Everybody likes to keep their white clothes looking white. So, it’s a real shame when an accidental spillage, or years of use, turns your favourite items into greying and yellowing nightmares!
But this doesn’t have to be the case! All you need to do is grab a laundry whitener, use it and you’ll be good to go again.
However, there are so many clothes whiteners available to buy today that you’re spoilt for choice.
So, let us help you out by sharing our top picks of laundry whiteners for you to buy today.
Best Laundry Whiteners in the UK
1. Molly’s Suds Natural Oxygen Bleach Whitener
Molly’s Suds’ Oxygen Bleach Whitener offers a safe, chlorine-free alternative to bleach.
It’s made from just four ingredients, all of which are natural: Sodium percarbonate, sodium carbonate, citric acid and lemon essential oil.
This product comes in powder form. To use it to brighten your clothes, you just need to add two scoops of the powder directly to the washing machine drum.
As well as using it on your clothes, you can also use Molly Suds’ Oxygen Bleach Whitener for household cleaning, for example cleaning white sinks, bathtubs and toilet bowls.
Most people find this product very effective not only at whitening whites that have greyed or yellowed, but also at stain removal.
This product is proof that you don’t need harmful artificial chemicals to create a powerful laundry whitener!
2. Dr Beckmann Glowhite Fabric Whitener With Stain Remover
When it comes to whitening clothes and removing stains, Dr Beckmann’s Glowhite Fabric Whitener is one of the nation’s favourite products!
Dr Beckmann’s Glowhite Fabric Whitener comes in a small box that contains five sachets of concentrated formula.
All you need to do is add a single 40g sachet to your washing machine drum, and the ingredients in the pack will help to keep your white clothes white, and they’ll remove stains.
They’re exceptionally easy to use and are very affordable, in most cases!
The only downside is that the sachets get mixed results. For example, if you have relatively clean white clothes, then this product will help to keep the white colour in your clothes.
But, if your white clothes are stained, then the stains may not come out of your clothes.
In fact, you may need to use two sachets to see significant results. This may result in you buying two or three boxes of this product at any one time, and this ends up being pricey.
3. Vanish Oxi Action Whitener and Stain Remover Powder
Vanish Oxi Action is a popular choice for whitening laundry. It’s chlorine free and uses oxygen bleach to whiten your laundry.
It can be used in three different ways: Soaking clothes in a solution of the product mixed with water, pre-treating stains with the product, or adding it to the detergent drawer in your washing machine.
This product usually works well at making greyed clothes whiter, though it won’t always be able to remove tough stains.
One common issue it that sometimes the lid can come loose in the post if you buy it online, resulting in some of the product spilling.
Overall, Vanish Oxi Action Whitener is a trustworthy product for whitening laundry, but it’s not a miracle worker.
4. Ecover Laundry Bleach
If you’re looking for a bleach-style product that isn’t actually tough chlorine bleach, then Ecover Laundry Bleach is what you need!
This plant-based, and altogether more neutral, bleach-based product is perfect for keeping white clothes white and removing simple stains.
What’s more is the fact that you only need to use one to two tablespoons of the solution when you pre-soak your garments before you wash them in your washing machine (or you can skip the pre-soaking and throw your clothes and Ecover straight into your washing machine).
So, your 400 g box will last a decent amount of time, making it exceptional value for money!
The highlight of this product though is that it is safe for septic tanks. Ecover prides itself on being green, clean and cruelty free, so by using their whitening product you’ll be helping to protect the earth from nasty chemicals.
What’s the downside to Ecover Laundry Bleach? The one big problem this item has is that it is mistaken for actual bleach (the tough chlorine kind) all of the time.
The products are not strictly the same, so you will get different results after using each product. Some people feel a tad disappointed after using Ecover for this reason.
5. HG Whiter Than White Special Detergent For White Wash
This HG powdered formula is an excellent alternative for those of you who want to hand wash your white clothes that have been plagued by sunlight.
To use this product all you need to do is scoop some powder into the measuring cup, that is part of the item’s lid, and tip the powder into the detergent drawer in your washing machine/sink.
You don’t need to use a huge amount of this product to see great results, but you may need to leave your garments to soak in the powdered water overnight, if you’ve got exceptionally dirty white laundry!
The main limitation of this product is that the 400 g pot you buy can only manage around 6 washes, if you’re lucky.
So, it may not be the item with the best value for money on this list!
6. Bio-D Laundry Bleach
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option made using natural ingredients, Bio-D’s Laundry Bleach could be a good choice.
The main ingredients are sodium carbonate (also known as soda crystals) and sodium percarbonate (also known as oxygen bleach).
As well as lightening whites, this product is also anti-bacterial and can be used for stain removal.
You can use it directly in the washing machine by adding a tablespoon of the powder to your detergent drawer. Alternatively, you can dilute it in water for hand-washing or soaking clothes.
Bio-D’s Laundry Bleach is a good choice if you have sensitive sink, as it’s free from enzymes and synthetic perfumes. It won’t leave behind an unpleasant chemical smell.
It comes in recyclable cardboard packaging, making it an eco-friendly choice. It’s also cruelty free and vegan.
This product is a good choice if you want an effective stain remover and whitener that is free from harmful chemicals and doesn’t come in plastic packaging.
7. Ace For Whites Laundry Bleach
If you’re looking to buy an ultra-hygienic product then look no further than Ace! This specialised liquid product was created to bring greying clothes back to life, and it can even tackle your delicates too.
As the name suggests this product does contain bleach, so you must be careful when you use it. Given the fact that this is the core ingredient, you’re almost always guaranteed perfect white clothes – and it won’t cost you a fortune either!
Users of Ace For Whites have noted that it works well on hair dye stains, sprucing up bedding and keeping white underwear in tip-top form!
However, such greatness does come at a cost… Bleaching whites too often will eventually weaken the fibres in the material, but the most pressing concern is that this product cannot be used with any other items because it can trigger a chemical reaction.
How to Choose a Laundry Whitener
When choosing a laundry whitener, you should consider the following points:
- Do you just want to whiten clothes that are relatively clean?
- Do you want to whiten and remove heavy stains from clothes?
- Do you want to use harsh chemicals?
- Are you happy to use sachets?
- Do you have a septic tank at home – would less chemicals be better for it?
- Would you like to purchase a product that is cruelty free and greener?
- Are you happy to use multiple sachets at once or is this not an option?
- What do you need to whiten – towels, underwear, bedding for example?
- Do you need a product that is suitable for sensitive skin?
- How much time do you want to spend whitening your laundry?
Based on your answers to the questions above you will be able to find a product that suits you and your family.
For example, if you need to revive your white clothes that are relatively clean fairly quickly, and without much hassle, you cannot go wrong with either of the sachet options above! They are super convenient and you don’t need to pre-soak your clothes before you use them.
But, if you need to remove tough stains from white clothes, and you don’t mind using chemicals during the process and you’ve got plenty of time spare, the Ace For Whites Laundry Bleach would be ideal for you.
What Laundry Whitener Will Deliver the Quickest Results?
All of the products above are designed to whiten clothes in a timely fashion, so it would be difficult to choose the ‘fastest working product’.
Needless to say, a number of factors influence how quickly your dull white laundry returns to being white, these include:
- How dull and dirty your laundry is to begin with.
- Are you prepared to pre-soak your items overnight to help the whitening process?
- What’s an ‘acceptable end result’ for you?
- What’s the safest option for your home?
- Do you want quick results or excellent results?
All of the products listed above need at least 1 washing machine’s cycle worth of washing, so you should see results by the end of this cycle. It is up to you to decide how long you want this cycle to last.
Of course, any pre-treatments you do will lengthen the laundry whitening process, but may provide better results.
Conclusion
If we had to pick just one laundry whitener to recommend, it would be Molly’s Suds’ Oxygen Bleach Whitener. It’s one of the most popular laundry whiteners in the UK and uses safe, natural ingredients.
If you want something more natural, you should consider Ecover Laundry Bleach, which is a natural alternative to chlorine bleach. Because it’s a natural laundry whitening product, you know that it’s safe to use in septic tanks. So, you don’t need to worry about polluting your tank or the ground when sprucing up your washing!
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
