Tips&TricksRevive your curtains: How to whiten them naturally at home

Revive your curtains: How to whiten them naturally at home

The woman reveals white curtains.
The woman reveals white curtains.
Images source: © Getty Images | Zinkevych

7:04 PM EDT, May 3, 2024

How can we bring back the original brightness of our curtains? Here are some helpful tips.

Over time, curtains accumulate dirt, dust, dust mites, cigarette smoke, and even smog, leading to a yellowish hue. Unfortunately, regular laundry detergent sometimes fails to tackle these stains. So, what can we do to make our curtains white again?

The answer lies in creating a homemade curtain bleach using natural and easily accessible ingredients. This mixture will not only return the fabric to its original state but also eliminate any lingering odors.

Create your own curtain bleach with ingredients you already have

Curtains can transform a room's ambiance, providing an essence of coziness, but only if they're clean and vividly white. Common pollutants like grease, dust, and tobacco smoke contribute to their discoloration. How can we revive their pristine whiteness?

One traditional method is bleach, which, while effective, can harm delicate fabrics. Fortunately, a safer yet equally effective alternative exists.

This alternative is a homemade bleach requiring just two ingredients: water and baking soda. Baking soda not only whitens and disinfects but also deodorizes fabrics.

To prepare, mix about half a gallon of water with 10 tablespoons of baking soda in a large bowl. Soak your curtains in this solution for several hours or, better yet, overnight. Wash them in your washing machine the next day as you normally would, and they’ll come out looking like new.

A vinegar alternative to baking soda

Lacking baking soda? Vinegar is a perfect substitute. There's no pre-mixing required. Simply add half a cup of vinegar to your washing machine's detergent compartment before washing. Vinegar shares baking soda's whitening and disinfecting properties and will leave your curtains brilliantly white. Plus, the vinegar smell vanishes as they dry.