately. Do not mix colored fabrics and white fabrics to prevent dye transfer that leaves whites looking grey or dull.
  • Wash heavily-soiled white socks separate from lightly-soiled, new white socks to prevent premature greying.
  • Do not overload your washer when washing white socks. The socks need room to move in the wash water to prevent soil from resettling on the fabric.
  • Always use a heavy-duty detergent that contains enough enzymes to break the bonds between the dirt and the fabric.
  • Boost the performance of your regular laundry detergent by adding a scoop of oxygen-based bleach, laundry borax, or baking soda to the wash cycle.
How to Wash and Care for White Clothes
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Dangers of Mixing Bleach with Cleaners. Washington State Department of Health

  2. 2018 Annual Report. American Association of Poison Control Centers