White socks can quickly become dingy and a little grey, but there is a simple way to brighten them up without using harsh chemicals. It may seem obvious to whiten laundry with bleach, but it will not work on sweat stains, which are the number one cause of socks becoming discoloured. 

Bleach reacts to the oils in sweat and creates a yellowing effect that can lock in dirt instead of lifting it out of the fabric. Instead, Sophie Webb, a cleaning expert and founder of What Sophie Does, shared that a better way to clean socks is a natural remedy made out of salt and baking soda. 

Sophie said: “I soaked them in warm water, one cup [of] baking soda and two tablespoons of salt overnight, put them in a warm wash with just whites, then hung them to dry in the sun.”

Both cooking salt and baking soda are simple yet surprisingly effective ways to whiten socks, as they are abrasive and can get deep into the material to clean them without damaging the fabric. 

Salt has antibacterial properties, which will help break down any dirt and will soften any hard water minerals embedded in the fabric, to brighten them.

Baking soda is alkaline, which means it will dissolve stains made out of acidic grease like sweat from socks and also help boost the power of laundry detergent once you put it your socks in the washing machine. 

In Sophie’s comment section, many people were amazed at how well the solution worked once they had tried it out themselves. One woman said: “Oh wow, didn’t realise baking powder and salt were so effective!” while another impressed user wrote: “They are like new!”

How to naturally whiten socks without harsh chemicals 

All you need to do is fill a basin with hot water, then add 220g of baking soda and two heaped tablespoons of salt. 

Wait for the salt and baking soda to dissolve, then add the socks. Let them sit in the solution for a few hours, but preferably overnight if you have the time. 

Once a few hours have passed, throw the socks in the washing machine on a wash on a warm wash (30C to 40C). Make sure to also add laundry detergent to the washing machine door, as baking soda will boost the effects so you get a deeper clean.

After the socks have been washed, hang them outside to air dry in the sun. Sunlight can also naturally whiten socks as the ultraviolet rays can help break down organic material like sweat to fade stains and help lighten the fabric. 

Once your socks have fully dried, they should be completely clean and bright once again, so you can wear white socks this spring without worrying about having to wash out the stains later.

This cleaning solution works best to get sweat stains out of socks to whiten them away, but if you have any discoloured white t-shirts or towels, then consider using a solution made out of lemon juice instead.