Keeping your white towels clean and bright is easy when you follow the right tips and tricks. Follow these steps to wash white towels the right way every time.

1. Remove Stains Like a Pro

It’s inevitable that your white towels will stain. Learn how to clean white towels and remove different types of stains below.

• Makeup: Spray a pretreating cleaner on the stain before it goes into the wash to remove makeup stains. The pretreating cleaner is essential since putting a white towel through the wash without this pretreatment may cause makeup stains to set.
• Perspiration: Have post-workout sweat on your white towels? Cover the stains in a prewash stain remover, then launder it with a fabric-safe bleach in hot water. Add a bit of white-vinegar to the load to help remove odors as well.
• Blood: Whether you nick yourself shaving or cut your finger while cooking, you can remove blood stains from white towels. Soak the towel in cold water (not hot, as that will set the stain), then launder it in the washing machine. If the blood stain is dried, soak it with an enzyme-based stain remover, then launder it like normal.
• Drinks (Wine, Coffee, Tea, Soda): Soak the stain in cold water then pretreat it with a stain remover. Launder it with fabric-safe bleach.

2. Only Wash Them With Other White Towels

When washing white towels, make sure to only wash them with other white towels and laundry. Do not put them in the wash with colored towels or clothes, as the color can bleed onto white fabric. Review How to Separate Laundry for more tips on what fabrics can be washed together. Invest in a laundry sorter to make separating laundry a breeze.

3. Add Odor-Eliminating Products Prior to Washing

If your towels smell like mildew, it's not just the smell you want to eliminate. You also want to stop mildew growth on white towels as this can cause discoloration over time. To get rid of pesky odors and mildew, pour a ½ cup of baking soda or ½ cup of white distilled vinegar in with your towels and detergent. Make sure to add the white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser. The baking soda can be sprinkled over the towels once it is in the wash.

Important Safety Note:

Plan on bleaching white towels to make them more white? Both baking soda and white vinegar should not be put in loads with bleach, as these substances can create a gas when combined. To ensure safety, run the washer load with the baking soda/vinegar/detergent mixture first, and dry white towels fully before putting them in the washer a second time and adding bleach to help enhance their bright white color.

4. Add Whitening Products

White towels will naturally take on stains or discoloration over time. To brighten and whiten towels, start by adding non-chlorine bleach to your washer's bleach dispenser. If your washing machine doesn't have a bleach dispenser, reference the measurement recommendations on the bleach bottle. Depending on load size, you may need ½ to ¾ cups of bleach. Add the bleach once your washing machine has filled with water to ensure it's diluted enough to prevent damage to the fabric. Bleach should only be used every few washes to brighten the towels without causing damage to towel fibers.

If your towels’ cleaning instructions indicate that you cannot use bleach, use baking soda or white vinegar instead. Add ½ cup of baking soda or ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to your washing machine, along with the laundry detergent. Make sure to add the white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser. This will allow it to slowly dispense throughout the final wash cycle. The baking soda can be sprinkled over the towels in the washer before you start the load.

5. Use a Hot Water Setting

White towels should be washed on a hot water setting in order to keep them bright and stain-free. Use half a capful of detergent (or another amount per the detergent bottle's instructions). Fabric softener adds a waxy buildup that prevents towels from absorbing water, and may even deteriorate the towel fibers over time, so avoid using it with white towels.

6. Place Them in the Dryer

(Shop this image: dryer balls, essential oils, white bath towels, and preserved flowers.)

Before putting your white towels in the dryer, shake them out. This will fluff the fabric – making them more absorbent and soft. Select the regular/cotton or automatic dryer setting for the best results. Add wool dryer balls or unused tennis balls to the dryer before you start the load to aid the drying process and help white towels fluff up. Avoid using dryer sheets as they can damage white towels over time.

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